Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1863-03-05
NUMBER 10.

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sign, by which members of the order
aforesaid may recognize each other
when in opposing armies Said wit.
ness was then and there interrogated
by said Grand Jury, and asked TO state
to said Grand Jury said obligation
administered by him in presence of
said secret order to the persons initia-
ted into said order, as near as he could !;
and also to give the signs by which
the members of said order may recog-
nize each other, and particularly the
sign by which they may recognize
each other in case of being in oppo-
sing armies, or what is called the
military sign.
| To all and each of which questions
the said Jesse McHenry, as such
witness, refuses to make any answer
to the jury aforsaid.
All of which is respectfully submit
ted to this honorable Court for their
action in the premises.
CHARLES H. TEST,
| Foreman Of the Grand Jury.
George Hughs was also summoned
under the same form.
And the said George Hughs =
" having stated in his evidence
before said Grand Jury that he knew
of the existence of a secret organza-
tion called the knights Of the Gold
en- Circle" and was himself member
thereof, and had initiated other per-
SONS in said organization that an
Organization existed in his neighbor-
hood, numbering from forty to sixty
persons, Of the same kind in johnson
county, in said State. That there were
two degrees of said order, the members
of which took different oaths and obli-
cations one from the other that he
had taken the second oath. The first
oath obligated the member thereof to
support the Constitution of the United
States and the Constitution Of the
State of Indiana that said member
will protect the other members of the
order when required to do so, and
keep secret the grips, signs and pass
words of said order and will support
the Democratic platform. Said Geo.
Hughs then and there testified that
the second oath is very binding one,
and requires the member to keep
the secrets and signs of the order. un-
der penalty of having his bowels rip
ped out ; and in addition to the obliga-
tons before specified, further obligate
the initiated to said order to oppose
the further prosecution of the war
against the Southern States, and the
member is given what is called the
military sign, by which members may
recognize each other in opposing ar
mics. That the members composing
the second degree are given different
password from those belonging to
the first degree are not allowed to
come into the meetings of those of the
second, unless they have taken the
second oath and that be knew the
passwords and signs of said order.
And said George Hughs
was interrogated by said Grand Jury,
and asked to give the passwords and
signs by which the members of said
order may recognize each other, and
particularly the military sign, and the
said George Hughs then and there
refused to give said passwords and
signs aforesaid, or any of them, to said
Grand Jury.
McHenry and Hughs were after
wards brought into Court, to answer
for contempt, in refusing to give evil
dence as required 10y the Grand Jury,
and they having sworn that to answer
many of the questions propounded by
the Grand Jury would subject them
selves to criminal prosecution, the
Court did not compel them to do so.
George Hughs, during his examination
before the Grand Jury having revealed
portions of the secrets of the X. G. C.s,
will be again brought before the Court,
and perhapse compelled to testify to
all he knows of the traitorous associ-
alton. E-
In regard to. these expositions, the
Indianapolis Journal has the follwing
article:
We call on all good citizens to ex-
anime the working of the secret soci-
cites now in our midst. They are
not the work of day. but have been
in progress for months. In October
they took the name of Knights of the
Golden Circle, the Holy brotherhood,
or the Band of Brothers. Their pass
word was Belrick, their grip was ono
firm shake of the hand, pressing the
thumb firmly the signs Of recognition
were the use of the half closed right
hand over the mouth and the open
right hand on the right cheek, answers
ing by a similar use of the left hand
by the respondent Their avowed
purposes embraced the desertion OF
soldiers with their arms, the sur
render to the enemy upon parol with.
out conflict, resistance 10 drafts. inter-
ference with enlistments, and the
overthrow of the Governments. Men
holding commissions as attorneys at
law, who were sworn To support the
Constitution and the laws, took part
in these reasonable schemes for mon
cy. They were spared because their
character wonld give no prominence
10 penalty, and yet, one example was
made in John o. Brown, whose life
depends upon the clemency of the
President. Hundreds of deceived sol
diers deserted their flag, until the
term deserter, in all ages deemed the
synonym of coward and traitor, was
made by these agents of the foulest
wrong to appear to the soldier to be
equivalent to the martyr. The Octo-