Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-04-12
The miIItart prisoners -Dr. Howiea.

The MiIttaFF FPrtsOnefs-Dr. AoWtf4s
We mentioned in yesterday mornings
paper the discharge Of three military pfiS-
oners-L. p. Milligan, DIR. William A,
Bowleo and Stephen Horsey, citizens of In
diana-from the Ohio Penltcntiary, In
which they had been incarcerated under
the Communication of sentence of death by
military commission. These gentlemen
had been sentenced TO death in the first
place, and afterwards imprisoned in our
Penitentiary for purely political ofTenses,
! in other words simplyio holding opinions
obnoxious to the party in power in the
Federal Government and in their own
State. One of the prominent actors In pro-
curing their arrest, trial and sentence, was
General II. B. Darlington, formerly of this
citygand then in command of the military
post at indianapolis. He made use of a
stool pigeon by the name of Stidger, who
was the principal witness against the ac-
cused on the trial, and who, by his own ad-
missions and statements, was spy, and
took oaths aud obligations which he af-
forwards violated, for the sole, purpose OF
entrapping innocent men inanet and maxi
ing "a case against them.
1t is now nearly two years since the three
prisoners alluded to were arrested and torn
from their families and business. During
that time they have been held i'm durance
vile, over ten months of the time having
been passed as felons in the cells of the Ohio
Penitentiary. The military commission,
aby which they were tried and condemned,
commenced its session at indianapolis on
the 9th of September, 1854, and closed it on
the 11th of December following, though its
findings and sentence were not made known
till some ten days afterward.
Mr.. Horsey, as we stated yesterday morn
ing, left for Ills home in Indiana nightjbe-
fore last. Mr.. Milligan and his friend and
counsel, J. r. Coffroth, Esq, lett yesterday
for Huntingdon, Indiana, where they both
reside.
I We mentioned in our last that DR..
Bowles, on account Of the state Of his
/ health, was unable, or at least did not deem
it prudent, to leave the prison Immediately
after his discharge on Tuesday evening.
Early yesterday morning, the first man to
greet him at the Penitentary on his re-
lease, was his old friend and acquaintance
OF over thirty years. standing, Mr.. j. H. B.
Nowland, of indianapolis. Itwas ajoytul
meeting to both parties, they having form
ed an intimate acquaintance while the
Doctor was member of the Indiana Leg
islature, in which he served for several
years, in both the Senate and the House.
On leaving the Penitentiary, DR.. Bowles
rode in a carriage, which was politely fur
nished by the Warden, to the Neil House,
where he is now, and will remain for sew
eral days until his health will permit his
return to his home in Southern Indiana.
The arrest, trial and long imprisonment
of DIR. Bowles, constitute a series of dis
graceful and atrocious acts, for which, hap
pily for the credit of the human race, his
tory furnishes but few parallels. Though
not man of tourscore, as commonly re-
puted, he has passed the usually allotted
period of human life, and is now over sew
enty years of age. He is agentleman of a
fine and commanding figure, venerable
from his years, his experience and his
scientific and general knowledge. Had he
not been blessed with an originally strong
physical as well as mental constitution, he
could not have survived the trials and tor
lures to which he has been subjected,
especially while laboring under the weight
of f1years and bodily intirmity., For some
time past, as he is now, he has been afflicted
with an acute inflammation of the liver and
.achronic erysipelas, aggravated, by inju-
dicious treatment while in prison. But he
is now in good spirits, and hopes in a few
days to greet his old friends in Indiana.