Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1865-04-13

Y. During the time you spent in Chicago
did you have any conference with any mem
bers OF this order with reference TO the re-
lease Of prisoners at Camp Douglas or in
reference TO any attempt to sack and burn
the city Of Chicago?
A. did not. | never was present at
any meeting Of the organization in Chicago.
except the informal meeting referred to in
the indianapolis trials, where | was chosen
President, that being meeting TO arrange
for the nomination Of a candidate for the
Presidency. ! never saw any of the gentle
men connected with the organization during
the time was in Chicago. / never heard
of them as being members Of tbi. orpaniza-
tlon and | never knew until this arrest.
that Judge Morris was member Of this
organization. never saw Judge Morris
but once, and that was during the Conven.
ton and never heard of these men and
these officers in Chicago, except that some
other person was chief officer. / had nc
conversation with them or any body else,
except on the Presidential election / left
on the ID of November, this arrest being
made on the Sunday following
y. Was the position you occupied in the
order, and your situation at Chicago such
that if this order as Il voluntary association
Of individuals, had a plot or scheme to re-
lease the prisoners at Camp Douglas, that
you would have known it?
y. had right to know it, and ought
to have known it; and had | known it.
would have used the necessary measure to
break it up. 1t might have been concealed
from me. ought to have known it, but
did not know nor suspect any thing of the
kind.
O.. When at Peoria, did you speak upon
the object of this order.
A. did.
q. Were you then the Supreme Com
mander Of the order?
\. was. had spoken in Ohio about
ten different times, and always made this a
subject, in consequence Of the Indianapolis
trial. After the arrests ! made substanti-
ally the same statement as in the speech at
Hamilton, and also the same | said in Hi
nois aud laid down the line of conduct Of
the men that belonged to that organization;
whether they obeyed it or not is d matter |
know nothing about.
q. The speech you made in Hamilton,
Ohio, understand you, was on the 18th
Of June.
A. Yes, sir. The address before the
Peoria meeting was On the 24th Of October.
q. Is the explanation Of the principles
and purposes Of this order the explanation
that you made public at Peoria OIL the oath
of October
a. 1t is. And for every purpose | was
then acting as Supreme Commander such as
| ever did.
O. Did you deliver that address on the
subject OF the purposes and objects of the
order for the information of the members
themselves ?
A. did. Because it had already beer
stated, according to the testimony, whether
true or false it is not for me to say they
represented themselves members of th,
order, who had been engaged in the yer,
acts that are here denounced and condemn
ed, and that was the reason why took espe
cial pains 70 declare what understood t.
be the purpose of the organization, and the
only purposes and the limit to which they
should go, and where they should stop.
q. In making that declaration Of the OBJ
iects and purposes Of the order, what did
you say, as Supreme Commander for the
information of the members of the order,
i'll reference to the release Of prisoners, or
any offered resistance to the authorities of
the National Government
Question objected to as calling for evidence
not given in an official capacity.
The witness continued
1t was not offered as an official document,
but for the information and instruction in
formally of the members of the organization.
q. Did you intend that they should re-
ceivc this as instructions from the Supreme
Commander, and that they should follow
them?
Question objected to and Withdrawn.
q. Were these given by you as directions
Al. L.. 1
Objected to, as leading and illegitimate.
With what view, then, as to the members
of this order, were these Instructions Civ
en-?
Question objected to and Withdrawn
purposes and objects of this order, what
releasing of rebel prisoners, or resisting the
authority of the Government
Question objected to by the Judge Advo-
cate.
r. w. BARLEY, Esq, on the part of the
accused, here offered in evidence the speecl,
of Nallandigham, delivered at Hamilton, o.
The Judge Advocate obiecting to its ad
mission, the Court was cleared for deliber.
alton. On being reopened the Judge Ad
vocate announced that the objection was
sustained
O., | ask your attention to the address
which has been introduced as evidence il
this case, dated December s, 1868, said tc
be written by p c. Wright, signed by P
Gains, Urbana, S. c.; have you ever seer
that address, or do you know anything
about it?
A. ! never saw it until few moments
ago, and never heard of it till this investi-
CATION Mr., Wright is said to be the au-
thor Of it, and he was named as Supreme
Commander of the Sons Of Liberty, but he
never held such a capacity in that organiza-
tion. The organization tool that name
and form in February or March, 1864, and |
have understood that he was the Supreme
Commander of the Order of American
knights.
@. Was that document, or the doctrine
declared in that document, ever made the
test or ground pledge made on a number
joining the Sons of Liberty?
A. No, sir; | never heard of it in that
connection. Mr.. Wright never had the po-
sition of Supreme Commander, or any 9th.
er official position in the Sons of Liberty
No such document as that was authorized
to my knowledge.
Q. Have you no knowledge Of the au,
thority by which Wright publishes that ad,
dress.
A. None but hearsay
@, Was it in any meeting of the order
that you acquired the information?
A. No, sir; the explanation is on the
f,oa of ~ nortio liz, in ,hoeo ,>oo,,I;a,