, 1866-03-02
UNITED STATES OFFICERS
IN JAIL.
With Their Flag Flying.

The Civil W. The Military Authority 1.
KenGucky-T1le Ensc Of the Comm on
wealth AEninht Captains J. Fl. Lcnni4
md J. ". Kend fsr interfering witt
Eicctlunz-The PARTIES In Prison aut
>aill Fighting for the Flas-The Star,
and etr1peA Flying from the jail.
from The Cincinnati Commcrc3al.l
The sleepy little village Of Alexandria, til,
county seat Of Campbell county, Kentucky
Is just now place ofno ordinary interest, OF
account Of legal event which transplrct
there last week, and ~hirh will prove to bt
one Of powerful and permanent effect through
ont the State. 1t IL no less than the arraiEn
ment, trial and punishment By civil law O.
two officers Of Kentucky regiments; on The
charge of "uulawtul interference wlih and
breaking up Of elections.''
As the case Is regarded as test one, and
will be made such, the facts, obtained by care
ful Investigation, may not prove unintere6tine
at this stage Of its progress. Alexand1ta, II
may be stated, Is ttlItecn miles from New.
port, and Is resched'by turnpike, which Ii
one Of The most pleasant drives in or about
Cincinnati. Its public buildings arc the
county court housc, Jail, aad one or two
churches, and 1t Is the residence OF Hon. R.
Tnrvfn Baker, member Of the Kentucky Leg,
tslaturc, whose tcnt In the Senate was vacated
at the recent session. bnt who was reelected
and sent back In timo to put in few ahots
from his Union gun.
Tho case which has caueed snch stir in The
county WAS tried one day last week, Thursday
or Friday, we believe. nt The Circuit Court,
over Which J. R. Hal1am, Of Newport, was
called to preside by the bar, In the temporary
who, It is stated, objected to making Nlesaj
tilt at the military authorities.
The Sheriff of Campbell county Is H. B
Helm, who, together with Mr.. uaflam, once
enjoyed the hospltalities Of Camp Chase, and
therefore relished the business OF prosecuting
the men whose friends furnished the entertain.
fnents Of that noted resort. Tho defendants
asc Capt. J. II. Lennin, Co, F, SD Kentucky
mounted infantry, aud Capt. +. W. Read, Co.
II, same regiment. Capt. Lennin served -four
years aud tour month";. received five bullet
wounds, and has rebel bullet still In his
thigh. Capt. Read served three years and
seven mouths, and WIS wounded twice bott,
md received the highest praise for faithful and
efficient service.
The former returned to his home In the
neghboshood OF Alexandria, on the I'd OF
October last, and had harely received the con-
gratulations Of his family, wlleh the writ was
served upon him. Capt. Read was notified on
The Ssh Of the current month, and both gave
bonds for their appearance before the courL
above stated.
Tie, jury empane1lcd for their trial was
composed OF thu following persons: Wiley
Hates, Jacob Williams, J. +. Trayer,: jas. 4.
White, Jacob Anderson, q. w. Riley, james
White, Geo; 8. Truesdell, Jas. 4: Shaw. W.
X. Taryin Eaken, aud E. ". Hawkins, Esq,
appeared for the defence, but none was made,
as the Court ruled out the orders under which
the officers ncted, and the Prosecuting Attor.
ncy, X. B. Carpenter, refused to admit any
such, s, even Il issued by the President Of the
Captain Lennfn's offence against "thc peace
and dignity OF the Commonwealth was
committed at Carthage Precinct, si1 miles
aboyo Alexandria, and that Of Captain Read
at Cold Spring Precinct, half way between
Newport aud Alexandria, Both were acting
under orders from Lieut.. Col. Williams, Of
The 5sth Kentucky Infantry, then in com
maud Of that District and they obeyed, with
the ninth article Of war fully In view, which
reads as follows:
"Article 0. Any officer or soldier who shall
strike his superior officer, or draw or lit up
any weapon, or otler any violence against him,
being in the execution Of his office, on auy
pretenee whatever, or shall disobey any law
tnl command OF his superior officer, shall suffer
death, OF other punishment as shall, accord
Ing to the nature Of Ills offence, be inflicted
upon him BY the sentence Of a court-mar-
lial.'
The evidence in the case Of Captain Leunin
did not sustain the charge OF breaking up m
election, for the witnesses against him fcsti-
lied that the election went on" He was
convicted, however, and on that indictment
was fined $500, and, on the other indictment,
for aTesting and OBTAINING citizen at the
polls" wns iountl guilty and fined $50,
Captain Read WIS arTafgned to answer to
three indictments, the drsI Of which, after the
evidence had been gone through with, was
deemed insufficient, and quashed by the Court,
~ aud the defendant discharged therefrom. On
the second, for arresting md imprisouius
voters at the Cold Spring Precinct, at tie
election IN August last he was convicted, and
the Jury assessed a fine OF s, ,0OO; and. On the
third, Tor arresting somo days after the elec-
ton, under an order from the Provost Mar
shal, and conveying to coyip@ton, one
robert Maadux, he WAS also convicted, and
bis line assessed by the Jury at a like sun.
The latter verdict was set aside by the Couft,
tInued. 49,
When the decision Of the Court WAS an
nonnced, motions for new trials were made
a oveHnlsd. Read and Lcnnln then both
Meo Dnls of evidence and exception, which
wcrc signed By the Judge, and made part Of
The record, and then prayed appeals to the
Gi'cut Court Of the United States for the
District Of. Kentucky, which were refused
Judge Ha1lam remarklng that he rccoenizcd
no appellate tribunal hut the Court 81 Ap-
peals Of Kentucky. Nothing more was lett
% &C done but pay the fines OF go to jail, and
so1tneI tne veterans went, determined s'to
mer.'' WIN Nt' '"AAA
The Alexandria jail Is an old two-story COM
pllnt1on OF logs, clap-boards, and brick. white
washed. The tailor's apartments areM the
nHpWper 4 rs story, and the prisoners we're conducted
lSlther; No sooner had they entered 'du-
Ianse y s we" than they sent ont for supply
ftFRHt1JT8 Nfr 10 1N