The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-08-20
Treason In undiana--Ktnjeh,s

Court Of the United States during their thre,
! week. session, have performed more labor thai
J anv jury ever before assembled at the Capital
/ Near two hundred witnesses were sworn an,
examined. Sixty indictments we're written h,
the attorney, for the Government, and returne,
| by the jdry, sixteen of which we're for treason
I and against the following persons
/ Jesse Faller Solomon Coksr, Nathaniel Hicks
Theodore Applegate, Noah McCallis,er, Thoma
! Cole, Andrew Mefford, VIM. Browulee, Johr
/ Huest, Adam X. johnson, Richard Lambert
Vim. Leukens. Andrew Houston, Taylor Mefford
Robert Slaughter, James Thompson alias Jsme,
Mcconnell.
There were also eighteen indictments returned
against persons for cons piracy to take and pos
ses the property of the U. s., and thirteen for
! conspiracy to defeat the operation OF this law
The character and objects of secret organizi.
ton were inquired into and fully exposed, and
found to be hot-bed OF treason. The country
owes this jury debt of gratitude for their
thorough investigation. 1t is deemed impolitc
to make public the names of other parties until
arrests are made.
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.
In the District Court of The United States, for
the District oJ' Indiana, Nay Term, 1862.
The Grand Jurors of the United States of
America, within and for the district af IndisDa
empanneled, sworn and charged in said Dis rict,
at said May term thereof, having about c0mplet-
cd their lsbors land being now ready to adjourn)
feel it their imperative duty to announca in
raSn tf,tt m 10 n, IL.
general features Of some startling deveopements
made during their Investigations. These deve-
opements, when considered in connection with
the disturbed condition of the country by req
son OF the causeless aud atrocious rebellion
against the Constitution and laws of the land
are deemed of he gcavcst Importance, and
should be made known, that prompt and efficient
measures may be taken by the civil and military
authorities to meet and ward of the effect Of the
wicked and reasonable designs of those con-
nected with such dPvelopements.
A receut act of Congress made It the duty of
the Gran Jury to inquire into any combinations
or consprscies formed by individuals within the
inri 'diction OF the Court 10 prevent the cxecu-
tion Of any law of the United States. Having
h, ard that organizations with this object in
view existed in certain localities, Witnesses were
sent for, and brought before the Grand Jury -
These Witnesses came from many counties, and
lived in various parts of The STATE. After
careful aud dgent examination Of the testi
monv from witnesses well acquainted with the
facts desposed and having a personal knowl-
edge Of the matters, said Grand Jury are con-
strained TO say that secret and oath bound
organization eXisis, Numbering some fifteen
thousand in Indiana, as estimated by the men,
bers OF their order, commonly known as knights
of the Golden Circle" and even in the same
localities by different names Their lodges or
castles, as they danomnate them, are located in
various parts Of the State. vet they have COM
mon signs. grips and words whereby the men,
bers are able to distinguish each other, and
passwords to enable the member TO enter the
castle in which he was initiated or any other
which such member may choose to visit They
have signals BY which they can communicate
with each other in the day or nigh time, and
above all, they have a signal or sign which may
he recognized at great distance from the per
son giving il. This last signal, we regret to saw,
was invented for the use o. such members as
should, by means Of the draft or otherwise, be
compelled to serve in the r.nks of the army -
In such'rasas members OF the order serving IN
opposing armies receiving the sign are reminded
Of their obligation not 10 rure the member
giver it. This signal is given in every instance
upon the initiation of a new member, and its
observance is strictly enjioned upon every in
dividunl belonging to the order BY the teach
ings of the org g,nizition it is the duty of its
members engaged in the present war, nlth, ugh
arrnyed on opposite sides, upon the signal being
given, II they shoot az all, ITO shoot over each
other" Many members of the order, examined
before us, admit the binding force of the obli-
CATION, and pretend to justify it as correct in
principle.
Said GRAM Jury would respectfully submit
that th effect of such obligation is to set aside
the oath taken by every soldier when he enters
the service of the United States. The obliga-
ton imposed by the organization alluded TO, is
inconsistent with the duties OF a soldser, who in
battle dare not spare the person of his enemy.
We must either disarm or destroy him, and es-
pecally so long ss the rebel NAV be seeking to
take life Of the loyal soldier To do otherwise
would be grossly treacherous, and Justly subject
the guilty party to a traitors doom.
From the evidence introduced before said
Grand Jury, il would seem that an order called
the Knights OF the Golden Circle had its origin
in some of the Southern States, and was intro
duced into this State from Kentucky Iis pri-
mary object, when originated, was to organize
the institution of African slavery in the United
States; for the purpose of acquiring more terri
tory in Mexico and Central American States, and
also the acquisition OF Cuba, thereby to extend
aud foster q great slave empire, even though it
should dye those countries in human blood
Hence the various raids made upon those coun
tries, which have called forth from time to time
the proclsmatons OF our former Presidents, de-
nouncing such attempts and threatening the
exercise of the power of the Government I,
put them down. Wicked as the belIish schemes
were, said Grand Jury would not have trodhled
this Honorable Court with this presentment had
the Vaccinations of the Knights of the Golden
Circle been confined solely TO their original de
signs Finding how useful such an organic ition
was for the purposes originally intended, said
Grand Jury believe that it not ouly extends al
present through every part Of the South. aud
every department of the rebel arm7, but during
the last winter and spring was introduced into
the State OF Indiana and other Northern States
Since that time il has made alarming progress in
our midst with entirely new features attached TO
il in ew Of the unnatural co Il C now dpsoa'-
ing our country Not only are he loyal soldiers
in the NY TO Ec t:eacherOuSly betrayed in the
b OodN hour OF battle, hy The the signals before
alluded 10, hut said GRIND jury have ahundanr
evidence of the members binding themselves
to resist the payment Of the Federal tax and
prevent enlistment in the armies OF the United
States.
L. is a fact worthy OF note, and concusive'y
shown, that 10 localities where ther organic uion
extensively prevails, there has been failure TO
furnish fair proportion of vounteers. Sid
Grand Jury, after a thorough examination or
that point, have been unable to find and instance
where number of said organic Ition hsd volun-
teered to fight Tor the Union uuder the late re-
quistiou for volunteers. Said Grand Jury were
informed that an individual of the order had
proposed TO make up a COMPANY to be called the
" "Jayhakers, composed exclusively of Knights
of the Golden Circle. But said Grand Jury be-
lieye that at no time was the proposition serious
ly entertained, but in fact only intended as
cover to hide their reasonable purposes when
they found they were about to be discovered.
The meeiings of the order referred to- are
holden in bye pisces sometimes in the woods,
and At other times in deserted houses. It's men,
bers frequently attend with arms in their hands.
and in almost every instance, armed sentinels
are posted to keep of intruders. Youths not
more than sixteen years OF aga are in many
cases Introduced and initiated into it's mysteries
The credulous and unwary are often allured into
the fold of the Order, upon the pretext that IL
aNNaua uaaeuN. e.. Il