Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-10-01
TIE RUTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, SEPT %, 1868,
rhe Georgia Murder.

Ststoments have been goinF he ROUNDS
81 the Democratic newsprints, conveying
the impression that the parties implicated
in the munlcr Of Mr.. Ashburn, in Gcor'
via. we're subjected 10 cruelics, in order
To- oxtori the truth from them ltwill be
,mcut<ered that in July letter ~as
written by Gen. Meade TO Gen Grant,
, which has recently been published, that
.xpo.os the slender foundation OF truth
on which hi, Democratic story rests
The communication says that, finding
there wes no effort on the part Of the
community where the deed was commit
ted, by amy recognized means, 10 ferret
sut the criminals, lac requested a detect
i've nf',e,r 10 assist in the search, and two
detectives were placed on the trail,
and they became satisfied that the right
r,rsos had been arrested, but that it was
u~.lcss to think Of obtaining testimony
from any party at the place Of the muir
der, a. their lives would the forfeit for
their evidence, il they dared to disclose
what they knew; and it was recommend
"a that certain parties, whom they be-
leycd had a knowledge Of the affair,
should be removed TO some secure place,
where, under protection, they could, with
out fear, disclose the facts in their posses
sion.
Gen. Meade further says the atrocity OF
the murder, the Indifference OF the local
authorities and the people, and the posi-
ton Of the parties implicated, led him to
the nost active efforts to discover the
perpetrators Of the murder; arrests were
made of the suspected persons, and no
r11of being found against them they were
di sargcd lie SAYS "ihat had the civil
authorities acted in good faith and with
rU, s,yy, aud made any attempt 20 ferrit
out ser guilty-or had the people Of CO.
iuIaous cyinced or felt any horror Of the
yrno and co-opcrated in any way in de-
tccting its perpetrators, much that was
seemingly harsh and arbitrary might have
been, and would have been, avoided-bui
the case required prompt and decided
measures, which | did not hesitate to
take" The action Of Gen. Meade will be
approved by all but those who sympathize
with thc spirit of tho crime, he has used
his best cudeavors 20 ferret ont.
The prisoners were transferred TO Fort
Pulaski. and orders given that the detec.
sy.s should have free access to them, and
We give what the General says relative to
acir treatment
At the same time | cautioned the de-
0ctiycs that in their efforts to extract the
&cts rs known to these parties, no unus-
all. or cruel, or physical means should he
escorted to. The result of this movement
~. the disclosure ofmost important facts,
" several parties who had not dared to
=, ak out until under the protection of
enc government From the statements
made by these prisoners, a number of
other. were arrested and brought to At
ianta early in June Being compelled
to 80 North myself, and other circum-
stlu as layed the organization of the
Milittsy Commission till late in June.
Finding on my return the most false and
exaggerated statements in regard To the
treatment of prisoners and witnesses,
called on General Sihley, commanding
snb-distriot of Georgia, for report
ON their treatment at this post
Atlanta and ON Captain Mills and
Captain Cook for reports as to the
treatment of those confined at Co.
lumbus and Fort Pulaski respectively.
also called on Mr.. Whitley, the detective
for report on the same subject. Al
these reports are herewith submitted, anC
it will be seen from them, and from tht
affidavit of the prisoners themselves at
tached to Mr.. Whitely's report, that tn,
exaggerated statements which, for politl
cal purposes, the press have given circu
lation to are all false, and have no foun
dation beyond the fact admitted by Mr.
Whitcly that he did operate on the fear
Of two negroes, Wells and Staper, whom
he believed knew something; but tina
soon finding they knew nothing they wer
released, and with the exception Of threat
ening to shave their heads and confninl
them for some hours in a cell at Fort Pu
laski previously arranged foa the punish
ment Of refractory soldiers, they wer
well treated, and were in no wise in
iurcd
STEEL RAILS Between fifty and sxt