The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-08-17

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penitentiary near Albany, N. Y, which
is County, not State prison, aud
supports itself by the labor OF the prison
ers. In behalf of some OF these prison.
ers. as stated some days ago, Hon.
Gerritt Smith has advised pardon, it
having been established to his satisfao-
ton chat they are innocent of the
charges against them. The President
has taken the matter in consideration,
and has sent q special mesuenger, Col.
| Whitley, chief OF the secret service to
make thorough Investigation as to all
OF the prisoners. and upon the report of
this officer, it is stated, he will base his
action. Hezekiah Porter, one of the
unfortunates recommended for parton
| by Mr.. Smith, it seems, is now past tue
need OF Executive clemency, having died
on Friday.
An interviewer of the World follows
Gerritt Smith in his exploration Of the
secrets OF these prisoners, and he con-
| firms the experience of Gerritt Smith
that many of these so.called Ku Kluxes
are guiltless of the crimes charged
against them, and have been sent there
solely on account of their politics. When
the secret union negro leagues of the
South were first organized under North.
ern political agents, Southern men in
some OF the States, naturally enough,
went into the opposite direction of orga-
nizing Ku Klux leagues. with like signs,
! oaths, &o. but there are prisoners in this
bastile who were not even in the Ku
Klux leagues.
Samuel Ct. Brown, Of York County, 8.
G., was one Of the persons interviewed,
and to him said:
"Tell me your case, how you came to
be here, and what you have to complain
or"
''The greatest hardship OF which I
complain is being arrested for being
Ku Klux, when T never belonged to the
order at all. My family are left in
very destitute condition"
"Whas family have you?"
II have a wife, three daughters and
two sons. My wife and daughters have
no one to look after them; and there is
my stock and farm all left to ruin with
out attendance.
"When we're you arrested?"
81 was arrested on the 10Th Of Octo-
ber, 1871, and by the advice of my coun-
sci l pleaded guilty, which was very
foolish thing to do. although gentle
man hero yesterday-Col. Whitely-told
me that he did not believe me when
said was innocent, yet such is the fact.
It was on the 26th of December, 1871,
that my counsel pleaded guilty for me,
and am sentenced to five years."
"Did you have noN connection with the
klan?" y,
"I knew OF ths ordeA and attended
one meeting of the klaR, and that was
the hold they bad on m& aud that was
the reason plad guilty.%
"For what purpose did, you attend
that meeting-did you intend to join
the klan2"
"No. not at oil. had double pur.
pose in going there; wan{Fd to save
the life of a young man who had, in a
drunken frolic, let out some VT the &c.
creta of the order, and also to induce my
son to resign his position IS chief of the
klan."
''Did you succeed?"
II did in both objects; myi son re-
iisnsd' iiisas aud I saved the young mans
THAT was all the connection you had
with the klan?"
"That was all. I never belonged to
it; never approved of it. I had two
sons, both members of it, but I never
was."
"Were your sons arrested?"
mo; they got off; they left the State. Z"
Where ere they now?"
II don't know where they are now.
! think they have left the United States.
Since have been imprisoned my family
have written to me that they had heard
from them on the 18th of May last, but
they did not say where they were"
The New York Express, commenting
upon the subject, says: 'That some Of
these sixty-tive prisoners were really
guilty, We have no doubt, bnt their
crimes are political crimes, and now that
the Ku Klux are all suppressed, ought
leniently to be looked upon. But while
this is admitted, it must not be forgot
ten that the most of these Ku Klux cries
were got up for political effect North
and West, anil to strike terror among
the white population Of the South"
The Weldon IN. o. Ne,os has an edi-
torlal on the frauds in Halifax County,
from which we take the following: In
Halifax township, the registration books
OF 1868 and 1870 were copied in full,
without any revision, and voting carried
on accordingly. There are some l, 400
names registered and $50 votes cast The
Office where registration was carried on