The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-09-29
The Ku.KIux Sentences.

On Friday last those prisoners who
had been convicted in the United State;
Circuit Court at Raleigh, were brought
before the Court. An appeal was ad
dressed to the Court on their behalf by
their couusel-who made no objection
to their conviction, as the Court was
lett to form its judgment entirely to the
evidence for the prosecution. But it
had appeared in the evidence that the
order to which they had belonged was
broken up; most of the prisoners were
very young; several Of them were not
present when Mr.. Justice was visited,
&c. Which facts were good grounds
for clenency in the sentences to be
passed upon them.
Judge Brooks, in reply, gave the
opinion of the Court to the effect that
the offenses OF the prisoners called for
rigid and severe punishment, and this
the Court proceeded at once to allot to
them. They were then called sep
arately in the following order and
sentenced
R. A. Shotwell: Judge Bond asked
the prisoner what he had TO say in nit
igation of punishment. The prisoner
said the testimony against him was in
many cases very false-in some ridcu.
lousiy false. That was all he desired
to say. Judge Bond said the Court re-
garded the prisoner as the most guilty
party, as he was leader in the organi-
zation, and as he was neighbor Of
Justice, whose only ofense was diff
ference in political opinion. There
could be no mitigation in the case. The
sentence OF the Court was that the pri-
soner be imprisoned with hard labor for
sir years and fined fvs thousand dollars.
Amos Owen was the next called up.
Mr.. Strong appealed for leniency on the
ground that the prisoner had wife and
seven or eight children, most of whom
were females His position IN society
and the low order OF his intelligence,
showed that he took no leading or con-
trolling part in the matter. The pris.
oner stated to the Court that as he un-
derstood the matter he ought not to be
punished, and would not have justice il
punished. The Court sentenced the
prisoner to six years hard labor and a
fine of five thousand dollars.
A. Depriest: In his case Mr.. Fuller
drew attention to the fact that he was a
mere boy and did not go on the raid.
Could read and write; was not twenty
wears old. Sentence: Two years hard
labor and five hundred dollars fine.
George Holland: Twenty.three years
old a farmer, and had wife and fam
il,; could read and write. Judge
Bond, as it did not appear the prisoner
had been actually engaged in the raid,
sentenced him to t,oo years hard labor
and $500 fine.
J. w. McIntire; Twentyone years
old can read and write little; not
married. Sentence, two years hard
labor and $500 fine.
William Teal Married, with two
children; can read and write little; a
farmer; twenty-five years old; never
saw Justice the night Of the raid, and
did nothing; went with the crowd;
they did not say what they were going
to do. Sentence, three years hard Ia
Dor and $500 fine.
David Collins stated that he knew
he was not guilty as charged; was not
at Rutheriordton at the time OF the
raid; was at home, in Spartanburg, S.
c.: was not in the den when the mat
ter was spoken of. In lending his gun
and mule he did not know what pur-
poses they were to he put to. Judge
Bond said that the den in South Carroll
na to which prisoners belonged, had
raided every decent man out OF the
town, and was terror to the people.
Sentence, four years hard labor and
$500 fine.
VIM. Scruggs did not feel like he was
much guilty; lived in South Carolina
was forty-seven years old; was married
a farmer; what he did was done
through ignorance. Sentence-Three
wears hard labor and $500 fine.
Spencer X. Moore was on the raid,
but did not know what was to be done
twenty-five years old; can read little
a farmer. Sentence-Six months i'm
prisonment. So.
D.B. Fortune went only within a
quarter OF mile OF the town on night
of raid, and did not know what was to
be done; never was sworn into the
order; twenty-One years old; farmer;
read and write toIerably. Sentence
Six months imprisonment