Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-03-19
Selling Pistols by Military Au-
Nh thOrlty. ~

siderable e1citement in our iittle city, for
Ieouple Of days, growing out Of the seizure
BY military authority, Of 4 LOT Of pistols
I9twepty-tour in Number, beteve,) belonginl
to Mr. Thomas Benton, hardware merchan
Of this place. ~
On Tuesday afternoon Captain and ,
squad Of soldiers arrived here from Indiana
polls. The business Of these soldiers tgrpeG
out 10 be- or protessediy was, TO take out o
The hands Of persons keeping for sale, piston
or other fire arms where there were suspicious
tRA they might be sold to 'disoyal persona
The meaning Of this, as the conduct OF the
Captain and the soldiers disclosed, was to seize
and carry away any arms kept FOE sale by
Democrats, and leave undsturbed such articles
in the hands Of Republicans
\ Mr.. Benton dealer 10 hRtdWare, and Mr
| Dickinson, feweler, we're III Cincinnati on
Tuesday purchasing articles in their line of
business, and among other articles each OF
them had purchased pistols. During their
absence, it appears, some person or persons,
| probably acting as the agents or spies of the
secret Abolition organization here, telegraph
ed to Governor Morton or Colonel Darlington
| that those gentlemen we're in Cincinnati buy.
| ing large quantities of pistols tobe sold 70
"disioyal persons" In response to this dis
| patch the said Captain and squad Of soldiers
| we're sent here by Colonel Darlington, with
! his authority to seize pistols and fire arms in
possession OF any one suspected OF selling
such articles to 'disloyal persons. Messrs
Beniop and Dickinson arrived home between
l0anaa NO clock on Tuesaay night The
Captain waited on each of them and informed
them Of his mission He left them, satisfied
that no harm would come of leaving the mat
ter rest till the next morning. During the
forenoon of the next day the Captain, with
two soldiers, called at the store of Mr.. Benton
aud inquired IL the pistols he lad porchsed
the day before had arrived. Mr. B. replied
athrmatively and showed them to him, there
being TWO dozen Of them. The Captain pro.
duced his authority from Col Darlington, and
requested possession of the pistols under said
order Mr. b. protested that there was no
reason Tor taking his pistols as there could
not be the slightest evidence produced that
they were designed Cor, or would be sold to,
'disloyal persons" as they had been purchas-
ed for no particular persons, aud were only
intended to be sold in the legitimate course.
Of his teAds, The Captain, insisting on taking
the pistols, Mr. Benton delivered them up to
him, the Captain telling Mr. B. that he intended
taking the pistols 10 Mr.. lDiekinsons 8 store
also, The Captain, however, after getting
Mr. Bentons pistols, left without taking or
disturbing Mr.. Dickinsons
The authorities at Indiana apoHs have teen
most egregtohsly imposed upon by some
designing scoundrel, or scoundrels, here, or
they have determined upon persecuting hunt
ing dogn Democrats for their politicats opiu.
ions No man can truthfuly urge a disoyal
word or action against Mr.. Benton He is
one of our oldest and most highly respected
citizens-an old member Of the Baptist church,
in which society he has occupied d leading
prominent position for many years He has
never heen an Office seeking politician, but
always firm and steadfast Democrat--never,
however, making any noise about politics, or
attempting to intrude his views upon others,
but has quietly, unobtrusively aud successfully
pursuedh his business ayocations He has been
a. close business man, but has been liberal in
his contributions for every purpose connected
with the WARRIOR the relief of soldiers fami-
lies, the sick aud wounded soldiers sanitary
supplies, &c and has contributed, on almost
every occasion, when solicited to do So One
Of his sons sacrificed his life in fighting the
battles Of his country in this war He volun-
teered in the 18th Indiana regiment, and was
fatally wounded in the last battles near Bull
Run, last fall
L
anything dsloyal as the taking Of his pro-
perty by military authority would Imply, is too
absurd 10 talk about. A great wrong has been
done Mr.. Benton in this matter and Justice
requires that the authorities should speedily
Investigate the matter The authorities may
have been imposed upon, or it may be that
this is the inauguration of programme to
disarm Democrats to prevent them from being
able to defend themselves from any assaults
that may be made upon them. If the authori-
ties have been misled they should reetify the
wrong they have done, without delay. II it is
designed to take all arms away from Demo
Gratis, On the ,pretensethat they are disloyal
the sooner they know II the better Ii looks
singular in this affair here that two dozen pis-
tolls should be taken from Mr. Benton, a
Democrat and nearly twice as many left in
the hands Of Mr. Dickinson, Republican, to
' be sold to whoever he may decide as "loyal"
Many false, foolish and devlsh stories, de-
signed and calculated to produce exasperation
In the public mind and the worst of feeling,
have been put in circulation in regard to the
seizure Of Mr.. Bentons pistols II has been
pld, and no doubt finds many believers that
the pistols came marked axes, and were ad-
dressed to a Democrat in Arlington township
and more of the same sort Of stories, not a
word of which istrue or has any Foundation
In truth. Mr.. Benton has, for several years,
Kept pistols for sale-has kept them open to
public view, in his store-never attempted to
make any coucealment, regarding them as
legtimately part of his business as knives,
shovels, spades, &c The box containing the
two dozen pistols, which he bought in the
regular course of trade, eame by express,
directed to him, with no other marks on i'll
except his address and the card Of the house
he bought them or A CITzES.