The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-06-03
MENDOZA, May Goth, 1865.
Personal.


States After the business of the call had
been transacted, The attention OF the meeting
WAS called 10 the reports that had been made
current upon the streets during the day. 1t
was alleged tina, great outrage sp-n com
mon det-ncy AID loyal people bad been e,
pet-.ted on Sundry, the day before. at the
house j Gen. James W!sner, very respec-
table and quiet citizen, who reside. abou,
four miles IRON Mendoza.
The report had it that, on the news Of the
.ssassllat+on q Mr.. Lincoln, large numb, r
Of Dempcrais had con.ened there t-t day.
and held general pOtc-rolc. j"jiies aud .joiii-
fcuT0ul That mock ceremonies were held.
carca,dres wer. exhibited, etiigies buried
T. bar led, scandalous and yilli:y.ng speeches
and remarks we're ara@e, toasts ", re crank
a-d great Joy was manifested over he news
OF the foul murder Of the Prcsiden. 0. the
Unit States.
William ". Gilman stated personally, that
such was undoubtedly the fact; that he had
had that day information 't,oqgt q eG0i a.si
reiubie source that 1t was true, aud he also
announce that among the people assembled
there. we're John Hoffman. Hiram Thornton,
and the uudersi gned {; that the mum Der : . a.
s,inb,ed was from thirty forty persons. aI9
he mentioned the names Of CrIah Franks a,
Philip hurr rs eve witnesses, IRON whom he
had received his information
Much feel lg vas exhibited aud some oven
proposed tie admini-r,ring O, summary pan.
islneut. iy "LyIth Law" upon tie persons
Of the SUPPOSED +. ders against good order
common C,oelcy atd CIVILIZED ,oei ~ Il
vas f al ,c.-rtu,i es. To ~ point t,...u,it
tee 70 make "a tai! end = o. ,rgn -s:,u.iu.,,i,,u.
and cal. "a '.5eI g alI ry,rr; tie result vi
H. 80.
William ". Gilman, Peter L. Por.er. \.
Dean. j. c. Cor5ug anl Da H1ig- - that
committee. The undersigned learaed OF
the,. proceedings on he day thereafter ana
immediately called upon two Vi tie members
Of the 'eo,ah!-ee and urged 4 tl. and
searching * .,niua;iou into the troll 81 these
reports. aiId requested . be notified ni t.ir
time nrd place Of cx mi. alton, aud when
they should make I cir report. lie under
signed were promised and assured hg ;G,
commute. that they should have that PRIV!
lege, and were urged by hem to b. present
aud make = fall exploration, o.. rom
some unLEowa cause to tho undersigned.
mat Opportunity has never been allowed,
alb ugh repeatedly urged upon he members
Of the committee By Tie Undersigned.
4 subsequent meeting wa, called. upon 4
Few hours uu ice, notices being posted upon
the street corners No notice, request or
iuy tl.iUn was given the undersigned 10 be
prese bit or make Any explanation. These
were stutiousiy avoided. When tie garciue
wls Br5aniz.1, three OF the In-.fp5er, OF ihe
com ,i; ec sta'cl that tueY bad 20 report 10
Il: kE but two u! IN m. Peter l. Porter and
A / II. stated verbally thlt hey had made
q thLiou II examination and intU!ry, and
thai they Lad received rel able information
tro-,, r,.r l,,-,i ,v,,,pur
VII ,se writ en statements, hereto ait ched
will show with what tiuLt "hGt there had
been Il gctte'rnty on tie Stuaddy mentioned at
GeiterM WsHsrS Of tram etyftt 10 f'o>ire
pe1Sons OF tie YoIca r. his hopse; that there
had been pictures ahi caricature> of Presi-
dent Lincoln aud MS Cabinet officers eXhib-
tied, and much JOY manifested, and good
time generally had over the news ot the
muricr OF Pr Sidrmi Lincoln, &c And the
whole design seemed to- De, by the getters up
OF those false, scandaou and Infamous re
ports, to bring opprobrium, ridicule and
Ini.,my upon all persons mentioned IL said
meeting as having participated IN the savage
orgies on said Sunday.
Feeling grievoasly injured by such libel
Gus reports and suffering materially in our
business tleretronI. we have been compelled,
IN selFdetence, 10 procure, ut great trouble,
the written statements OF the'yarIOus persons
who were reported to have givea the ''reiiojte
nJolmatioa,' which We herewith publish.
together with the sworn affidavit of General
Wisner.
The result of these Iabors we publish
purely in selt-deieEee; and, although they
con, lu.ivey prove three of the persons who
took such prominent pats in this wanron
crusade upon private character to be rank
villiiers and mendacious hbeiers, yet we aye
not responsible tor this conclusion. Self
defence l. the first law of nature. The win.
dlctlve and hendi III spirit that pat these evil
reports IN circulation can hardly be appre
ciated, without ons'derng The time when
they were first whispered INTO the ears of
willing tools. and then announced ina public
meeting as having been received from "good
and retia6te amfority,' in order 10 give them
greater climaX-a meeting. too, called at a
me when such another awful occasion may
never happen again. Every one felt wound
ed, wronged and injured in the foul murder
and assassination of the President of The
United STATES.
1t can hardly be believed. that malice so
flemish could be found in chris; ian com.
mumiry; V t, .ep or.be the fact is, it il,
nevertheless, too Irde. Why this malice
We answer: Ihc author of it was an indie
peu' eut caiiuiualc' HOIcltitS votes, Demo-
CRANE as well a. Republican, tor a petty
town Office at the last annual town meeting,
III April The subscribers he etc were OPP
posed to his election. This aspirant for
political hOnors, tru. to his instinct, sought
revenge-the terrible events of April furn.
lshed-iin occason-aiid all the dir concomi-
tanfs OF MODS and violence were invoked by
him against Us.
Our community has suffered too long
under the baletul and wanton attacks of such
foul cal, mni itors. Forbearance has ceased
to be a virtue. We respect an open and
public enemy, but the assassin, the vampire
and destroyer of character We loathe and
desplse. for such are aLhorred of the gods
and hated of all good men. chastise,uent
of these vilifiers is demanded by our com
munitv, and we feel that-we are, in this case,
but the humble instruments Of its iphictiSn.
STATEMENT OF PHILIP KARy
], the undersigned. reside in the town of
Ophr, and in the neigh6orhood of General
James Wisne,. live in sigh, of his house. |
did not see or hear any MANIFESTATION or
expressions of disleyalty at General Wisner's
on Sunday. the 10th day of April or at any
other time. Neither have ever told VIM |
w. Gilman, P l.. Porter, A. Dean or any
other person, that saw or heard on said 10th
day Of April, any disloyal actions or remarks
ut the residence of General Wisner. or any
uncommon occurrence or gathering there that
day. PHILIr KARR.
STATEMENT OF URIAn FRANKS.
1, the undersigned, reside in the town of