Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-02
MAY 2, 1864.

q Did you hear Moses Rash order that
charger
A. No. sir; did not hear him. heard 9th
ers say they heard him order, the charge /
heard him say that he would clear the window,
and saw him when he went off to do it.
q. Did he claim that he had right to drive
the voters away from the window?
A. He said he had the power but be did rot
show any power when he came there
z. Did you hear him threaten to close the
polls that dayf
A. Yes. sir.
Charles Brown, sworn AID examined.
By the Chairman:
Q. Mr.. Brown, where did you reside on the
day OF the last general election in thieState. and
where did you votef
A. / resided in Dover and voted at the State
House.
Q. How long have you been voterf
A. Forty-four years.
q. Did you observe anything at or near the
polls on that day ususual and different from what
you had ever seen before at elections2 If so,
please state what il was
A. | saw number of men in United States
uniform-some of them with side-arass, psrha ps
all. and revolvers. busy at the polls, and, in two
Instances assaulting unarmed citizens. Several
of them, perhaps six or seven at 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: xiii the damned seces-
sionist" interiered to prevent the man from
being killed, and, with the assistance of some
others, enabled him to escape Some time after,
saw several of these soldiers around another
man, trying to pick quarrel with bin. | 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 an attack; pursuing the man and
striking at him for some distance, until a nnm-
Der of citizens assisted TO take the off 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
threatened to serve him in the same manner.
Now let us see how the provost marshals were
appointed. Blanks we've sent down from Wash
ington to Republicaa politicians and filled up by
them:
Samuel w. Lacey, sworn and examined.
By the Chairman:
@. Where do you reside?
A. reside in Baltimore hundred.
Q How long have you been resident of that
hundredl
A. On Wednesday night next. at eight O'Clock
if you want the precise time, l shall have been
there year and three months.
O. Were you Provost Marshal for that hun
dred on the day of the last general electioni
A ] was.
@ By whom were you appointed?
| suppose | appointed by Edwin NJ.
Stanton. Secretary of War. / received my CON-
mission through and by man by the name of
Isaac I. Dunning.
@. Is your commission still in forcef
A consider it still in force. / have it with
O. Will you show it to met
A. Yes, sir.
Witness presents the commission.
O. Were there any orders accompanying the
commssionf
A. Yes, sir.
WITNESS presents the orders
O. Will you please To look at the handwriting
in which the commission was filed 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 K. Lohand.
How valuable citizen a soldier becomes, and
how careful OF civil rights, may be seen by the
testimony of man who has had little expert
ence of the creed of that party. which, under the
cry of free speech, means free speech for one
side.
@. Did not their presence at the polls that day
rather create difficulties thau prevent theml
A. It lid 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 Wallace's Maryland
Home Guard, or some that came under General
Wooll
A. They u part of Colonel Wallace's
regiment, called Maryland Home Guards, as
understand.
@. Did any portiou of those soldiers visit you
the next day, at your store. before they left?
A. On Wednesday morning there came three
OF these soldiers ia my store. swearing that they
would whip me, that 1 had called them Black
Republicans told them had not called them
anything; had not spoken to them. | told
them To be off and leave, or | would try the vir-
tue OF the civil law Oh them. They told me
there no civil law; that they were soldiers,
and that military law superseded everything else.
They went away, however, swearing they would
arrest me, or have me arrested. Shortly after
wards | met the Lieutenant who had them in
charge. and remarked to him that had just been
attacked by three OF his soldiers. He asked
what for. | told him they had charged me with
calling them Black Republicans. He asked if
had ! said had not, and If | had, l did not
suppose il would be any cause for arrest. He
remarked that Gen. Wool had ordered him to ar
rest every person who called another Black
Republican,; and advised me. il / did not want
to get into difficulties. to keep my mouth shut
This was the same Lieutenant who had told me
previously that should not be allowed to talk
William H. Taylor affirmed and examined.
By the chairman:
@. Where do you reside7
A. l reside in Mispillion hundred. Kent
county, when | am home.
@. Where were you on the 4th of November
last, the day of the general electionf
A. presume was ut Prospect, if that was
the day of the general election
@. Were you provost marshal for Mispilion
hundred on that dayf
A | was special provost.
q What were your duties as provost mar
shalt
A. Il is impossible to tell you at word
don't know that could tell you at all.
q. Did you act ia the official capacity ol
provost marshal there that dayf
A. | tried to sir
O. Do understand you to say, sir, that you
acted in the Official capacity Of provost marshal
and do not know the duties of that positionf
A. / cannot state the whole duties as they were
put d0wu TO me
The Chain man: Please to state the duties o
Provost Marshal. you now understand them
and as far as you can recoect them.
The Witness: / conld not state them
Q. What is the reason you cannot state them
A. / cannot state them, because / do not re-
member them.
We leave this subject without comment A
fostering corpse is a more eloquent sermon OF
human morality than bushel Of sermons: ant
the fact of STATE election carried by imported
soldiers, directed by men who can testify Al
above, shows about how much OF the old libert.
is likely to be left us if Republican Admins
ration is continued in power.