The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-06-15


The Toronto and Montreal papers have
much to say concerning the Fenians. An
Ottawa correspondent of the Montreal
H@nld, under date of Saturday 'ei'
egraphs as follows:
The question as to what shall be done
With Fenian prisoners is engaging the
oons;deration of the government. l near
that the Attorney General has sent let-
t go to Adiutant Med ougall on the subject
IF their trial, and it is probable a court
martial. composed of twenty.one militia
officers. will be appointed for the purpose.
4 1,snsral court martial usually consists
- tb;rteen members, but when Schultz
y. U.s. tr;ed for the affair at the Windmill,
I'm, q the rebellion, twenty-one officers
Ire annointed so that the charge of
macled court could not be made. The
precedent will be followed In the cases
which have now arisen.
Should the prisoners be convicted, 1t is
probable those of them who are known
to have borne any prominent part III the
foray will be executed by hanging; ana
as for the rest, they will be sentenced 70
penal servitude, perhaps upon the 1orel-
locations at Quebec. Five OF them'
believe. have been identified as men VINO
left employment on the Grand Trunk
railroad TO Join the Fenians in the States,
and direct them during the invasion. In
case of conviction there is little doubt
that they will suffer the extreme penalty
The Toronto Leader, under the head
of "Fenian Fabrications to Infame the
Hatred of the Irish Population of the
States" says:
"The American press is being made
| the victim of system OF falsehood. A
few specimens of this criminal eredullty
will show the atrocious means resorted
to by the Fenians to create sympathy
for their murderous band. The New
York Commercial Advertiser says:
"The Canadians following the example
so often set them by the mother country
ara vigorously trying their prisoners by
drumhead court-martial and deliberately
shooting them down. The first of the
poor fellows thus cruelty hurried under
the sod leaves wife and five little ones
| in this city These acts of terrible rigoI
on the part of the Canadians are not
calculated to allay any sympathy which
may now be entertained among Amer
cans or FeniaDs"
No man has been tried by couTtmar
tial and no prisoner has been shot. a
general militia court-martial could be
held for the trial of invaders bnt there
is no legal authority to hold drumhead
court-martials,. by authority of which
summary trial and execution ON the
spot would take place. 1t may become
a subject of discussion during the legis'
| latiye session whether it would not be
advisable to authorize drumhead court
martials, but even this is not certain
FURTHER FROM THE FENIANs.
The government is in receipt of intel
ligence from Malone, New York, dated
Monday, stating that great confusion
existed there amoEg the Fenians, owing
principally to the arrest of their leaders
About 1900 of the brotherhood have
been started in homeward direction 10y
the u. S. authorities within few day.
past. .
In reply to au inquiry of District 1t
toruey Dart, OF Pottsdam, New York, "a
to whether any of the subordinate Off
GERS and men Of the Fenian prisoners
should be indicted, the Attorney Gencr
1. telegraphed instructions to indict the
leaders only, and to prosecute them FOL
breach Of the. United States neutrality
las y itL such diligence as would bt
CO.'S .stent with the dignity of Thu
United States.
The treatment OF the prisoners oil
their way through the Canadian towns i
very rough They are jeered and tauist
ed. and in one instance one Of them wa
severely maltreated by the mob