Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-09-21
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From the Quincy (Illl Herald, Sept 10.
Arrest of an Ex-Provost uar>haI-
The Crimes with which he 10
Charged.
W. X StrachaD, formerly Provost Marshal at
Palmyra, No. was arrested in this city on Tues
day, by Deputy Sheriff James Short, 10 pursu.
ance of the order of Gen. Scho6eld and the Pro
vost Marshal General OF Missouri The order
for the arrest of this man Strachan was brought
here some three weeks since by the Captain OF
the U. s. Police AZ st Louis. The city was
thoroughly searched. and it was found that he
had been here within a few days. but had made
his escape. The U. s police officer left on his
return TO St. Louis the same evening, but left
with Sheriff Steinagel written authority to arrest
Strachan as soon as he could be found. Strachan
arrived in town on Tuesday by the 10 O'Clock
train from Chicago, and at IL o'clock, or before,
was arrested. He was fonnd at a house on Fifth
street. where. it was said he had been in the habit,
when in the city. of visiting some lady acquaint-
ances. He was taken at once to the Jail, where,
pursuant to order, he wa locked up in close con-
6nement. No person was allowed to visit or
communicate with him Yesterday noon the
Captain of the U. s. Police. having been tele
graphed to, arrived from St. Louis, and at once
took charge of the prisoner. Strachan WAS ca
corted TO the steamer Die Vernon. and was soon
after carried off in the direction of st Louis,
where. we suppose he will be duly tried and con-
victed Of the charge upon which he was arrested.
He stands charged with having. while acting as
Provost Marshal at Ptlmyra, embezzled from the
Government some 500, 900 or more. The proof,
we are told by those who pretend to know all
about il, is ample and conclusive. rendering all
hope of honorable escape absolutely impossible.
He served in the capacity of Proves, Marshal at
Palmyra for a wear or more from and after the
beginning of the war. In that capacity we are
assured by many witnesses, he was guilty. of MANY
other outrages and Infamous offenses beside that
of stealing from the Government. He was in the
daily habit. we are told, of arrestine men without
any sort of provocatioB, and then demanding of
their friends large sums of money to procure their
release from IMPRISONMENT
1t vas this fellow. Strachan, who, while acting
as Provost Marshal at Palmyra, induced one
Col Mcneil. who is said to be no better than
Strachan himself, TO issue an order supnressing
the circulation of the Herald in Missouri This
order, as our readers will remember. was revoked
by Gen. Schofeld. after which, it Is said. this
fellow Strachan berook himself to stealing and
other crimes as a sort of revenge for the rebuke
that he got from Gen. Schofeld. He had an un-
accountable influence over Col. Mcneil He got
drunk with Mcneil and go, N drunk when
ever he saw proper, or whenever be had an object
TO accomplish.
IT. was this fellow Strachan that induced Nc
Neil to issue the order by which ten men against
whom no crime was charged were sentenced to he
shot in cold blood. In this transaction Strachan
got himself into a serious scrape. for which he
was a few DAYS since indicted bv the Grand Jury
of Marion county We give the facts as briefly
and plainly ms possible, just as they have been
stated to us by some of the best citizens of Pal
myra. On the morning appointed for the shoot
ing of those ten men. the wife of one of the men
thus condemned tn be shot, came to PALMYRA
with six little children-called upon Strachan-
told him her husband was condemned to be shot
that day and that these were her children-that
If her husband should be murdered she would be
unable to support the children. and begged the
inhumsn wretch, with big tears in her ewes, to
release him from the sentence. Strachan at first
refused. hut the poor woman's opportunities were
so persistent that he finally told her If she would
raise him $500. and permit him to use her, he
would release her husband. The heart broken
woman canvassed the town of Palmyra, and
found she could raise the sum of money required
Mr.. Beverly, of Lagrange, Missouri. called Mt
our off e some davs ago aud told US that he fur
nished $500 of the amount. and that he had
Strachan's receipt Tor il in hs pocket. The
money was raised-Strachan p0cketed it-com
PEELED the poor. broken hearted. afflicted woman
to submit to his hellish lust, and released her
husband
For this crime against God. against law,
against nil the nobler impulses and instincts of
human nature, he has been indicted by the Grand
Jury of Marion county. As soon as his loath-
some carcass can he had from the court martial
at ST. Louis he will be taken 10 NJ irion county
and tried. convicted and punished for the infam
Gus crime OF rnpe-and "a rape under the most
he ,rt rending, humiliatihg and aggravated cir
cumstances.
Such is the late Provost Marshal of Palmyra,
If the testimony of the first citizens of that place,
of all political parties. is to be relied lDon. We
could wish that none OF these things were true of
him; but these are not one half of the crimes he
stands charged with.