The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-11
TUE AsaBURy PRISONERS.
Report of Genenal Meade the Treats
ment OF Prisoners Charged With the
Murder of Ashburn, In Columbus, Ga.~'
Inhuman Treatment Admitted.

ment OF Prisoners Charged Win the
Murder of Ashburn, In Columbus, Ga.~'
Inhuman Treatment Admitted.
from the National Intelligencer September 101
Major General Meade has made report OF his &C.
ton and that of the military officers under him IN
the matter or the arrest and manner OF treatment Of
prisoners charged with completely In the murder Of
Ashburn In Columbus Ga, who was killed tp
br0thel on the Both day Of March. "a
1t will be recolected that some Of the parties thus
arrested have published statement OF the cruelte&
and inhuman treatment they subjected to while
under arrest, and that Reed, OF the detectives
employed by General Meade and General Grant to
''work up the case'' has also recently made an ans
davit to the facts which show that certain persons
among the prisoners were subjected to barbarOu0
treatment under authority claimed to have been re-
ceived from the military commander -,
AS vindlcation of himself against these alleg8
lions General Meade has asked and received aus
thority to publish an account OF his doings 1t apy
pears that the murder Of Ashburn, who had been q
member OF the Georgia Constitutional Conventions,
assumed the form of political controversy. 1t was
charged that General Meade and some Of his subOEy
dinateS entered into the pursuit and trial Of the az
legged murderers In part for the qualification Of par
sans and to make political capital. -
The report, including exhibits, Is quite vOumk
but the great bulk OF 1t is made up Of copies Of
orders for arrest and returns OF officers thereon ~
The report shows that the civil authorities at Co
lumbus had undertaken to ferret out and bring to
trial the persons that killed Ashburn and that the
military commander, whose headquarters were f0
that place. at frst commended the action OF the cvU
officers but afterwards recommended that the mill
tary take the case in hand: Thereupon Major Ged3
eral Meade ordered military commission to try
such parties as might DO arrested and charged with
the crime.
number of arrests were made, upon the sugges.
ton Of various parties but especially upon the di,
recton OF two detectives Whiteey and Reed, VINO
were employed by the advice Of General Grant, and
The officer in charge of Fort Pulaski certines, ons
caly, that these detectives came to the fort with
| the prisoners In charge with orders to have th9
| sole control Of them; consequently | assumed
| no authority except to keep them secure
| Wells and staDar were in possession Of
information material to the case, the oilcer says
upon their feelings. This operating upon the feel
ings consisted IN athering ther heads, preparatory
ing them caselnae of the fort; there the band.
| age taken Off and before the prisoners View
there stood soldier ready to fire of cannon which,
was pointed at the accused. While these threaten
| ing operations were going on the detectives
| endeavored to force the prisoners to make some
protested they knew nothing Of the Riling. they
were then placed in 'sweat boxes" described as Q
closet in the walls OF the fort little wider than the
prisoners body, the door closing within three inches
OF his breast and the only air admitted being through
a few auger holes in the door, Here they were left
in the belief that they to be kept there thirty
days. unless sooner they should disclose impOrtanf
facts. They were allowed to remain here thirty.
Gated and again questioned, but with no success -
arrested~some twenty odd-were permitted to con.
| suit counsel or converse with anybody and that
they were thrown into and incarcerated within the
confined for long time and afterwards discharged
without trial. describe their cells as being some four
by seven feet; others two feet ten inches wde dark
| and no ventilation that they had bad food, &c. %
Upon the matter OF the size Of cells the report ms
| cudes letter of one Of the prisoners to the mffs
tary officer in charge, setting forth that cells had
been reduced from six TO two feet; that they could
others OF Ike character, was forwarded to the Com.
handing General who shortly after gave instrucs
tons that ''f these prisoners will give bonds not
| to attempt to escape or to hold Intercourse with
any persons but such as are authorized by COM
be ts as or tine
as comfortable as is consistent with their being under
proper surveillance" -.
Another charge Of the released prisoners Ia that
they were arrested without affidavit, warrant or
charge and were not permitted to confer with coun,
The report upon this point shows that in the nrsn
instance, and for some days. the order was that the
prisoners be not permitted to converse with any per.
son whatever, but that at later period they vera
i allowed to confer with counsel. -,
The report shows, further, that after the arrests
| had been made-namely, on the 3oth Of June last-x
General Meade informs General Grant and the Seq
rotary Of War that upon leaving Washington he was
of opinion that civil prisoners might and should bG
turned to the civil authorities upon the admisu
sion OF the State but the Developments Of the AshA
burn murder case has modified this opinion, and he
thinks that all military commissions pending whe6
the state is admitted should be carried out by th&
military authorities and asks Y Congress can tak@
Four days prior to the foregoing. communication
namely 26th of June, General Meade sent the Se6
| rotary Of War the following communicatOn:-lg}
al deem 1t Of the utmost importance, not only f6n
the ends OF justice, but for my personal vindicatio
that the Ashburn murderers should be tried by miA
| tary commission, and have accordingly ordered
| the trial for Monday next. Before going North
| retained Ex-Governor Joseph Brown rs counsel
| for the government deem his services Of great,
| Importance, not only for his legal ability, buf
for the influence his position in the State will gv6
| the prosecution. He has been actively employed
during my absence, but to-day on my asking htpk
what his fee would be he replied 5000. stated
did not feel authorized to pay such an amount wtn3
the sanction of superior authority lie expressed
his willingness to withdraw and not TO communicate
any Information he had obtained.n ...sX
General Meade then advises the employment Oh
Governor Brown, In view Of the Importance Of tho
rp
and concludes by saying the evidence OF the MOST
positive Kind and leaves no ground to doubt the