, 1863-10-28
Bnolher Victim Of the Copper
head Conspiracy.
EXECUTION OF REUBEN
STOUT,
Startling Revelations of the
Condemned.

In obedience to the order Of Major General
Burnside, ,appolntlDg:he Sd OF October for the
execution Of private Reuben S.ou:, Go. z,
Goth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, convicted of
dcse1tion and murder, the prisoner Was shot
On Johnson's Island, at tHo o'clock Friday af-
terroon.
Previous to the execution, the prisoner
made the following ve:y important confes-
sion:
STATEMENT or TEE PRISONER.
1#ae born In Besks county, Pennsylvania,
where / lived until / ras over twenty-one
yeaI1 Of sge. / then married aud removed to
Clinton county, Indiana In December, 1851
enlisted with Capt schimuerhorn, In what
wss expected to be caVslr9 company. The
made 10 believe BY an officer that mY enliss.
nent held me to 60 into tbs infantry sersice.
thought, r&the1 thar be forced, would en-
list Voluntarily. put down my name to 20
in Go. E, Goth Regiment Indiana Infantry.
After found out the deception practiced on
= lo, I thought, deceived me. and had some
bard feelings against bin about 1t. I yield
ed, however, and vent with the company; and
take plcstu1n in saying that the Captain
aforesaid always used me we'll By eomeneg-
lect, I was nevcr sworn into the service. how
e'e5, tHouEA IHJ NolbAel gave u1uEIs 10 AAFe
nc. mustered and sworn In. I stared
With my company and regiment ua-
I'll the twentJ-ffth Of November 1859,
when we got furlough to 20 home-the reg
| fment having been captured at Crane riye1,
Kentucky, ard Paro1ed Us prisoners Of war.
We we've cent to Indianapolis to BE- exchanged
regiment rot 1urloughs for a few days to 60
hcMe to their friends. I went home and
stayed ont my time, mud then started to go to
zay regiment went es far as Lafayctte-my
taa M and 5Gr tsffF GoRg ut h f ~ far s
End stayed there about I've days. My fsther-
in-law then took nc home to lis house to
stay till I got veil. After had been there
/ shout TWO weeks I was advised BY various
| persons not to 60 b:ck te the army. They
| said this YES only an "Aboliticn wa:," and
| protect me. Was Induced to goto meeting
Of the so.cslled Knights Of tie Golden Cir.
Gle, and was made = member Of that organi-
zation. The obligations Of the order bound
us to do all We could against the war-to re-
SIT = draft, II one should be made, and like.
wise to resist aud oppose a'l condscation Or
emancipation measures, In every possible
way. We were sworn to stand b. each other
in al measures Of resistance. We were
pledged 10 do all VIC corld to prevent another
lnau or dollar going from the State for the
further prosecution Of the war. met with
ILLS sec1el meeting Eeiefal [1ml3 anu GdIeret
into their views and plans.
stayed ahont four months with my fsthcr
. in law, and then went to see my brother, neal
Delphi, Indiana. On the second evening af
ter my arrival there, Solomon Hnlman and /.
man named McAfee came to my brother
house. I was up stairs, about to 60 to bed
, Ny brother aud family, and my Wife, were
:. Stout was there. Ny brother eaid no suc1
man Was there. He asked him II his broth
iris Wifr was nor Tiers. My brother answer
Cd sic vas. lie asked my wife If her hus
} land wes in the house. She answered no
He asked my brother something, to which
, his 1EtE1ion. He then said: "You are 81
8 tet Of id Copperheads, md II We re
him, this will be the last tine for him." Ths
. other man asked my bfotber's wife for can
de to search The house. The ther lnen aaid
Ask no fayors Of theee d-d Copperhrads
II We get him We will shoot him..
When he eaid this became alarmed TO-
:: Ely life, and cooked my pistol md stepped t.
the door at the lead Of the stairs, as Huff
Ian was about to come up, with q candle Ii
core down, but If he rsde another step VI
etaf.s would shoot him. He changed ths
light from ore ha1d to ihe other, an5 msd'
aS nto draw pistol from his pocket or belt
then fired upon him, and he fell back ex
claiming: "Oh, Gcdi Pm kt1led.'' He VA
| C3E1ltA Ou13 AAA AtfSE ELM 4lIA a1.t1 Fl
fill.
Twas led By erE connscls, and my connec
i. tson With ttc1et traitoruus orgauiz atiop, t,
stag away from my post OF duty in the army
I a,u truly EO1ry that acted thus, or thtt
for momeEt lfsteEed to these evil couuseis
!, lam tony that ever lifted my hand ngaIne
the life Of my fellow. man I think the ma
wAo cane to afrttt Ie did not net right, bu
6 do not excuEc myself for ny wrong -do1n
1 en- that account.
5 wou1d ai1sctIonate1y and earnestly urg
I all in the EerSice Of their country, not to q
4 IS hare done; but to be faithful to their oil
d legations as sollie1s-ayoidirg all disloys
a counsel6 and obligations.
I Several years ago embraced religion, IN
:. united With Tie German Methodist Churct
q haye not been Cait;:ful To my chris:iau dt
: ties. have become very guilty. and COZ
: fees MT s!ps aGai1Et God, my country, an
t ny fellow man. ! hava sought mercy at th
/ hind IF God die trusting In the Lord an
= Saviour Jesus Christ htlieve God Is grt
q c|ous, and therefore erjoy peace In this sa
i | aId Eolemu hopr.
bear ro malice to mJ enemies or accuser
hc pc ny death mag do good as . werciu
10 others. ConmeI ding my lear %ite-wlt
! our four child5en-to the kind keeping Of
! me1cjful Providence, take my leave Of III
, world, hoping to meet them in world wEel
! sG1row and death Will never come.
REUBEN Stout.
In prison at Johnson's Island, October 2;
1868.