Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-31

1 from my witnesses that would throw light ia TIL
case before the commission. Fool that | was Il
imagine anything Of the kind. lie objected TO ant
debarred the most important part of the testimon,
had 10 offer, viz: the evIde nee OF Smith ia re
gard To having given Hays el5 IN gold andthe docu
ments from Canada showing that had no idea OI
intention OF acting the spy when entered the ter
| ritorv at the United States. do not believe thai
/ a me nber OF that commission or Major B0cs the
Judge Advocate, believes ne 10 have acted as spy
| OF guerilla, but may be pronounced gniltyiofbol
charges Ii am executed, 10 Will be nothing les
than Judicial, brutal, cowardly murder. IN
l. e"ls-a H. ...r fa MARCH 3.
spent last night in giving few impressions OF
4 things during nv trial. Here 1 Will state that
viii believe Major Bolles was honest in his state
i ments 10 me that lie acted In accordance With the
/ dictates OF duty in pursuing ME like sleuth-
| hound, and was not actuated by malice or preju-
| dice towards me. The conduct Of Gen StOnghton
l has been most noble he came TO my assistance
I when was utterly friendess. Although | know
| that wOnld have done the same 10 him under a
/ reversal Of circumstances, caunot properly eX-
press my gratitude appreciation OF ms services.
| Ills conduct has almost disarmea me of any malice
ItOyards the Yankees although they have made the
| iarest portion of my country desert. Stoughttn
| knows thut when at West Point, was not section
1 al In ms feelings or associations that gentl6leh
were always welcome to my room, whether ORR l..
| Maine or Louisiana. lie knows that III Ak u y
self right ia my present position. IL hAd be "A
/ sent me would he have promptly tend, ed MS
| services as counsel, without expecting reward r.
| have no doubt he believed me unable 10 remune-
rate him in any manner, and undertook my defence
merely through remembrance OF " old times" i
believe my cause To be inst 0nc-that II will ulti-
4 mateIy succeed have no doubt II there is a just
/ God, he must favor those who most deserve it,
| Some detectives came to see me tonight. When
asked their opinion of the result Of my trial, they
| replied " We think it will go against YOU" As
L AL hanppupI IN EnoW m
opinion has effect on me. II is to their interest
| to convict Inc. They get considerable reward in
| that ease. str--
On the day previous to The execution, Chic De
ective YouAg visited him for the purpose Of learn
ing the facts of the hotel burning, So that certain
persons under arrest on suspicion need not be M
| Justly detained or punished. So far as Mcdonald
| aud Allison were concerned, Kennedy entirely o.
onerated them, but declined going further into IL
matter, unless Gen. Dix would consent 20 POI
poneInent OF the execution, when he would con )
| all.
| ON the same day he was called upon 10y the sy.
| Dr. Burke. 1t is due to the reverend gentlen o
state that he has done all he could 10 lead the md
aud heart OF the unhappy man to realizing slSe
| of his position, but he utterly failed. As X ady
| remarked TO us .'The ParSon is dcv rod
| fellow, aud 1t does him good to come over talk
/ hut that's about ALL"
| On Friday evening Col. Burke Comma t OF
the Fort, and Joseph Howard, jr., were ted
L
verSed upon the for few momcatS and then
spoke Of his future fate in he most reckless and an
concerned manner. After some Involvement lie
/ made the following confession:
| "Aner my escape from JohnSons Island vent
| direct To Canada, where / met number Of Con-
iederate officers. They asked me if was willing
10 60 expedition. said as, il is the ser
vice OF my country To which they rcuIcd, ats
nth ''s"'I @~.% co. atiH-'~'' - ''-'"rv,
nor did ask iOl any. / was shortly after sent tc
| New York, where | STAYED some time. There we're
eight OF us in tho party, and atcrwe had been in
the city three weeks We were told that the object
OF the expedition was to retallate upon the North
| for the atrocities of Sheridan in the Shenandoah
Valley. 1t was originally intended to Sc lire TO the
city on the night OF the Presidential election hc
| as the phosphorus was not prepared, IL was post
pcned until the night Of the 25th OF November
OF the eight men who formed tbs original party
two He'd TO Canada leaving but six. was 4, first
| stopping at the Belmont House, in Fulton street,
| but atterward moved into Prince street set fire
| "a four hotels, rather TO Barnums Museum.
Lovejoy's Hotel, Tanmany Hotel, and the =,
| England House The others only set fire 10 the
| hhusein which each was stopping, aud then cut !
Had the entire eight done as did, We would la "
set lire TO thity-two houses, and played big joke
| on the Fire Department.
know that / am 10 be hanged for setting fire to
| Barnums Museum, but the fact Is that that affair
was simply a reckless joke. had no idea OF dong
II bat when we were la there. for the mere iun OF
| the thing, tempted bottle OF phosphorus the
| door, Just to scare the people. / knew it wouldn't
set fire TO wood for we had tried that before. aud
l had at time about concluded 10 give IL up
| There was 40 hendishness about II. The Museum
was set ire by merest accident, after had been
drinking, and just Tor the iun Of scare.
Amer setting fire Y my four places, l walked the
street all night, until near moaning, when went to
| the Exchange Hotel. There we all met the next
| morning aud again at night My friend aud had
rooms there but we sat The most OF the day IN the
Iii. hi. It.4. "A Lao
were thick, Watched us. | exported then that
| should he caught, and # caught expected Ia de
| Had done so then, IL w0nd have been all right
but think now IT'S rather rongh. escaped 10
Canada, as did all The rest, and very glad Ia
get safely across the bridge. / restless, how
| ever, and wanted n rciUIn my command. started
with 10Y friend via Detroit. just before reached
the city he received an iDtimation that the detec
| tvcs were Oh the lookout for U.S. aud glvIng me
signal, he imnped from the cars. didn't notice
| the signal, but Kept on, and was arrested in the
depot ..-
81 wish to say that the killing of women aud chill
dron was the last thing we thought Of. We wanted
to let the people OF the North understa aud feel
that there are two sides to this war, and that they
can't be rolling IN wealth and comfort while We at
| the South arc bearing all the hardshps and priya
tons In retaliation for Sherdans atrocities In the
Shenandoah desired 10 destroy property, no; the
| lives OF women aud children, although that would,
of course have followed in the tram"
| Col. Burke VISITED Kennedy every TWO hours d.
ring his last night and almost invariably found BIN
wide awake, smoking furiouSly and DESTROYS to talk
| At i've III the morning his irons were removed. and
he slept soundy until seven, when he rose, dressed
| himself in a suit OF Confederate gray, aud to a
| very hearty breakfast.
UP TO the time OF leaving his cell Kennedy -
| played the same sang trout and defiant manner
which marked his actions during his entire coainc-
| ment, only rendered more nervous hy his toss Of
| sleep At one time during the morning some IN
pleasant thought evidently took possession of huI,
winch caused the Shedding Of few tears. But they
vanished almost ss,soUn az they came. About nO~n
/ Unied States Marshal Baker, as Master of Ceres
| monies, arrived. 4 package n photographs were
then handed the prisoner, aud he spent hall hour
| IN iuclosing them, with locks Of his hair to his
| friends and relatives in the South.
/ Shortly after this Mr.. lsaacS entered the cell,
/ In the mast 1OacL0iJlf manner mt