The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-01-28
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
HoUsE. E.0FDELEaATEs.
WHEELINa, Jan. p, ls67.

WHEELING, Jan. &c, 1867.
Prayer by Rev. ]. T. McLure, of the
United Presbyterian Church
Mr.. Fleming from the Committee on
Finance, reported bill to provide for
the reassessmeut of all the real estate
within the State
he also, from the same committee re-
ported adversely on the petition of
James q. West, of Wetzel county, and
on the proposition to tax the earnings
OF the national banks, instead of their
capital stock.
Mr.. Smith, from the Committee on
Counties, &c, reported a bill to- alter
part OF the division lines between the
counties of Mason and jackson. and a
bill permanently locating the county
seat Of Boone county.
Mr.. Caldwell, from the Committee on
Roads, reported bill making an ap-
propriation to rebuild bridge over
Greenbrier river between Lewisburg
and White Sulphur Springs.
Mt. Ferguson rising to privileged
question, sent to the clerks desk TO be
read, copy of the Wheeling Register,
containing slanderous article in refer
ence TO himself, charging him withhav-
ing stolen in Kentucky a carpet sackand
overcoat. After the reading from the
clerks desk Mr.. Ferguson said:
Mr.. Speaker--Fort the first time in my
life rise to question of privilege, and
OF this House were not concerned. Nv
own personal matters 1 propose to set
tie in another way. / rise for the pur-
pose OF putting the House in possession
of the facts in relation TO the affair re-
ferred to in the publication just read
No explanation of this matter is neces-
sary where l am known. My consti-
tuents understand the affair, and have
passed upon il in elecIiDE me, and they
are gentlemen of respectability and
character.
The day after the election in 1864, i
was induced by a party of friends to
visit the town OF Ironton, in the State of
Ohio. On our arrival we fell in com
pany with very cOnvivial party and
the result was that indulging in more
alcoholic substance than was in the
habit of doing, l became, for the first
time in my life, totally Oblivious of
passing events have vague recol-
lection OF insisting that must go home,
and of getting on the steamboat, but
instead of getting on boat that would
take me home l took the regular Cat
lettshurg boat, which only took me
eight miles in that direction, which, OF
course, L would not have done in NV
sober senses. With this exception have
no recollection of being on the boat at
all, and have no more knowledge or
recollection Of what occurred there,
than if I had never been born, and
therefore, can only give the facts as
they were stated to me afterwards. This
would say before the throne of Om-
impotence. if called upon to answer this
charge. There was n gentleman on
board ofthiS boat who resided in Cat
tlesburg, of the name of John Burns,
whose stuterUom- was entered and his
carpet-sack and oveTcoat taken there
from and placed upon the forecastle.
When Mr.. Burns missed his property,
he, of course, instituted an inquiry,
and another gentleman on the boat, not
then personally acquainted with me,
pointed me out as the person who took
it. Mr.. Burns came to me, an Rlterca-
tion ensued, struck him, and was then
knocked down and very badly beaten.
Upon the arrival of the boat ut Cattles-
burg | was taken in charge by a friend,
conveyed to "A hotel, q doctor sent for
and my wounds dressed These are the
facts precisely as they We're afterwards
told to me- When l came TO myself on
the next morning, L found my head
and eyes bandaged and very sore, with
out the slightest idea where / was, or
what It all meant, and hearing some
person moving in the room, asked him
for an explanation, which he gave me,
and 1 Immediately sent for Mr..
Burns, who related TO me the whole
affair. 1 asked Mr.. Burns if he had
the slightest idea that l intended to
steal his property, and he promptly
answered that he had not, and he
showed by his actions that he meant
what he said, for he stayed with me
great part OF the day, and ministered
in every way he could TO my necessi-
ties. In the evening L took passing
boat and went home, and here the mat
ter, for the time, en1ed. Every one
who knew me knew that I was not
guilty of stealing. They knew that
my life had been spent in scattering
thousands instead OF gathering togeth-
er for the future. y term of the court
with II grand Jury sat in Catlettsburg,
as am informed, not great while AZ
forwards, and no person thought pro-
pei to bring this matter to their atteu-
ton. / came to Wheeling. took my
seat as member of this House, and
took prominent part in the legisla-
tion of that winter which had for its
object the protection of the State and
her loyal citizens against the rebels.
Among other laws passed for this pur
pose was one to prevent persons against
whom judgments had been obtained
for outrages committed during the war,
from obtaining a re-hearing unless
they took IL certain oath known as the
test oath. 1 took certified copy of
this law, With others, home with me,
and at the March term of our
court 1865, efforts were made to
open some Judgments of the character
OF which I have spoken, which were
ueleAAetl Tue VI lIlS ldNs
1t then became necessary, in the opin-
ion OF certain parties, 10 get me out of
the way, and conspiracy was there
upon entered into to get me indicted in
the copperhead county of Boyd, Ken
tucky, and thereby drive me from the
country, or if they failed in that, then
by employing the leading lawyers and
packing jurieS, to convict me, IL possi-
BILE, of felony. They accordingly re-
paired to oCattlstsburg, managed TO have
Mr.. Burns and other witnesses called
before the grand jury and procured an
indictment. To show that this was not
the work of MIR. Burns, he declared
when he appeared before the grand
Jury, as am informed by one of the
members thereof, that he knew nothing
of the purpose for which he was called
or at whose instance he was called.
The finding of this Indictment soon
came to my knowledge, and was ad-
Vised, in the strictest confidence, by
some of my professed friends of the
copperhead stripe, that it would be
better for me, under all the circum-
stances, 10 leave the country; that 1
could make living anywhere, and! II
/ stayed in the country would be de-
mauded of the Governor aud delivered
up to the authorities of BOYD county,
Kentucky, where they would use
means 10 convict me, whether
was guilty or innocent. I thanked
the gentlemen kindly for their
advice, but instead OF acting u pom
it, went voluntarily to Ken
lucky, and sent word to the Sheriff that
was there, resdytO answer to any
process he might have in his hands
against me, aud am free to say, for
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