The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-04-13

a4 THOMAS W. hartley, of Richland CO..
CHARLES RREMELIN. of Hamilton 90.
L.J.sPRENGLE AND THE BOUN-
TY QUESTION.
After considerable of a suspension We have
received q copy of the Ashland Times, dated
April 9TH, 1864. For two weeks prior to this,
rs the facts came to light, we had exposed
upon positive and conclusive testimony the at
tempt of LII. SpRENGLE TO swindle townships
and soldiers on the bounty money matter. 1T
was expected by everybody that JEFF would
be able by his astuteness, dishonesty and in
genuity to get up some kind of a palliation for
his offence; that he might in some degree sat
isfy people, or at least make a few believe
that bis guilt was not so unequivocal and
enormous, as the proofs We gave tended to
show. But in this respect we have been en-
tirely disappointed. His articles do not con-
tain the shadow of an explanation Of his con-
duct BE claims, without giving any of the
particulars, that he paid out to the soldiers
just what his return to the Committee show
pHis report of these amounts will be found in
eranssher column of this paper. 1t viii be OBJ
served that four men of the 23d Regiment.
srare returned at 500 each. The afidavits
printed in our paper of March 23d show that
he had given these men hs note for $50 and
had endorsed on the notes, each, $50. After
giving these notes, L. J.. S~pRENGLE made a
: repors to the township Committee, returning
-Ethese men at $50 each. Rkes ne zs0indze
s<11s exposed, JEfF ignores his OH report and
brings 10 q new one, fixing the price of these
--.- - e1n0 cd fboD ooroos ant IN he Dona-
lin order to attempt to avoid the oldham of his
eseofasct, and says he has reported these men
at just what they cost him.
1.-The. utter failure of his attempt at a defence
SCARCELY ~ehtitles il to a notice, as fair and hon.
est men of RAJ political parties have said that
alIh . published did not show a single circum-
sstslee mitigating or many manner excusing
what has beenreharged upon him.
But there is another point which shows that
SJEFF seems TO have started out to sound the
sea Of infamy to its utmost depths. Instead
of paying to HrLDEBRANp and GRAY the
$3.50 to which they were entitled and which
the subscribers to the fund and township Com
mittse were willing every man should receive,
out of q petty malice on account eff their ex-
posing bis. meanness, JEFF affairs his report
and returns them at 500. IF this is not get
ting Ho We don't know what is but numbers
Of our people are determined that these men
shall not be thus cheated and that they shall
eventually receive their $3.50 each.
JEFF tries to get up a side issue by stating
that it has been reported that he did not get
the recruits at all. Nobody ever said So.
Now, we have proved that JEFF got four
men for 500 each and returned them to the
Township at $50. Detected in this, in one
manner he rectifes it. But, as will be seen,
he returns to the township a number of men
at one hundred and ninety dollars each
These men have gone to the army and we
have no means of knowing that he did not pay
them such q sum, though nobody believes
that he did. Mr.. SAMpsEL and Mr.. SLocUM
both state hat they never saw him pay as
much as that to any man. There is no doubt
but that the citizens of our township are large
IL losers in this, and the extent of the skin
ming operations IN this part can not be asceT-
tanned at present. We may have the proofs
presently.
While JEFF's transactions are hnoacn to have
been of the most infamous character, we can
mot saw that we have the utmost confidence in
me statement of some others, whether they
prefer to shave ~spaniels barking" at them or
not. If q man has had returned to him by
. sDE4F the amount of his subscription to the
fund as his pay for silence we are not obliged
to believe everything he says. The Lieut.
Col. that sled JEYF astrny" from the paths of
virtue and rectitude,-as charged by a promi
nnent aboiitienist,-need not expect much fe-
sneck for his declarations.
But JEFF publishes one or Two letters from
soldiers intended to exculpate him. One is
signed by two men by the name iof GoUDY
from Mohican township. A brief statement
tells the whole story on'fhat. JEFF turned them
In to Nohican township at si60. He paid
them only 500. They found it out and went
to III threatening to whip him for his ras-
eality, when JEFF compromises with them up
on terms. He pays them the other $50 on
condition Of their signing the letter, that jeff
Aiosssy prote and then published.
oHNBgcHAN also signs a letter but he
does it on the cheap. He is the man to whom
JEFF. had given the note which. he shaved s5.
On condition of his forking over the SIS, BU-
CHAN signs his letter. Judge INGMUND was
,JIFF,s .,andidate for Probate Judge that is
all We havs to say on that.
This isall we haye to say about this matter
at present. We .haye stated nothing without
first having the proof. As other evidences !