Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-13
CONFESSION OF A sUBoRNER.
Anidavit Of VIM. ii. Reed, Govern.
ment Detective.

WASHINGTON, D. c., July 8. 1873.
Personally appeared before me, a JUS
tice of the Peace for the District of Col
umbia, VIM. Il. Reed, who, being duly
sworn, deposeth and ssysth / was tel.
egraphed to by h. C. Whitley, q Govern.
ment detective, to come to Washington
from Boston, Mass. In answer to that
dispatch, / arrived in Washington on the
9th of March, 1868. / Joined Fl. G.
Whitley; he took me to Chapman d Hos
mer's office, on Fourteenth street, and
they told me they wanted to employ me
as United States Government detective
in the impeachment of the President of
the United States. Hosmer took me up
stairs, in the same building with his
office, to a one.legged mans room, whom
they called Doctor. Hosmer told me to
20 around the hotels aud make my re-
port every day to the Doctor. In few
days Hosmer sent me 10 Gen. o. o. How
ard, commanding Freedmep's Bureau.
He, the General, told me to make my
report to Msior Mann. / did so with
several other detectives, including a
number of negroes, to the l4th or l5,h
of April, and was paid by the Doctor and
Msjor Mann three hundred dollars. Gen.
o. o. Howard then ordered me to go to
Atlanta, Georgia, and report to Gen.
Meade, TO work up the Ashburn murder
case. He (Gen. Howard) says you go
there by order of Gen. Grant. He (How-
ard) sent me to Msjor Mann, who paid
me one hundred dollars. Gen. Howard
gave me letter to Gen. Meade in At,
lanta. Georgia, stating that l came IS O.
Government detective, and he (Gen.
Meade) to pay my expenses. / arrived
there about the 18th of April. Gen Meade
referred me to Major Smythe, that he
(Smythe) knew about the Ashburn mur
der case. Before / arrived in Atlanta
there had been several arrests made 10
Columbus, Georgia, and Major Smythe
informed me that he had discharged them
for the want of evidence to impli-
cate them with the murder of Ash
burn. He told me l could not make any
thing by going to Columbus, but hoped l
could make up case. Gen. Meade
ordered me to go to Columbus.
staid there two or three weeks in this
time. felt it was necessary for me to
arrest several parties, 81. G. Whitley
having been sent for by Gen. Meade at
my request Gen. Meade desired
should not make any arrests until the
arrival of Whitley. Gen. Meade tele-
graphed to Washington to have the Gov
ernment telegraph to Whitley, who was
then in Kansas, for him to come imme-
diately TO Georgia. He arrived in a few
days Whitley came to Columbus and
met me we had an interview with Capt
Mills, the commander of the post at Co
lumbus, Georgia, aud recommended him
to make several arrests, which he de-
clined to do without an order from Gen.
Meade. Whitley got an order from Gen.
Meade that Capt. Mills should arrest FIVE
or six parties, to be pointed out by my
sent to Fort Pulaski We, before the ar
rests were made. wentto Atlanta and got
an order from Gen. Meade to the COM
mander of the post at Savannah to give
us, myself aud Whitley, full control OF
the prisoners after they arrived at Fort
Pulaski. While we we're on our way to
the fort the following arrests were made
in Columbus: Stevens and Barber. two
white men, aud John Stapler aud John
Wells, two negroes, and sent to Fort Pu-
laski. Whitley and myself met them
1.-THE prisonefs) at Savannah, and pro-
ceeded to the fort with them. At the fort
one of the negroes, John Wells, was
taken out Of his cell and put into chair
in one of the easements, with a cannon
pointed at his head, and soldier held OF
the string, ready to snap the cap, appa.
rently, to shoot the gun. A barber
lushed his head full Of lather and pre-
tended to be ready to shave his head
This was done TO have him TO give evi-
deuce in regard to killing Ashburn. The
negro all the time contending he knew
nothing about the murder. This farce
was kept up about ten minutes finally
they put him back in his cell, with the un-
that IL he did not tell some
thing il would be worse for him. They
took the other negro, John Stapler, aud
nut him before the gun, with no better
success; he was afterward put in the
sueat-box and kept there in great pun
ishmeut for at least thirty hours, until his
legs svelled, and / took him out Of the
hox. being convinced that he knew moth
ing about the case. At Whitley's and
nv request the following other arrests
were made Daniel Betz and Amanda
Patterson, Who we're sent TO Fort Pulaski.
Stevens aud Barber we're put IN one cell
Whitley aud myself secreted ourselves
in the adjoining cell, but We could hear
20 conversation between them impica-
ting any Of the prisonerS Amanda Pat
tsrson was considered sn important Wit
ness. and vas put in ofhcers quarters
whitley and myself talked WITH Der ire