The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-06-09
From the Gadsden (Ala.) Times.l 1
Citizens Whipped and HUNG by
Federal SOltiierS. ~.

ESGlSrzlA SOlu1eEsS.rs o..
Radical peace. to the South Is such as tht
wolf gives to the fold. Our boasted liberty
and form of government to the contrary
we are now living under the hugest and
most merciless despotism on the face OF
the earth. Acts are daily perpetrated by
subalterns in every portion of the South,
that the Car of Russia would not dare do,
even in Poland, and so fevoldng in detail,
that King Theodore himself would hesitate
in their commission. 1t is useless for US to
go into the details of the outrage provoking
these expressions. The tale is told in the
heading, and it is old, old story of wrong
and oppression reiterated. 1T ( is useless to
say, too, that no one believes the man so
severely punished to have had the remotest
connection with the stealing of the horses,
which the soldiers claim to have lost. His
most probable offense was that he was a
good Confederate soldier during the war,
and an ardent hater of Radicalism after the
war. Ni5t3E t}tt5 -ti4Iti~#
This is the same case that we partially re-
ported last week. 1t was then stated that
he was probably drowned, but it seems the
commander deceived the United States Mar
shall, and reserved his victim for further
torture. The facts are briefly these, as far
as we can learn: The soldiers, while es-
camped at Martin Hale's, lost two horses.
They suspected or pretended to suspect,
Mr.. Roberts of the crime, although he lived
seven miles distant, and was found quietly
asleep at home when arrested. They at
once arrested him, and next morning took
him along with them on the march, and
then his suffering commenced. He either
did not know, or would tell nothing of the
horses, and they hung him, as the conman-
der himself expressed to the United States
Marshal, ''until he was black in the face :"
Farther on they again hung hum, so citizens
report, befoIe reaching Gadsden. When
in Gadsden the nerves of the poor man
were so unstrung that he did not know for
some time his most intimate friends After
leaving the town, the UnitedS States Marshal
was sent for, and with the deputy Sheriff
and others, went in pursuit. d. On overtaking
the command, they were informed that the
man had escaped at the last creek, which
leo to the suppositiOn that he was there
murdered. Aflerwasds, near Walnut Grove,
citizens report he was again hung and whip
ped until his cries rang throughout the
camp. Farther on, citizens report that he
was tied behind a wagon and compelled to
follow on foot These repeated confrma-
tions of gross outrage continuing to come
in with every arrival, the Masonic fraterni.
ty at last made up a purse and started law
yer (AIr. Scales to head off the command
and sue out writ of habeas corpus. This
lawyer is now in Huntsville, laying the
matter before Col. Ritter, who, says the
Huntsville Advocate, will and ought to in
vestigate it. Mr.. Roberts has at last been
released or made his escape; and parties
now in town who stayed night before last
at neighbor of his, report that his mind is
almost destroyed by the agony of his situa-
ton the past few days. Certain it is, even
if he was released, that ne greater indignity
has ever been practiced upon a citizen, and
no clearer exemplifcation of the complete
tyranny now reignIng in the South has ever
occurred IN this vicinity zs.N- .