Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-01-09
THE CASE or REV. GEO. GORDON.

over the signature Of X. +. Payne, L. $.
District Attorney for the Northern Dis.
trict Of Ohio:
The United States) In the District Court
VS.. Of Ohio. J ricd at the
George Gordon.) Nov Term, 1861.
This was prosecution for violation
Of the 18th section Of the act for the pun.
ishment Of crimes, found in Brightly's
Statutes, page 212, and passed April 80,
1870. The section prnishes any person
who shall knowingly and wilfully OBJ.
struct, resist or oppose any officer Of the
United States, in serving or attempting
to serve or execute any writ, process,
warrant, etc, issued by any person auth
orized % Issue the same, by imprison-
mcnt, not exceeding one year, and fine,
not exceeding three hundred dollars
The defendant was indicted at the Nov.
Term, 1860.
The testimony on the trial, established
beyond a rational doubt, that on the 10Th
day Of September, 1860 three men from
Kentucky came to Cincinnati, and made
affidavit before L. S. Commissioner New
hall, that three persons owing them ser.
vice and labor in Kentucky, had fed, and
were then in the State of Ohio. They
procured three warrants and placed them
in the hands Of Marshal Sifford of the
Southern District Marshal Siiford call.
cd to his assistance two Of his deputies
and two or three men beside the Ken.
tuckians, and the company on the 10Th
Of September left for the vicinity OF
Iberia, where they understood the slaves
were. A short distance from Iberia the
company left the cars. and soon after,
under the orders and directions OF Mar
shall Sifford they separated, Joseph L.
Barber, one of the deupty Marshals, taking
warrant for Granderson Martin, and
taking two of the company with him,
went as he was directed, to the house of
James Hammond where it was supposed
Martin was. When he arrived at the
house it had begun to grow dark. He
knocked at the door, and lady came to
it, of whom Barber inquired if colored
boy was there by the name OF Martin
He was told he was not. He then in
quired if such a person had not been
there, and was answered in the affirmative.
He asked where he then was, the lady
told him she did not know, and if she
did she would not tell. Barber told her
he had warrant for Martins arrest, and
it was his duty to be satisfied he was not
there. The lady lighted candle, gave
it to him, and told him he could search
the house, which Barber did slightly
but to his satisfaction, no other pers on
entering the house. Mr.. Barber and his
associates then left, and went back to 6
point on the railroad, some mile and {
half, where they by agreement, were tC
report themselves.
Soon after they reached the railroad
and while waiting there for the arrival o
the other companies, men began to col
lect and inquire their business, accusing
them of being robbers and thieves. Mr..
Barber assured them that they were on
legitimate business. There was in com
pany with Mr.. Barber at this time a Mr..
Renick, of Columbus. The crowd now
numbered some fifteen or twenty, and
grew more and more boisterous and ex
cited Mr.. Barber, thinking his safety
required it, now told them he was a Dep
uty U. S. Marshal, that he had warrant
to serve, explained the nature of it, and
demanded their protection and assistance.
At this they became more excited than
ever, and began to threaten to hang them,
the crowd all the time increasing. The
crowd now seized Barber and Renick,
and took them some half mile from
where they were, and off the railroad
track, to the edge Of piece of woods,
After looking for a suitable tree from
which to hang them, and boasting that a
halter had been procured for the purpose,
the crowd changed their minds and con
cludcd to shoot them. Barber and Rem
ick were now separated some forty feet,
and held and searched. On Mr.. Barber
they found wallet, containing his
private papers and about twenty foul
dollars in money, his pistol, small
bowie knife, his warrant and letter from
Mr., Sifford. To secure the wallet, they
tore the pocket from his pantaloons.-
The crowd then demanded that Barber
and Renick should kneel with their faces
in opposite directions and some thirty
PAGES apart, declaring they would shoot
them, Renick obeyed, but Barber re-
fused They then striped off Barber
overcoat, dress coat, vest and shirt, leav-
ing his under shirt. In this condition
they seized him and by force put him
upon his knees. A file of three or -four
men was then drawn up in front OF him,
and orders given to cock their guns, make
ready, and take aim, all Of which was
gone through with. 1t was then suggest
ed that they should not shoot them, bnt
that they should be whipped until they
tcld where the coorod boy was. Bar
Der assured them that he did not know,
that he had seen nothing of him, and
did not know that any had been arrested.
Two or three men seized M, Barber S
hands, pulling his arm out at full length,
and two colored men, one a very large
athletic man, with large limbs cut from
the trees proceeded TO lash him in the
most brutal manner, whipping him until
the small branches were worn from the
the limbs and the colored men exhausted,
and Mr., Barber lacerated and bleeding,
having upon him several gashes one and
half inches in length, and his right arm,
with which he attempted at times to
avert the blows, so bruised that the next
day it was swollen to twice its usual size
During thi1 fogsing the muzzle of a CUR
was thrust against his side with such
violence that from the effect he has no
recovered.
Mr.. Renick during this time was re