The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-06-18

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missioned officer, was placed on duty at the
prison 10 protect them. This being the
state Of sffairs, band Of about one hundred
organized armed men, completely masked,
on the night Of the 4th Of Oct0ber last, over
powered The guard, bfoke open the prison
and murdered Smith aud the irsedmen.
Smiih was en ex-Captain of u 81 volun-
teers. The frst arrests that it was practical
bic TO make took place on the 5th Of Decem-
Der, and included four men; arrests have
been made since that date from time to time.
There are now Ia arrest about IS men, and
the names Of others who participated in the
murders are known, several persons hereto
fore Of good standing in that community, /,
have left Jefferson for no apparent cause,
among them the District ] udge, who vss.re-
moved by military order il 1861; other par.
ties have also recently left, who did not Bear
irreproachable regulations. The parties ar
rested have not been baiied, because the
crime with which they are charged is not
bailable under the laws Of this State; in all
of these cases one OF the charges is murder,
and in the words Of the State law "the proof
is evident or the presumption great a
The crime against The laws Of the State is
not the only one with which these prisoners
are charged al Che tine Smith and the others
were murdered, they were under the guard
and protection of force Of United States
troops. This safeguard was forced by band
of organized, masked, armed men. u.
1t lis now asked that the parties to this
conspiracy against the authority and govern
ment of the United States may be turned
over to the same civil authorities that utter
ly failed to enforce the civil law, and pro-
teCt the persons who, at the request Of the
civil officers, were delivered up to theml
The offence against the United States is
not within the Jurisdiction Of q State court.
Il has not bean practicable heretofore to
bring these men to trial, but Military Com
mission viii be ordered at an early day, to
try them in sccordance with the Sd section
Of the Act Of Congress of March 3, 1867.
Every step taken in this case has been de-
manded by the laws.
GSignedJ J.J. RErsoLDs.
Brevet Msj. Gen., u. s. A., Oomd'g.
+. HEADouARTERs FIFTH MILITARY DIs'r
April Is, 1869.
The above was accompanied with
that the Confidential Circu-
lar J" and reply thereto, might be fur
nished to the press; to which applica-
ton the following answer was received:
HEADQ rs OF ARMY,ADJ,T GEMS OFFfcE1
Warrington, May 10, 1869.
SIR:-Referring 10 your request, of the
18th ultimo, for permission to furnish 10 the
press, in connection with the printed Circu-
lar, dated February 24th, 1869, relative to
alleged military despotism and tyranny in
Texas, addressed "To the Press of the coun-
try" BY R. W. BOughery, editor Of the JEFF
fersOn Times and Texas Republican, your
report of the 18th ultimo in fefutation Of the |
same, l am directed by the General Of the
Army to say that you can publish what you
please in this connection.
Very respectfully, your obed't servant
E. d. TOWNSEND, Adi't General.
A Military Commission is now, May |
10th, in session at Jefferson, engaged |
in the trial of the persons implicated in
the murder of Hon. g. w. Smith and
The freedmens ~
By Order of Brevet Major General
J. ]. Reynolds: - IS
= @ Gas. E MORSE,
Acting Asst Adjutant General.