The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-07-25

sometimes for months. in camps and nv; !.
SONS, ana IN persisting In taking captive
non -combatants,
| your attention Is also called to the un-
neard OF conduct of Federal officers. In
nrivlng rom their homes entire commune
VIZ vi women ard children, as well as Of
men, whom they find in districts occupied
by their troops, for no other reason than
because these unfortunates arc faithful to
| the allegiance due to their States and re-
fuse to take an oath of fidelity to their
lenemieS.
The putting to death of unarmed nr;so,-
ers has been q cause of just complaint in
more than one instance, and the recent er-
ecution of officers of our army in Ken
lucky, for the sole cause that they were en-
gagged in recruiting service in State that
is claimed as still one of the United States.
but is also claimed by us as one Of the Con-
lederate States, must be repelied by retail
alton if not Internationally abandoned.
because it would justify the like execution
in every other State of the Confederacy,
and the practice is barbarous, useless1y
cruel, aud can only lead to the slaughter Of
prisoners on both sides, u result too horri-
BILE to contemplate without making every
effort to avoid it.
On these and all kindred subjects YOU
will consider your authority full and am
pie to make such arrangements as will
temper the present cruel character of tho
jcontest, and full confidence is placed i'm
your judgment, and discretion, that while
carrying out the objects of your mission,
you will take care that the equal rights of
thesConfederacy be always preserved.
Very respectfully,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
THE DEATH OF Col. O'BRIEN.-We
print below, from the New York Herald,
the terrible scenes attending the death of
Col. o Brien. during the late New York
draft riot. The torments of the Inquisi-
ton, the murders Of the Thugs, the most
exquisite cruelties of the Indians fail to
compare with those brutalities. A thous-
and fiends from hell would have paused
ere they perpetrated such horrors. And
this in broad daylight in the great city of
New York, the centre Of civilization and
refinement. The record is almost too hor-
rible for belief. The Herald says:
The body was lying in the street from
two O'Clock until after six. Some contra
dictory statements are going the rounds
whether or not Col. o. Brien was hung up
to lamp post after being beaten. Some
assert that he was, while others again pos
itively expressed themselves convinced
that no such action had taken place. Our
reporter did not see the hanging operation,
but was told of it by a number Of parties
who were on the ground at the time. The
fact would, however, now appear to be that
Col. OBrlen was not hung up at ALL
About three o'clocg the Rev. Father Glow
rer arrived upon the scene, and began to
read the services of the Roman Catholic
Church over him. The occasion was one
of marked and solemn interest. The priest
stood over the dying man, while a large
crowd surrounded him but standing off in
silent attitudes while they viewed the SOL
emn scene. Around the neck of O'Brien
scapular was placed, which was recog-
nized by the crowd and added to silent at
tltude. This scapular is regarded by the
Roman Catholics as sacred relic. It is
blessed by their clergy and placed around
the neckS of those who desire to enroll
themselves in the order of the Virgin Mary,
which 1t represents. When the crowd saw
that this was worn by Col. O'Brien, they
desisted for time from their work. They
fell back until the priest had ended the
ceremonial of reading the service over the
body. When this asconcluded the priest
turned 10 the crowd and requested then to
keep quiet and not to assault Col. O'Brien
any more, as he was fast sinking. The
rev erend gentleman then left and this was
the signal for another onslaught upon the
body, which was entered into with energy
by the assembled multitude.
1t was past six o'clock on Tuesday after
noon when our reporter left the scene of
of operations in I'd avenue. At that time
the body Of Col. O'brien still lay in the
street. Its CHASTITY appearance and the last
palpitations of the dying man were appar-
ent at the time. Animation was still
strongly working in the system, and the
| stout frame still heaved upwards from the
ground on which it lay. Then the linger-
ing shadows of the evening were stealing
over the scene, while quiet ominous ole
| ment seemed to pervade the large masses
which were standing on either side of the
thoroughfares in the vicinity. There was
no disturbance worth mentioning at this
time Tho ponn1a coarpo1 tn no fine I,al
with the scenes through which they had
passed. Their temper was up, but they
did not give vent to their feelings in any
loud or boisterous manner.
In theneighborhood Oft o. clock the body
was carried into the park of the house
in I'd avenue, two or three doors from Saith
street. His wife, who was in the house at
the time the disturbance first commenced.
Immediately left and proceeded to Brook
lyn. .--.....
the body was brought from the street into
the backyard. Here it was followed by q
crowd Of some 800 persons, and the scenes
which here occurred in connection with
the last moments of this dying man, no
pencil could paint nor no pen describe in
such a manner that our readers could pro-
perly appreciate or understand the hOrri-
BILE realities which here took place. A
number of women were also on the ground.
and they also assisted in the horrid actiom,
which were carried on at the time. Proba-,
bly, the most notable and melancholy feae-
ture in connection with the killing Of this
man, was the fact that the occurrence took
place Immediately in front of his own
house; and his last gasp was given in tho
yard Of the same. -
When the body was dragged into the
yard there was nothing upon it but the
pantaloons. The remaining portion Of the
body was raked and covered with blood,
while the head was enc mass of jellied
| flesh.
One man came up, and placing dirk
knife into the hands of boy scarcely
twelve years old who was present, request
ed him to plunge it into the PROSTATE body
of the dying man, which act was about be-
ing performed, when several OF the crowd
interfered, and the horrible attempt was
| frustrated.
While the body lay in the yard life still
appeared though feebly, until about eight
o'clock. Then it was that the last glimmer
of existence seemed fast going out. Col.