Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-08-20
secrets OF the Prison House,"

"Secrets OF the Prison House,"
One VIM. H. Reed, Government de-
tective, has made and sworn to the fol-
lowing affidavit:
I was telegraphed to by H. G. Whitley, a
Government detective, to come to Washlng
ton from Boston, Mass. In answer 10 tnat
dispatch, / arrived in Washington on the
9th of March, 1868. l joined II. c. Whit
ley; he took me to Chapman & Hosmer's
office on Fourteenth street, and they told me
they wanted to employ me as Y. 5. Govern-
ment detective in the impeachment OF the
President. Hosmer took me up stairs, IN the
same building with his Office, to a one-legged
mans room, whom they called Doctor. Hos
mer told me to go around the hotels and
make my report every day to the Doctor In
few days Hosmer sent me to Gen. Y. Y.
Howard, commanding Freedmen's Bureau.
He 1.-THE Gen. told me to make my report to
Major Mann. I did so with several other
detectives, including number of negroes, to
the 18th or 18th of April, and was paid
by the Doctor and Major Mann three hum
dred dollars Gen. O. O.. Howard then Or
dered me to 60 to Atlanta, Ca, and report to
Gen. Meade, to- work up the Ashburn muir
der case. He TGen. Howard says you 60
there by order of General Grant. He How
ard sent me to Major Mann, who paid me
one hundred dollars. General Howard gave
me letter to General Meade, in Atlanta,
Ga, stating shat I came as Government
detective, and he TGen. MeadeJ to pay my
r fboro ahNnt the 18th Of
April General Meade referred me to Major
Smythe, that he [Smythe1 knew about the
Ashburn murder case. Before arrived IN
Atlanta there had been several arrests made
in Columbus, Ca, and Major Smythe IN
formed me that he had discharged them for
the want of evidence to implicate them with
the murder of Ashburn. He told me l could
not make anything by going to Columbus,
but hoped could make up case. General
Meade ordered me to go to Columbus. l
staid there two or three weeks in this time.
felt it was necessary for me to arrest seve-
raj parties. II. G. Whitley having been sent
for by General Meade at my request, Gen.
Meade desired should not make any arrests
until the arrival of Whitley. General Meade
telegraphed to Washington to have the Gov
ernment telegraph to Whitley, who was then
in Kansas. for him to come Immediately to
Georgia. He arrived in few days. Whit
ley came to Columbus and met me; we had
an interview with Captain Mills, the COM
mander of the post at Columbus, Ca, and re-
commended him to make several arrests,
which he declined to do without an order
from General Meade. Whitley got an order
from General Meade that Captain Mills
should arrest five or six parties. to be pointed
out by myself and Whitley and they were to
be sent to Fort Pulaski We, before the ar
rests were made, went to Atlanta and got an
order from General Meade to the commander
of the post at Savannah to give us-myself
aud Whtley-full control of the prisoners
after they arrived at Fort Pulaski. While
we were on our way to the fort the following
arrests were made in Columbus, Ca, Stevens
and Barber, two white men, and John Slap
Ter and john Wells, two negroes, and sent to
Fort Pulaski il Whitley and myself met them
hs rB Hfs RI ard n1BaHeeaed se
negroes, John Wells, was taken out of his
cell and put into chair in one of the case
mates, with a cannon pointed at his head.
and soldier hold of the string, ready to snap
the cap, apparently, to shoot the gun. A
barber lushed his head full of lather, and
pretended to be ready to shave his head
This was done to have him give evidence 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 in his cell.
with the understanding that'if he did not tell
something, it would be worse for him. They
took the other negro John Stapler, and put
him before the gun, with no better success
he was afterwards put in the sweat-box, and
kept there in great punishment for at least
thirty hours, until his legs swelled, and /
took him out of the box, being convinced he
knew nothing about the case. At Whitley's
were made: Daniel Betz and Amanda Pat
terson, who were sent to Fort Pulaski. Stevens
and Barber were put in one cell. Whitley
and myself secreted ourselves in the adjoin-
ing CELL but we could hear no conversation
between them duplicating any of the prison.
ers. Amanda Patterson was considered an i'm
portant witness, and was 10 the officers quar-
tiers. Whitley and myself talked with her
frequently in regard to the murder, but she
earnestly declared she knew none of the par
ties as they were masked and painted. She
acknowledged being in the house at the time
of the shooting. Whitley persevered in ques-
tioning said Amanda, and said to me that he
would in time get enough evidence out of her
to implicate some of the prisoners and other
parties, so as to give Whitley an opportunity
to make more arrests. Whitley then went
to Columbus and arrested other parties. A
man was arrested named Bennett and sent
to Fort Pulaski to see if l could not draw
some evidence from him in regard to the
murder. In my frequent conversation with
this man Bennett, and his prevarication con-
WINGED me if any one was guilty of the kill
ing of Ashburn, this man Bennett was gull
ty. After this Bennett was put in the cell
with Betz, to see if he could not draw some
evidence from him. Afterward be (Bennett)
was put in room with Betz and Stevens,
with the view Of still obtaining evidence from
both of them together. He (Bennett) admit
ted to me that he was in the crowd that done
the shooting at Ashburn, and persuaded
Betz and Stevens to acknowledge the conpli
city of the prisoners arrested with the MUIR
der: Whitley and myself placed Bennett
with Betz and Stevens for the purpose of
working Betz and Stevens up to testify
against the prisoners. We whitley and
myself promised Bennett, Betz and Stevens,
if they would come out and expose the whole
story If fboVv