The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-03-06
The Anderson Prisoners.
REPORT OF THE MAJORITY OF THE coMMl1rEr.

REPORT OF THE MAJORITY OF THE coMMITrEE
Mr.. Pike, from the Special Committee,
made a report 20 the Hdhse Of Represcn-
tatives on Thursday, on the circumstances
attending the murder of the Union sol
diers in Anderson District, the details
Of which our readers are familiar WITH
The report is substantially as follows:
No special cause was assigned at the
trial for this cold blooded murder. The
young men assassinated had been Sta
tioned at Anderson about two months,
and the resolutions'o of public meeting
held at Anderson two days, after the lnur-
der certify to their good conduct while
there. Their only offence seems TO have
been wearing the uniform of the Republic
and obeying the orders of their superior
officers. Of those committing the murder
the Keys family seems to have been one
of the tttost prominent III Anderson, and
Showers was a man of sufficient considera-
tion to have been at one time member
of the Georgia Senate This assassination
was committed while Gen. Gilmore was
in command of Charleston, and Gen. Sick
les states that when he took command
Gen. Gilmore called his attention to this
case as one Of great atrocity, and one
which the interests of the service, IN his
opinion, required to be thoroughly inves-
tigatcd~ a military commission was con-
vcned by Gen. Sickles, which proceeded
TO try those charged with the murder, who
were all arrested except Peter Keys and
the person who was not. recognized by.
Brown and Howell. .- A long and thor
ough examination of the Witnesses was
made, occupying some thirty days. The
defence was skillully managed an alibi
was attempted to be proved on the part
of Showers by negroes, who first testified
to the fact, but subsequently changed
their testimony and swore that they had
been trained by Showers to make tncir
previous statements. 1t was attempted
to shake the testimony of Howell and
Brown in various ways; but after pa
tient and diligent comparison of state
ments, the counsel found the facts as we
have already detailed them. The evil
delce is spread over many hundred pages
of record, and it amply sustains the con-
clusions at which the court arrived. The
commission found. the two Keys. Showers
and Byrum guilty, and sentenced them to
be hanged. The sentence was approved
by Gen. Sickles as to the elder Keys and
Showers, but, on account Of their age, and
being under the influence of their asso
ciates, the sentence was COMMITTED III the
cases of the younger Keys and Byrum to
imprisonment for life. The case was i'm
presented to the President, and
were made for pardons or for
transfer to the civil tribunals. Letters
from several leading men Of the South,
such as Alexander II. Stephens, Gov. Orr
and H. V. Johnson, appear among the
papers laid before the President; and,
with others, we notice petition insisting
upon it that the Presidentsavowed policy
led the petitioners to ask with confidence
his interpositlon in behalf OF the chlprits.
Hon. III. .. Browning, now Secretary of
the Interior, for IL fee of $1,000, made an
argument to the President in behalf OF the
persons, and urged that they he brought
within the range of a writ ofAadeaS corpus
in Northern Court. Numerous petitions
aud letters. urge the President to direct
the officers having the prisoners in charge
to respond to; 4 writ of hdbeaS corpus, upon.
the expectation that the courts, after the
decision in the Milligan case, would de-
cfare the trial without authority OF law.
These papers were all referred by the
President to the Judge Advocate General,
who reviewed the case at length, and at-
tirlned the decision Of the military tribunal.
Subsequently a writ of haJeas corpus was
issued from the United States District
Court 81 South Carolina, by Judge Bryan;
but Gen. Sickles declined to respond. An
attachment for contempt followed, but
Gen. Sickles declined to obey it, and his
conduct was approved by the Secretary of
War on the 23d OF July. Subsequent to
all the occurrences just recapitulated, the
President ordered that the sentences to be
hanged be committed in all four cases to
imprisonment for life at the Torgugas.-.
This order was Immediately executed; f; but
on the 3lst OF July. the President directed
the Prisoners to be transferred tc Fort
Delaware. The Secretary OF War in bis
testimony, gives the reasons for this trans
fcy. Considerable delay occurred in the
transfer to Fort Delaware; but when the
prisoners did arrive there, Col. Howard,
who was in command Of the fort, was
served with q writ of habeas corpus from
the United States District Of Delaware,
Judge Hall. Colonel Howard was di-
rected by the War Department to respond
to the writ. A hearing was had before
Judge Hall, and the prisoners were dis
LorOo1 Tho reasons for thiS oytra Ortli-
nary procedure upon the part Of the ven
cradle Judge, arc set forth i'll his opinion,
which is here submitted. He claims to
have Lad judicial knowledge that the re-
bellion was suppressed and peace restored
il, June, 1865, and further that the civil
courts Of South Carolina were open for the
administration Of justice at the time Of the
o.rnct nnL t,ihl Of tlrSc nnrdcrurs but