Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-05-15

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rri-"eskN'---------------- w.
Plot Of the K. G. C.'s In Pennsyl
vsania against the Government.
Our readers have doubtless already read al
account of the capture of four secret foes 0
the Government, near Reading, Pa, on tn,
9th of April-viz: Phillip Huber, Gabriel
Filbert, DIR. Augustus F. Illig and Harrison
Oxenrider. They were taken to Phihdelphi.
and tried before Commissioner Heazlitt.
Two days after their arrest, $50 Of theil
followers assembled il the streets of Reading
for the purpose of marching to Philadelphis
and rescuing the prisoners. They drew up,
on horseback, in front Of the Court House
for consultation. As soon as the citizens be-
gan to be apprised Of their object, great ex-
citement prevailed and crowds assembled and
would have handled the traitors roughly had
not Mayor Hoyer and John S. Richards, ESQ.,,
advised them to disperse, which they finally
did.
The following is the testimony of one Of
the principal witnesses against Huber and his
associates:
William I. Lyon, Government Detective,
sworn, testified that he knows Phillip Huber
well, and is slightly acquainted with DR.. Illig,
Gabriel Filbert and Harrison Oxenrider. He
stated that over two months since he received
intelligence for the first time, and frequently
since, that organizations inimical to the Gov
ernment existed in the neighborhood of Read
ing, and he set himself to work to find out
what truth there was in it. Many people had
complained to him of the existence Of those
leagues. On the 21st of March he received
information that meeting was to be held
near Reading, and he proceeded to the place
indicated, in Marion township, and concealed
himself in the barn of Jacob Sellers, under
the straw. Shortly after party of men en-
tered, Mr.. Huber among them, who he recog-
nized by his voice. There might have been
one hundred persons there Shortly after
entering the barn Huber gave orders to search
the building to see if any person was there in
the character of spy. Witness could not
tell who had spoken, being hid under the
straw. Huber directed the men to run hay
and straw forks through the straw, which was
done, but without discovering the locality of
the witness. They then placed what they
called their pickets around the barn, and
went into secret session. This was about
nine o'clock. After the pickets were placed
Huber administered the obligation to a num-
Der present, and did all the talking himself;
he denounced the war as unholy, and pro-
ceeded to speak in strong terms about the
conscription, &C.; he said the organization
was over one million strong, and started in
the South; that they had signs, passwords,
grips, &c. The witness stated he believed
some eighty-three persons took the obliga-
tons of the society at the meeting in ques-
ton; Huber repeated the obligation verbally,
wherein the members swore to do certain
things when questioned they answered
''yes;" Huber gave notice that other meet
ings would be held, and that the time would
be communicated from one member to anoth-
er. Witness stated that Huber speaks at all
these meetings; one dollar is charged as the
initiation fee; and some eighty three persons,
as near as witness could find out, paid it at
the meeting in the barn. The following was
the obligation given after the organization
had gone into secret session :-"Are you in
favor of abducting Abraham Lincoln BY force,
if necessary? Are you in favor of North
west Confederacys Are you in favor of re-
sisting the draft or conscription act ?" In
regard to DR.. Illig, Filbert and Oxenrider,
witness said he could not say positively that
they were in the barn. Public meetings were
held at a house and the secret session at, the
barn. There was no regular discussion at
the barn meeting except the speech made by
Huber. The number of men present was ar
rived at through the amount of money he
heard stated as received, $S3.
Huber acts as Treasurer; after his arrest
Huber told witness that the organization was
banded together under the Constitution and
the Union, and that the one dollar initiation
fee was to help and assist one another, en-
ploy counsel if arrested, &C.; that if they
could not do what they wanted to under the
Constitution, they would use force. 1s la.'o'
These disclosures leave no doubt of the
reasonable character of the secret organiza-
ton known as Knights of the Golden Circle. +"
It ought to open the eyes Of many unsus-
pecting sconservatives'' who are associating
politically with these secret enemies Of the
Government. ieuejs 5Sf ssa ,s.ls.a Z. q. ii