Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-26


and saw him when he went of to do IT,
q Did be claim that be had a right to drive
the voters away from the Window
A de said he had the power. but be did rot
show sny power when he came there.
q Did you hear him threaten to close the
polls that dayf
A Yes. sir
Charles Brown. sworn aud examined
By the Chairman:
q Mr.. Brown. where did you reside on the
DAY OF the last general election in this State. and
where did you voter
A / resided in Dover, and voted at the State
House
Q How long have you been vOier1
A Forty-fonr years
q Did YOU observe anything at or near the
polls on that day ususual and different from vi bat
you had ever seen before at electionsr II so,
please state what IL vas.
A. | number of men in United States
uniform-some Of them with side-arms, perhaps
all. anu revolve's busy at the polls. and in two
instances. assaulting unarmed citizens Several
OF them, perhaps six or seven a time, striking.
beating citizens; and in one instance, at least,
that number had citizen down on the ground.
striking at him and stamping him with their feet;
one, at least, crying: Kill the damned seces-
sionistl' interiered TO prevent the man from
being killed. and, with the assistance of some
Others, enabled him to escape. Some time after,
1 saw several OF these soldiers around another
man. trying To pick quarrel with him. | went
to the man, took him by the arm. and attempted
To lead him away to prevent another disturbance.
These soldiers or men in uniform, Immediately
commenced All attack; pursuing the man and
striking at him for some distance until number
OF citizens assisted TO take the man of the
ground. While the soldiers were beating and
stamping the first mentioned man lying on the
ground, the acting sheriff. Mr.. Hill, came to the
spot. and called upon them TO keep the peace
Several OF the soldiers began cursing him. and
threatening to serve him in the same manner.
Now let us see how the provost marshals we're
appointed. Blanks we're sent down from Wash
ington to Republican politicians. and filled up by
them:
Samuel W Lacey, sworn and examined.
BY the Chairman:
q Where do you reside!
A. ] reside in Baltimore hundred.
q How long have you been a resident of that
hundred?
A. On Wednesday night next. at eight clock
if you want the precise time, | shall have been
there one year and three months.
q Were you Provost Marshal for that hun
dred on the day of the last general election?
A. / was.
j | suppose | was appointed by Edwin NJ
Stanton, Secretary OF War. | received nv com-
mission through and by man by the name OF
aac L Dunning
q. Is your commission still in force?
A. | consider it still in force. | have it with
me.
q. Will you show it to me-
A. Yes, sir.
Witness presents the commission
~ 81,
commissiong
A. Yes. sir.
Witness presents the orders
u Will you please to look at the handwriting
in which the commission was filled up. and also
the handwriting in which these orders were made
out. and tell me whether you think they are the
handwriting OF the same person!
A. | thing they are both the handwriting OF
James X. Lofand
How valuable citizen soldier becomes, and
how careful of civil rights, may be seen by the
testimony OF a man who has had a little expert
ence of the creed of that party, which, under the
cry of free speech, means free speech for one
side
Q. Did not their presence at the polls that day
rather create difficulties than prevent them?
A. 1t did. l do not think there would have
been fight or any difficulty; indeed, there was
none outside of the soldiers
q. Do you know whether the soldiers. at your
place. were part OF Walace's Maryland
Home Guard, or some that came under General
Wooly
A. They were part Of Colonel Wallace.
regiment, called Maryland Home Guards, as
understand.
q. Did any portion Of those soldiers visit YOU
the next day, at your store. before they LETT!
4 I'm oil fbr
of these soldiers in my store, swearing that they
would whip NE, that 1 had called them Black
Republicans told them had not called them
anything; | had not spoken to them. | toll
them TO be off and leave, or | would try the viz
tue OF the civil law on them. They told me
there was no civil law; that they were soldier $,
ana that military law superseded every thing else
They went away. however, swearing they would
arrest me, or have ne arrested SnOrtlv after
wards 1 met the Lieutenant who had them n
charge. and remarked TO him that had just bee
attacked by three OF his soldiers. He asked
what tor. | told him they bad charged me with
calling them Black Republicans. He asked it /
had | said had not. aud If | had, did not
suppose il would be any cause tor arrest. He
remarked that Gen. Wool had ordered him TO Ar
rest every person who called another Black
Republican; aud advised me. if did not want
t. get into difficulties. to keep nv mouth shut
Ms WAS the same Lieutenant VINO bdu TOTO inc
previously that we should not be allowed To talk
William H Taylor affirmed aud examined.
By the chairman
@. Where DO YOU residef
A. | reside in Mlspillion hundred. Kent
county. when | am home
q. Where we're you ON the 4th OF November
last. the day of the general electionI
A. presume was AT Prospect, If that was
the day of the general election.
e. Were you provost marshal for Mispillion
hundred on that dayf
A. was special provost.
q What were your duties as provost mar
shalt
A. II is impossible to tell you at word. l
don't know that could tell you at all.
Q Did you act in the Official capacity OF
provost marshal there that day?
A. tried TO sir
z Do understand YOU to say. sir. that you
acted in the off ial capacity of provost marshal,
and do not know the duties of that positlong
A | cannot state the whole duties as they were
put dowu 20
The Chairman: Please to state the duties Of
Provost Marshal. as you now understand them,
and "a far a. you can recollect them
The Witness: | cOnld not state them
@ What il the reason YOU cannot state them?
A | cannot stale them, because do not re-
member them.
We leave this subject without comment. A
fostering corpse is more eloquent sermon on
human morality than bushel of sermons; and
the tact of State election carried by imported
FIrarf ad he m Nan l.