The Big blue union. [volume] (Marysville, Kan.) 1862-1866, 1863-11-07

The Civil Law Set at Defiance
Soldiers Break Open the Marshan
County Jail and Release a Con-
vict.
We have to record a series Of outrages
perpetrated in Marshall county, culnina-
ting in the forcible release of prisoner
convicted of assault with intent to kill"
and sentenced to imprisonment in the State
Peni'en,iary for the period Of one year.
The facts are these:
For month past several soldiers from
the 18th Reg. X. ", have been home in
this county on furlough, few OF which |
were men of bad character. Oct. Sd, Geo.
Reedy, Woodford Reedy aud William
Shroyer attempted to shoot Perry Hutchi.
son citizen of this place and formerly
Captain of tie company in the 18th Reg.
to which said privates Reedy and Shrsy-
er belong. A citizen named J. Heasly in
terfering in behalf of Mr.. Hutchison, was
turned upon by Geo Reedy and shot at
with revolver, the charge passing
through the breast of his clothes. Moth
ing was done with the parties at the time
but during the recent sitting of the District
Court, which convened at this place Mon
day. Oct. 26.h, the Grand Jury found two
bills of indictment against George Reedy,
and Saturday, October 81, 1868, he was
brought before the Court, Judge A. H.
Horton presiding, for trial. Reedy was first
tried for "Assault with intent to kill "
Perry Hutchison. Owing tofalss tssti-
mony of some of Reedy's friends the jury
were obliged to return verdict Of "not
guilty" He was then tried for an AS
sault with intent to kill'' ]. L. Heasly,
in which case the jury returned verdict
of guilty, and was sentenced to one years
Imprisonment in the State Penitentiary,
and was placed in the custody of the
Sheriff, who confined him in Jail with the
intention of taking him to the Penitentiary
at Leavenworth in few days. Tuesday
November Sd, Co. B, 9th K. V. under
command of lst Lieut.. Henry Branly,
passed through this town on its way from
the Mountains to Fort Leavenworth.
They dismountsd in town and stayed "a
short time, during which the friends of Geo,
Reedy informed the soldiers of Co. L,
9th Kansas VOL, that soldier was con-
fined in the Jail. During the afternoon
the Com pany moved on east and camped
Some five or six miles from town. That
night, Oct. Sd, about twenty soldiers from
said Company B, headed by one Charles
Hall, alias Plunke,, private of Company
E, 13th Kansas VOL, came to the Jail be-
tween the hours of IL and IL o'clock, and
demanded Of the Sheriff who with two
citizens was guarding tho Jail the keys of
the Jail. Upon his refusal to deliver up
the keys they drew their revolvers and
swore they would blow out his brains" if
the key was not there in five minutes. D.
B. Dougherty, one of the guards, and who
was standing near by, fearing the threat of
! the soldiers to kill the Sheriff would be car.
ried out, did deliver the key of the Jail to
the soldiers and they threw open the Jail
| and turned the prisoner at large. A pc.
tition has since been signed by few cit
IL ems requesting the Governor to pardon
George Reedy, and be still at large.
We hope the Governor will become
acoua inted with the facts before be ans
wers said petition. A statement of the
above case has been sent to Gen. Ewings
and we expect he will return the convict
to the civil authorities, call to account
Lieut.. Branly for allowing his men out of
camp on such business, and punish the
partieipators in the transaction. All the
evidence necessary can be procured here
to prove the above proceedings. Gem
ment il unnecessary. We await the ac-
ton of the authorities.
Election Of fRegirnental Omcers.
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