Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1863-01-31
LETTER FROM JOHN CURRIER.
Sioux Cry. Iowa. Jan, Doth. 1888


for justice, and natural desire to retain
the respect of my friends, which may have
been measurably lessened by the intell.
gence circulated in several journals that
bad been made prisoner by the military,
conveyed to Fort Randall and there incar.
cerated in the common guard house with.
out explanation Of the cause, suggests the
proprlety to my mind of giving briefly in
detail a history of the last few weeks as
connected with that arrest and the subse
quent disgracefnl treatment of myself
and in dong this shall studiously avoid
all personalities, further than may be
necessary 10 fair and impartial expos'
ton Of the whole transaction.
A few weeks ago citizen of Dakota by
the name Of Robeart, was arrested by the
military stationed at Yankton, by order
Of the General commanding the frs: divi-
sion in the department OF the northwest
That order was executed by one Captain
Cooper Of the 4lst Iowa volunteers, and
the prisoner was conveyed to this city
where he was held in arrest for some
time, when he applied to me, as had jus,
returned from the attendance of profes,
sional business in Dakota-to make use of
such means as would be most expedent
in procuring his release from this uuaw-
full and arbitrary restraint upon his per.
sonsl liberty. In response to this demand
for the exercise OF my professional services
and in accordance with the requirements
of my professional oath and duty, as we'll
as with a view of striking at an otiense
which has been committed too often, and
as an evil which has existed too LONG. -
AS an attorney of Mr. Robeart | applied
to the Judge of our District Court for a
writ of habeos corpus, and am pleased at
the opportunity here afforded Of bearing
testimony to the rightful exercise of Off
cial authority which the Court exhibited
on that occasion, by Immediately granting
the prayer Of the application and issuing
the writ which when served upon the custo
dian of Mr., Robeart procured his release
then returned to Yankton, and engaged in
the taking of testimony in the contested
election case for the DelegaseShip Of that
Territory, and it was willie so engaged
that | was arrested and sent to Fort Ran
dali by order of this General Cook, who
issued to his subordinate Cooper, the order
by which was arrested, at the same time
sending messages to the Chief Justice of
the Territory, and proclaiming that the
writ of habeas corpus was suspended. and
that any allowance of it was an cncroach.
ment upon his peculiar department. that
in effect the Constitution of our Fathers
was dead letter, and that the military
now ruled. Have we as nation come to
this2 The future alone will show, and
finally ordered that if any relief was sought
in behalf Of the person arrested by the
order by virtue Of this writ, the Court
issuing it and the officer serving it were to
be regarded as proper subjects for further
arrests, and were Immediately to be hur-
ried off to some military prison
Now thea, for what reason was TINS
ANONYMOUSLY treated? Was it for any
oHense known to the statutes Of the Gen
eral or Territorial Government; If So
why was not a presentment Of my case
made before some proper and legal tri
hnnai, aud why, without warrant or form
Of law was | torn from my friends and
hurried beyond the jurisi jction of any
Court, without being allowed the poor pri.
vilege of trial? Why was | freeman
and an American citZen incarcerated
within the walls Of l0athsome prison
without the slightest charge or evidence
against me2 This, and this only was the
reason. | discovered on an examination
OF the guard book, where are recorded the
charges against the imprisoned-'Inter.
ference with military affairs" and the
explanation of this charge accorded me
by my captors was, the procuring the re,
lease of Robenrt. But subsequent devel.
opmeuts renders the current opinion in
Dakota very probable to my mind, that
the General was melted to issue an order
which would result in my removal from
Yankton, by those parties most deeply
interested in defeating the investigation
in the contested election case of General
Todd and Gov. Jayne. 1t makes little
difference which reason is the correct one
as both are equally UNI ust and arbitrary.
SO much for the character of the char
ges upon which | was arrested and i'm.
prisoned, and 20 much for the character
Of the NAH bv whose order | have been
thus disgracefuly treated. nd now allow
me in conclusion to give my views of the
justice and propriety of this and similar
cases and have done.
Are we the citizens of loyal Iowa and