Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-10-12
A STORY or HORROR

In time Of profound peace and tran
guilty, a wicked, unsparing oxecu.
tive declares two counties Of the State
to be in insurroctiun, lie invited
troops and officers Of troops from the
State OF Tennessee, men without oo-
cupation or character at home, TO his
aid on the eve of the election they
seized n hundred men or more and
bore them off to prison Among them,
dcacons elders, members Of churches
of every denomination except the Ro.
man Catholic Among the prisoners
were ex members OF Congress and an
ex.Judge and an ex.Speaker of the
House of Commons.
To extort confessions, George Rog.
ers, VIM. Patton. Lucian II. Murray,
and others were hanged like dogs 6y
the neck Gray and Wheeden were
manacled like convicted fclons and
| thrown into ielons cells. The ex.
Sheriff Of Saswcll Co, instead of the
old common law process of warrant
in the hands of an officer of the law,
was found al the plow IL tic neld
knocked down with fence rail, his
hands bound behind him, and his legs
tied under the horse belly and thus
carried off ten miles to prison.
Your humble servant who now ad.
dresses Xou was arrested in the
streets of IIilsboro By ten white men
and two negroes who cooked and pre-
sented their guns before they came
within a hundred and fifty yards of
him lie was taken to Company
Shops, aud about o'clork on Satur-
day be reached Yanceyvlle amid the
shouts and cheers of the African pop.
ulation who assemble TO exult over
their white captyes He was at first
committed 10 room in which were
confined twerty Alamanco prisoners.
In an hour he was transferred to the
room in which Chicken Stevens was
murdered.
Monday night | was Or
dered out of my prison window where
| was sitting took chair at
the window and was ordered from
the window. At 10 o'clock all the
windows were put down close, and
the door shut During the night a
BUCKET of water was thrown upon me
while in bed ! ran after the rascal
who threw the water, to the door, tho
sentinel said he was asleep aud did
not know who did it.
When one Of the guards remonstra-
ted against such abuse Of prisoner,
the sleepy sentinel said, "Hush, it.
was one of the officers who threw the
water"
The next night I was again re.
freshed with a shower bath in bed in
the same way. Before that ] had
been alone on Thursday night a spe-
cial guard Of seven was placed in my
room / was forbidden to speak to
one unless to the guard, and to speak
to them only for water aud iood-nor
was allowed to 90 to the windows
Of my prison Capt Franklin was in
command of this guard.
We reached Gruhem after dark, wet
and muddy No prisoner had a dry
hlai,lsst % shirt. An agreed that tho
move nt that'iime was intended a. "A
punishment instead of comfort. On
Tuesday evening a squad of soldiers,
under Capt franklin and Lieut.. Ban.
ner, called for Wiley, Gray, Wheeden.
and Turner, and we were marched of
to Jail We were locked up in iron
cages Wheoden was manaclcd like a
folon. A negro prisoner was put out
Of the cage and Wiley and Turner
put in. The cage was foul and loath-
some Banner was jniler
wrote note to my friend Sidney
Scott for a pitcher, washbowl, soap
and towels, two chairs and table
These articles were sent to the jail
door but never got in Two blue buck
cts constituted The furniture of the
prison. They were in the condition
the negro prisoner had left them.
asked that they be taken out, and |
allowed to buy new ones. This was
refused. No candles or lights were
allowed | asked for a pipe and to-
bacco for Mr.. Wiley and that was re-
fused We resolved not 10 drink from
the bucket until nature compelled us
to do So
Thursday, early, | was taken from
my old cell and put in fresh one
with Alexander Tarpley, negro who
was chained to the floor This felon
was condemned to be hung the next
day friday lie had made no prep
arations for death, and said his many
I friends told him not TO fear, the Gov
ernor said he should not be hung
He informed me there were creeping
things aud vermin in plenty in his cell
as well us the one ! left. | soon had
ocular demonstration and other proof
of the truth of what the ielon had
said At 10 o'clock Banner offered
me water in soldiers canteen. / de-
clined and said ! could hold out until
night, by which time | would be in
Salisbury before Judge Brooks IL is
now ten days since | had drink of
water. | desired to see how long
could have held out before drinking
from the foul blue bucket
On Thursday we started
for Salisbury, Judge Pearson having
exhausted the judicial power of the
State and the writ of hdbeds corpus
having played out Judge Brooks de-
tcrmin,d TO play a hand and ordered
Kirk to bring his prioncrs before him.
IL was after this order and whic
Kirl, was on his way that he tortured
his prisoners with manaclcs and the
| dungeons, giving them such water as
he knew they would not drink. When
we arrived at Salisbury, after an i'm.
prisonment on the part Of some FIVE
weeks, Judge Brooks broke the chains
with which Pearson had bound the
people hand and foot. Never before
was a people and State so inhuman-
lv outraged never before was thero