Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-02-24

IN the afternoon and that they repeated the taunts
and sneeEs and insults again and again.
1t was shown that large number Of men were
present at and about the polls, armed with guns
/ and revolyers
1t was proven, and not denied, that the defend
ant and his father conducted themselves IN Quiet,
peaceable and orderly manner during tine entire
day and evening up to the time Of the fight
Also that the number of soldiers was sergeant
and FIVE privates that they were not near the
polls that day. and that they did not in amy way
either obstruct, hinder, modest or interfere with
any voter. nor question any man right to vote -
They we're present in that neighborhood for the
purpose Of arresting conscripts and deserters
The persistent bigoted and unscrupulous parti-
san feeling manifested in the instigation and pros
ecution Of this Indictment is greatly to be censur-
ed The costs of the prosecution. as th ese people
very wen knew, fan upon the County. Thisis the
law in all indictments for felonies Mr. Trout win
have to pay his own witnesses and co unseL We
have heard that Messrs Kimmell and Spang, the
attorneys who conducted this case IN aid of the
Prosecuting Attorney, are to be paid out Of the
fund of the County by the Commissioners. We
hope no such great injustice to the tax payers viii
De DEfpEsfdLeu- Ills QliRbS ShbnAA 1OA .tihC Ida
payers to have to foot the prosecutor bill of costs
to the extent perhaps of several hundred dollars.
One of the counsel for the the Comm onwealth,
ex-Judge Kimmell, INDUCED in a latitude of inso-
lent overbearing and dictatorisl remark in his
fiicts with the court and counsel and his address
to the Jury, that carried him quite beyond the
bounds of the case and just lii aits of propriety-
His gross abuse of Mr. Gideon ID. Trout was most
heartless, uncalled for and ungentlemanly. His
sncers at the Government, the revenue stamp law,
the army and the war, showed the malignity Of a
bitter and reckless partisan.
We do not justify the soldiers in what they did.
We are free to confess that in our opinion they
had no right to arrest Mock arid no right to shoot
him when he attempted to es cape. But it may
be said in extenuation that til ey were all young
men, enlisted for the hundred day service, and in
experienced As to their powers and duties as sol
diers They were sent into neighborhood noto-
riousy disloyal ON the difficult and dangerous du-
ty of arresting deserters and conScripts who had
failed to report. They were met by the unusual
spectacle of voters marching to the polls with
rifles Armed men surrounded them boasting
what they could and would do, if they were inter
fered with in any way They saw and heard ruff
ans and bullies insult and fell to the earth peace
able citizens because they differed from them in
politics. They were sent to arrest deserters
They knew that any man who inferred with them
and attempted with force and by arms to prevent
them from arresting desc rter they might if nee
essary fire upon They knew if they had arrested
deserter and he attempted to escape they might
if necessary to prevent his escape, fire upon him.
1t is not surprising that the ina gined they hada
right to arrest Mock for drawing his gun and
threatening to shoot, and that when he attempted
to escape by fight they had right to fire upon
him.
Looking at remote causes, Frederick G. Mock
owes his death to the perverted sentiment of a
part of the Democracy of Bed ford county, who
have been educated by an unSTHpulous partisan
sheet, and by unscrupulous par tisan leaders, into
belief that the war Is unjust and wrong that the
draft is unconstitutional and i'll egal, and ought to
be resisted that drafted men are justiiable and
commendable in failing to report; that the Gov
ernment intended to send soldiers to interfere with
the elections that Lincoln was to be reelected
and inaugurated by fraud and force and that
Democrats ought to arm themselves and go the
polls determined to have free ballot or free
fight.
1t is time for good men tand there are many
such who still cling by force of habit, and name,
and old party associations and for want of due
consideration, to the falsely -so-caled Democratic
Party Of Bedford county to reflect where they
are and to what they are tending. We trust and
believe that this trial will have good effect
Democrzaic Jurors who heard this case and rem
dered without hesitation verdict of Not Gntlty,
have had their eyes opened to the enormity of rhe
conduct bf these unscrupulous leaders who are
hulrying what is left of the old Democratic Party
to infamy and destruction, and who are morally
responsible for the death of Frederick G. Mock.