The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-03-25
A Provost Marshal Tried for Rape.

A Provost Marshal Tried for Rape.
One William P. STRAoHAN is now on trial
before military court martial in St. Louis.
From the St. Louis Republican we take
sthe following extract from the speech of
the Judge Advocate to the court:
The execution of ten men at Palmyra,
'on the Goth day of October, 1862, by Or
der of General Mcneil: attl acted the at
tention of the whole country. Importance
was added toit by the rebel President,
Jefferson Davis, who, through Lieutenant
General Holmes, commanding the Trans
Mississippi Department, demanded that
General Mcneil be surrendered to the
rebel authorities for trial and punishment.
In ether wor1s, it was a demand for Gen
McNeil's life. The government paid little
or no attention to the demand, so far as I
know, except to put star on Gen. Nc
Neil where before an eagle had perched.
From that time to this but little has been
said about it, and it would not be mention
ed now, were it not intimately connected
With one of the principal charges against
the accused in this case.
A citizen named William 7. Humphreys
was one OF the ten men condemned to be
shot for the nOn-return of Mr.. Altman, q
citizen of Palmyra, an active Union man,
who had beer abducted from his hbme by
Porter's guerillas. and who has not been
heard from since. He was unquestiOna-
bly, murdered. However, Humphreys was
one of the men selected to atone for Alt
mans supposed death. Humphreys, as
the testimony shows, had been with Por-
ter at one tim, for very few days, but
out of fear or other motives, left Porter,
and was taking steps to return to his alle-
glance. He was arrested and put upon his
own parole-his limits were the town of
Palmyra While under arrest, Porter
came into Palmyra, and Humphreys, it
appears, did not violate his parole, but re-
mained true to bis conditions.
Humphreys lived twenty-four miles from
Palmyra, and during the time of his inn
prisonment was absent from his family.
Mary T. Humphreys, his wife, learning,
perhaps, of the order to execute the ten
men, in case that Altman was not re-
turned, knowing that her husband was in
Jail, and likely to be of the number, hast
ened tn Palmyra, to ascertain in regard to
the safety and well being of her husband
What occurred after che left Palmyra has
been, perhaps, as we'll and briefly told by
her in the testimony. 1t is substantially
as follows:
At the time these ten prisoners were shot at
Palmyra, came to see my husband who was
then prisoner; the night l arrived, was in
formed that he was of the number; went to
see Strachan to see if there could be any thing
done to spare his life; he gave no satisfaction;
l then went to Gen. Mcneil, told him nv hus-
band was at Palmyra on parole at the time
Porter came in town, and refused to leave; he
said that fact never had been made known to
him; my little daughter then went to him and
begged him to spare her fathers life; he wrote
few lines to Strachan and sent it by Lieu
tenant; when informed him Of what had been
done, l returned to my boarding house; that
night Mr.. Reed, the taller, told me that he
thought if would try Strachan could get
my husband released next morning; l went
to the Jail where my husband was, and after
staying a short time with him, started with
my little daughter to see Strachan found
him in his office, lying down on lounge
l went in and told him had come to see
if could make any arrangement to have
my husband released he made me no an
swer at first but directly told me to send my
little daughter out of the room and he would
talk to me-; l replied that he could talk
to me as well before her as net; he insisted on
sending her out, and finally told her to go out
himself which he did he then told me if
would comply with his request, he would re-
lease my husband know from his actions
what he wanted and begged him not to make
such an unreasonable request of me he de-
clared that he would not release my husband
if l did not accede to his demands; pro-
tested and finally he became enraged and
swore that he would put my husband where
would never see him, or would send him
home to me some day before long, which I
judged from his appearance and conduct, he
meant he would kill him and send him home
a corpse He took hold of me violently and
said if would submit to HIM he would re-
lease my husband; replied would not; he
would never see him any more. My heart was
almost broken to think my husband should
be thus murdered, and fearing that he might
be, I submitted to his brutal demands.
The witness stated on re-examinatiOn
that it was about six weeks after the oc-
currence that she told her husband about
it; and that it was some three or four days.
after, also, that he was released.
Upon this state of facts, two separate
charges and one specification under each,
respectively, have been preferred against
the accused. The first of the two is rape.
A War Incident...A Patriotic Cath0.
llc Priest.
"CARLRroN writes to the Boston Jour-
nal from St. Louis as follows:
Yesterday had the pleasure of meeting
priest of the Catholic church from the in-
terror of the State. His paroohial precinct
embraces several counties. He lisa staunch
Union man, and has been from the begin.
ming. He hoisted the stars and stripes
over the door of his church at the begin
ming of the war, and has kept it flying ever
since. His life has been threatened. and
he has been warned to fee, but be has