The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-18
Five DeSerters Sentenced to
DEATH They are to be
Executed at Fort
Smelling.
TWO MORE WILL PROBABLY
UNDERGO THE SAME
PENALTY,
General Order Fixing
the Details of the
Execution.

The Court Martial which was recently held
In this city, had a number of deserters before
them for trial. Five Of these men were found
guilty, and sentence of death passed on them.
Although this was sometime since, yet the
findings of the court-being kept secret as they
always are, until the President should approve
the sentence. have only just been made public.
The Presidents approval has been received,
and in another place will be found an order
from Gen. sibley, authorizing the execution
of three of them on Monday, November 2Sth,
and providing for its manner and details. We
need not repeat them here.
The three men mentioned In the order are all
"bounty jumpers Vi. e., that class of men
who enlist merely for the bounty, and then de-
sert at the first opportunity to try the
operation over again. They are all of them
young men, but apparently old offenders.
They are named Patrick Kelly, John Lennon,
and Thomas j. Maroney. They came to the
Provost Marshal's Office on September 18th,
and desired to enlist in the First Regimental
Battalion, to the credit of the town of Pepin,
Wabashaw county, which was then offering
high bounty. They claimed to come from
Madison, Wis. Mr.. Rohrer, the clerk who had
charge of the business, noticed something sus-
picious about them, and told them he believed
they were bounty jumpers" and that they
intended to desert. They protested that they
did not, however. He warned them that it
they did, they would surely be caught and shot.
They nevertheless enlisted, were mustered in
on the same day, and sent to Fort Smelling.
They managed to desert. from that post, how
ever, very soon afterwards, and started for
Chicago. Mr.. Nelson j. March, Deputy Pro-
vost Marshal, pursued them, and arrested
them between La Crosse and Milwaukee. They
we're brought back and tried, with above re-
suit.
Patrick Kelley is native of Ireland, and is
20 years of age. He is the Oldest of the trio,
and is mechanic He has mother and broth
er in Chicago.
Thomas j. Maroney is very young man, q
mere boy, in fact, and is only % years of age.
He says he was born in Wisconsin, and Ia
wheelwright by occupation. He says he was
led into the scrape by the others.
Lennon is also native of Ireland, and Is
aged % years. He represents himself to be
mechanic. He has been in hospital for some
time, suffering from loathsome disease,
caughhin some den of infamy.
The three doomed men were Informed of
their fate on Saturday by Col. Brydolf, and
placed in irons, strongly guarded. They were
all of them greatly agitated, although they
must have suspected their sentence for some
time. Since then they have appeared greatly
detected and unmanned-cannot converse on
the subject without great discomposure Of
manner showing how much their awful doom
has affected their mind and consciences. But
as is usual in such cases, hope alternates with
fears. They still have vague expectations of o
"reprieye," and one Of them, trembling and
sad, plead with An officers yesterday to get up
petition for o reprieve, or Communication of
his sentence. The officer, though deeply af.
fected by the solemn scene, told the poor boy
that he should not delude himself with any
hopes of that kind, but prepare for that world
to which he would SO soon be called.
They were yesterday visited by two Kind
hearted Catholic priests from Mendota. Kelley
and Lennon are of that persuasion. The good
fathers remained with them several hours.
earnestly endeavoring to fix their thoughts on
religion. Let US hope that they will receive
the great truths of the faith sincerely and hum
bly-believe and be saved.
The other two sentenced deserters-the or
der for whose execution has not been made
public vet, but which has been fixed for De-
cember 9Th, are named Hoffman and East
brook. They are "ex-rebs," and are among
those who came to Fort Smelling from Mlwau-
kee last spring. They were placed In the
Connecticut cavalry, which was afterwards
sent to Fort Wadsworth. At Fort Ridgely,
just after payment, they deserted, and were
arrested at Rochester, Minnesota, while on
their way East.
They are both hard characters. Hoffman is
native of Lancaster, Pa. He has wife and
four children, he says, In the rebel lines some
where. he last heard of them at Richmond,
Va. He is hardened, desperate man, and
was ringleader of the riot in the guard house q
few days SINCE when the guard were COM
PEELED to fire through the window at the in
mates to quell the disturbances. Hoffman was
wounded in the arm by a buck shot in that
fracas.
His companion, Eastwood, is from Syracuse,
NY. We do not know whether he has fam.
ilv or not but understand he has.
These two men were not aware of their doom
until yesterday. They had been separated
AZ . .&hor pric0nara Soma time .;,.. 80,