The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-08-13

tuted an agent to purchase arms, ammu.
nltl0n, &C., &C., for members Of said Order1
a. There were no regularly constituted
one; every member became q self-consti-
tuted agent. afse Flh @
Q. Have the councils and temples been
generally established throughout the State
Of Missouri? A. North Of the Missouri
river generally; know Of none in South
west or Central Missouri.
=. What 10 the number Of the organiza-
ton In the State of Illinoisf A. From re-
port, from one hundred to one hundrbd
and twenty thousand.
g. What in the State Of IndianaN A.
About eighty thousand. -
@. What In the State Of Ohios A. About
sixty thousand.
Q Do You now recollect any names OF
members omitted by you yesterday in the
Inst given by you? A. Yes, sir. s
q; State them. Ia.
@. What other prominent political men
belong to said order whose names have not
been given? A. / know Of none. That
class Of men have been admitted privately
and there are but one or two members Of
said order who do know them.
@. Who of said order represented the
Grand Council of the State of Mis-
souri, at the Supreme Council held in the
city OF New York last winter1 A. Charles
L. Hunt Of St Louis, and jefferson Jones
OF Northern Missouri, and three others
whose names do not know.
G. Who Of said order attended the spe-
cial conference held at Vallandighams ho-
tel in Canada, this last spring? A. Charles
l.. Hunt. '1,st10.n
q. You have spoken or your knowledge
Of man by the name or Newcomer, alias
Thompson, who wxs carrier of rebel mail
to this city-did he become known to you
n n n Off3nor fvnf Tho roI>o1 oorviN08 M air
G. Did he become known to you as .
member Of the order? A. Yes, sir.
@. You have stated that there was gen.
eral expectation that an attempt would be
made to arrest Vallandigham on his reach
ing Chicago on the 4th Of July, and to pre-
vent him from making . speech there
Was the Government to be resisted by the
members Of the order there assembling
A. There was . general understanding
among the members Of the order, that in
case Vallandigham should return within
the Federal lines, and an effort was made
BY the Government to seize or arrest him,
such EFFORT was to be resisted by the united
action Of the order.
q. II It the general conviction and belief
of the members Of the order that the PEN
atty announced in the oaths which they
take will be certainly executed on any
member violating II? A. That IL the gen
eral belief va
@. IL it considered to be the duty Of each
member to execute this penalty upon the
violator of the oath, or ID there some par
ticular person Of said order, or officer,
whose duty it is to enforce the penalty in
such casef A. 1t is considered the duty Of
each member.
@. The oath announces = shameful death;
10 there by that meant any particular form
of deathf A. None that ever heard Of
Q. 1t being the general understanding Of
each member of the order, that It Is the
duty Of each member thereof to enforce the
penalty, what II the understanding - to
the mode Of doing It? Is it to be done
boldly and publicly and by force, or Sc
cretly and by STEALTH A. There was no
particular mode or manner understood by
the members; It was TO be done ut any
time and at all hazards. !.
q. Has there been any case Of the kind
here or elsewhere come within your knowl.
edgef A. There has not.
@. Do you know Of any instance In
which . member supposed to have vt0lat-
ed his obligation has been searched for or
followed for the purpose Of INJECTING the
penalty and taking his life 2 A No, sir, /
do not.
@. What is the general view entertained
by members as to the extent Of the binding
obligation of the oaths they take a. men,
bers9 Are such oaths regarded ~ para.
mount in their obligations upon them TO
those taken upon q witness stand before q
civil or military tribunal? A. The gen.
eral view among them is that the oaths
they take as members are paramount in
their obligation to any which they may oe
called upOn to take, whether 1t be In courts
Of justice, before military tribunals, Or ~
any other proceedings.
g. With the knowledge you have, then,
of the character Of the order, how would
you regard, If placed a. juror in the jury
box on q trial for murder, the testimony
of a witness who was member OF the Or
der, II the prisoner arraigned vas Also
known to you to be member OF y. A. 1t
would have no influence at all.
@. Can you state to me the number OF
temples in the city of st. Loutsl A.
cannot. l believe there are only two OF
tn lst degree and two Of the ID and I'd de-
grees, and q Grand Council -,
@. Have you any knowledge OF the with
drawal Of Mr.. Hunt nom the order before
his atrest?t a. Of my own knowledge, no.
have heard while in prison that ne re-
signed IN expectation OF being arrested.
q. Have YOU any knowledge on that sub
iect in regard to Mr.. Dunn7 A. While In
prison. Charles E. Dunn and myself were
In consultation as to what course " wOul0
be best to pursue. He suggested resigna-
tion, if it could be managed. ! tod nun %
come rirht down on the ritual before the
Provost Marshal. BY this meant - full
acknowledgment of our relations 70 the or
der. -
heard among the members Of the order
that there was any particular steamboat on
the river which It would be safe TO ship
contraband goods or to travel on? A. Yes,
sir. tvs wsG -E
q. L. or IL it not the universally accepted
theory of the members of the order IN SUD-
stance this: that the chosen omcers OF the
Federal Government have usurped autnor.
ity, and that it il not only an ilherent
right, but an imperative duty, for All who
think as the members do, to resist those
Federal functionaries, and If need be, ex-
pei them ifom power by forces A. That Is
my understanding.
| Q. Is it not distinctly claimed ~ the
members Of this order, and 30 announced
| in the ritual, that such resistance - not
| revolution, bat solely the assertion OF
rights A. Yes, sir, I believe It u.
q. 1 then understand that the principles
of this order, a. held by the members
thereof. are such that ifone Of it, members
should assassinate Mr.. Lincoln because o.
his alleged usurpation Of poweri eucn
members conduct would DO tustineo y
thn >~Aa..> ~-an~ ~vsA thuf IL WOUl0 be the