New-York tribune., 1866-12-03
I NEW PHASE or RECONSTRUCTION

rur sorTH CAROLINA MCRDERs-THE ASSASSINs con
vIcrED AND SENTENCED TO DEATH-THB PREsI-
DENT cosfMUrEs THE SENTENCE, AND TIE PRISON
ERs ARB RELEASED on WRIT OF HABEAs
CORPUS.
BY TELEGRAPH TO
washington Dec. . lstC.
The recent release Of the parties who wantonly muT-
dcred three Union soldiers in South Carolina about year
ago. is creating good deal Of comment in official circles
here especially of the counsel for the defense was
Mr. Secretary Browning, then lawyer and claim agent
The records and papers in the case all produced De-
fore the Court in the late trial before Judge Hail. and the
facts thus laid open 10 the public The names OF e
parties are Joseph Crawford Keys Robert Keys ms son
Elisha Byrcn, and r. c. Showers. The crime OF wheh
they convicted was murder committed on he mght
of Sunday October 3, 1863 The victims were Corporal
W. c. COrbett Emory Smith, and Mason Browning, all oil
the lst Maine Veteran Volunteers, VINO were
killed while guard cotton. Inc ar
rest by the military authonties,l ana the
trial took place before Military Commission
The facts proved concusvey were these Some days be-
fore Oct o. 1865, the officers Of the Treasury department
had taken possession of fifteen bales OF cotton lyne at
Browns Ferry, the Savannah River and had put the
custody Of w. p Brown, owner Of the Ferry, who hved
a few rods distant The cotton claimed by Crawford
KEYS as his property, and this Keys had engaged
Showers Of the set free by Judge Hail. 10 carry
il bv boat TO Savannah On Friday, the 9th inst Stow
ers informed Brown that the cotton about 70 be taken
away secretly but that he himself was not TO do ~ ana
advised Brown 10 get himself relieved OF s custody by
the military AUTHORITIES, ara OF All IcNpOhnlpll. III
matter. Brown therefore gave notice 10 the military OF
the intended removal and the guard OF three men whose
names are given above were sent 10 the ferry the same
evening Tie trip 10 Savannah at put oil, Stow
ers giving as a that his stcersman was SICK On
the succeeding Sunday night, about ii o'clock, hye men,
four of whom recognized by Brown and hs assistant
man named Howell 10 be those named above and Peter
KevS second Of the elder prisoner passed the eIIy
gate In the direction Of the river They we're seen TO 90
10 the ferry whore at alteration began between
them and the guard. voice was heard and denthed as
thp Qunrd 0y down their llN
the soldiers replying that they acting under orders
which they must obey the answer was made Cd d-n
YOU, We have 20 throw You into the uvcr. Nhots
then fred and not long after the same party o nyc
men returned past the fenyhouse three OF them IGlhg
the soldiers horses. As they passed Howell mouse feI'
keys ordered Howell back 10 bed. Both brown ana
Howell old residents Of the district, and perfectly
familiar with the voices and faces of their neghboIs Al
the trial Howell swOrc that he recognized Crawford Keys
his two sons Robert and Peter Elisha Byron and r. g.
Stowes Brown testified that the moon was two hours
up and that he recognized Crawford KEYS and +. Il.
Stowers The morning the bodies OF the three We
tins were found IN the nycr 1od or Two rom le sHu',
hv detail of soldiers Each had been shot through the
head; two with wounds which must have
| caused immediate death; the third evidently
having been drowned after receiving his wound The
haz Of each scoched showing the pistols had been
discharged close 10 their heads The defense made no
attempt TO deny the guilt Of Peter Keys who was never
arrested and whose whereabouts az the TINE OF tc ral
were unknown. He sh0wn however TO have been ht
his fathers house several times since the murder IN 0c-
half of the other iouT the defense an 0 which The
Court rejected utter failure. The morning after the
murder Showers proved 10 have told his negro servants
that the soldiers had been killed. that they would probably
all be arrested and that ifqUesoned about Lm they must
say that they had him AZ home az eleven clock te
night before, and had got some brandy from him. lhis
proved 10 be false and further he made no attempt 10
show how he could have leeitlmatey obtained hs inor
nation On the Tuesday following the murder he went
by boat to savannah, paying no attention 70 thc c OF
guard standing the bank who shouted 10 hm that no
wa, wanted There has existed the slightest doubt
of tins mans participation IN the MURDER nor mas there
been any ground for doubt that the other men named
IA. lahnv in ufr
Every circumstance their actions during the day tciI
meeting and consulting together their absence from home
at the me-this with other facts proven on the uiai
show that for the sake Of ID bales Of cotton and 10 fa
Rebel hate they uthlcssy murdered three men VINO were
doing their duty best they knew how under the orders
their superior officers and who Of course had no per
s0nal interest in the matter. The prisoners, as IS now
known, were all found guilty by the Commission and
sentenced 10 be hanged 10 rs also known that Grh.
! Sckes commued the sentence IN The case Of Robert
Keys and Elisha Byron IN ACCORDANCE WIN the recon-
meudaon of the Commission made Oh account Of theii
youth 10 Imprisonment ior life. and ordered the two
/ older prisoners, J. {. keys and j.. q. SteTersi
subsequent order, dated April a, be suspended the
| execution Of the sentence TIL the pleasure OF Prcs
dent johnson should be made known his was ~ con-
sequence Of telegraphic order from Ar johnson, given
at the solicitation Of the prisoners. Ultimately iho
President commuod al the sentences % imprisonment io
life and the four prisoners were conveyed 70 tmile
Pnckncy G.. and there confined. Here comes IN tho
history Of the efforts which secured the final release and
also the grounds upon which the President bascd Ls rst
Tcprieysl Of the guilty parties. There were two principal
( actors in the matter One the Hon. H. Prescott Of
South Carolina who here some months aro as counsel
for defense The other was o. H. Browning Sccrc-
ary Of the Interior Through the influence Of these men
the prisoners Lad their place Of confinement changed 10
Fort Delaware, and hence they were taken on writ Of
habcas corpus before Judge Holt Of the L. y District
Count for the State OF Delaware and by him sct free
some technical point 70 the night Of q Military Com
mission 10 try citizen Of State whore the civil courts
are i'm Oferctl0n The defendants very rich. and 10 is
stated one Of their counsel alone received $O0CO for bis
influence with the President in the matter The whole
thing is outrageous and should bring down shame upon
al the parcpatos The above s the whole history OF
/ the mailer and people can judge for themselves