The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-10-18
Knights of the Golden Circle In 0hio---
a Member of the Order Under Arrest.

a Member of the Order Under Arrest.
The following startling disclosures, which
appeared in,tho Cleveland Herald on the
7th, we were unable to publish in onr last
issue. Tboy furnish food for serious re.
Election:
We have known for many DAYS that in
Ohio was an organization known as Knights
OF tho Golden Circle, tho design of which
was reasonable, and tho members thereof
allies of tho Southern traitors. We have
also known that measures were on foot to
detect and expose thoso conspirators, but
that tho work was surrounded with innu.
merablo difficulties, owing to tho desperate
character OF many of the managers of this
conspiracy and tho almost inpossibility OF
gotting within tho secrets of tho order -
Men would undertake the task, but tho
heinous oaths thoy would bo compelled to
tako would deter soma others, after having
takon such oSths, would find that in Cx'
posing their nature thoy impcriCd their
lives and property, and othors, suspected of
treason ID 10 the order cannot noI0 be found!
Yestcrday-Monday tho 7th-howcver.
Dept Marshal Smith, of Marion county
made an arrest of Mr.. Frederick Court, of
that place, and brought him to this city
whore ho now is in prison.
Matters that transprod near Marion on
Thursday night last hGvo something to do
with this arrest. A plan had been laid by
which admission to tho Knights Of tho
Goldon Circle was to bc obtained, and wit.
nesscs 10 sCcretod during tho operation
Tho witnesses were so sccrctoG while a man
named Cheney procured such admission TO
the Circle aud received the oaths. Mr..
Cheney made the necessary affidavit in tho
case tho day after, aud thus an exposure
has taken place. Cheney gives tho name
of tho man who administered tho oaths to
bo Peter Hopkins, who represented himself
as regular member of the order. Hopkins
gavo Cheney the signs, grips and pass. words,
and tho oGths, as near as bo cau remember,
were as follows: ..
FIRST OATH.
II do trust and solemnly promise and
swear that will not reveal any word. either
directly or indirectly. of what am about to
ful brother of this ordor, aud not unto him
or them until after strict examination |
shall have found him or them as justly en-
titled to the same as myself am about to
be under tho no less penalty of having my
body severed into four parts; tho first part
cast out at tho north cato, tho second part
ut tho south, the third part at the east and
tho fourth part ut tho west cato. / further
moro promise that l will always hail and
answer all signs aud signals that aio given
to mo by brother of this order if in my
power to do so and / furthermore promise
and swenr that | will protect and defend all
Constitutional Democrats. thoir Iivos. prop
erty, and personal liberty from mob yio-
lence, during this Southern insurrcction, so
long as thcy obey tho laws of tho u. y. A.,
lot it como from whatever source it may
this obligation to be binding on mo SO long
as this war shall last" -
r.. SECOND OATH. ''|.
Sand furthermore promise and swear,
in the presence Of Almighty God and tho
members of tho Golden Circle. that / ,ciI
not rrSt or steep mill .8br0hdm Lincoln, noio
President, sh0H BE- rcmouei out Of The Prrs.
dentidi chair, and tciH icnde in blood M 10
my kEees, as soon as JcGerson DdUis sees
proper To march ,oiih his army 10 take he
city Of Wdshiqgton and iht Whife House, 10
do The same. So holp me God and keep me
stesdfast to do the same" 5.s't| = -
Four witnesses, to wit, T. H. Dickorson
J. W. Hood, Daniel Snyder and G. Martin
mako affidavit to the fact that they heard
thoso oaths administered.
| On ihe arrest, at Marion, of Mr.. Court
some three hundred mon, armed. rallied to
rescue tho prisoner, and among tho uumber
who were most active was tho Prosecuting &
attorney Of that county who himself is sup
posed to belong to the ordor. .. .
Warrants are now out for five more at
Marion. aud SmiIh has returned to Marion
to mako the arrests to-day. II is moro
than probable that Smith himself will be
arrested by these conspirators, and wo may
expect to hear of startling evonls there.
This man Court has been busy initiating
members into this order, in ono case doing
SO in saw mill. Ile is ono of tho mos
active, and apparently has but little fear o.
tho result o. his arrest. believing that thu
order has strength enough TO rescue hin
from all poril.
man named Bradshaw, OF Marion, VIII,
had become alarmed. upon reflection, at th,
nature of the oaths and designs of tho order
and who wished to make q clean breast q
tho matter, cannot now be found, and ha
Z not boon seen for some days since, when
, was in pursuit of q certain paper that cor
, tanned evidence OF tho crime of certain mon
, bcrs Of tho organization.
a There 10 no doubt that these "Circlei
infost ovory county in Chic. and we presum
, We have mombers of tho order in our mlds
/ The examination of Court was commence
D before u. S. Commissioner White, on Tuei