Wilmington journal., 1874-04-24
Treatment of Citizens of North
Carolina by Federal OFFICERS Let.
ter from Captain R. A ShotweD.
INc
In JAIL AT MARION, !
August 26. 1871. /

ter from Captain R. A ShOtweII
In JAIL AT MARION,
August 26, 1871.
Ny Esteemed Friend: Your are
aware, l suppose, that we were brought
hither in irons, like convicted felons
though we have not vet been so niue.
as examined before the Commissioner
The sole motive for this cowardlv
maltreatment is the malice of such
men as Nathan Scoggins, and his
equally Infamous brothers, w. b. Viii
son, j. b. Carpenter, Elias Albright,
the Bradleys, Hodges, Jollys, and the
mongrels of like character, against all
men of intelligence and respectable
ity. However, while the fellows [
have named were the actual perpetra-
tors of the outrage, there can be no
doubt that they were instructed, if not
positively ordered, to handcuff us by
Judge Logan, and his brother-in-law,
Ceburn l.. Harris, of Raleigh, who
seemed to find particular qualification
in witnessing the spectacle.
Since our arrival here, we have been
packed in a small and filthy cage.
wherein there is not room enough for
all to lie down at night, and our suf-
ferings from heat, lack of exercise,
lack of air, and the foul stencil of the
place, are indescribable. Fortunately
we arc no longer guarded by mongrels,
the latter having given place to the
military Judge Brooks bodyguard
'"Thereby hangs a tale,' which [ will
repeat for your benefit.
1t appears that at Salisbury, last
week, Capt. r. E. Wilson, a crippled
Confederate, called on Staarbuck (doel
it should be- the Solicitor of the Fed
eral court, to demand satisfaction"
for certain personal grievance. The
Solicitor sought suspension of such
sanguinary suggestions. Next day,
when about to leave the city, Starbuck
was chastised by the crippled Confed-
crate. Judge Brooks came to the res
cue with an I'M junction to stay pro-
ceedings whereupon Mr.. Bull
Mitchell, friend OF Wilson, entered
a ''rejoinder" or "rebutter," caused
his honor to perceive that, clubs be-
ing trumps, he did not hold a coed
hand moreover, that eyeglasses are
inconvenient in a free fight, and that,
while mudhole is soft spot for re-
pose, the necessary posture is some
what aggravating and undignifed :;
and, on the whole, that he had been
rather soft himself to meddle with
what did not concern outsiders.
But the Judge had the advantage Of
his opponents for as soon as he could
clear his eyes and mouth, he ordered
them to be arrested on the charge OF
violation of the ku-klux bill, contempt
of court, obstruction of the officers of
the law. ETC.; and dispatches were at
ai hn ~,
ing a ku-klux assault on a Judge of the
Federal Court in open day.
Thus the Yankee heart is fred to
increased bitterness against the South,
and the way is paved to punish us mis-
erabie captives. with scarcely even the
form of trial. Meanwhile Brooks
called for a company Of soldiers to
protect him at Marion Court . One
might smile at the absurdi,v of these
proceedings, If it were not plain that
they are sure to result in more spolia-
ton and humiliation of our people.
Yesterday, Col. B. S. G.litler pre-
sented to Judge Brooks petition for
ho5eas corpus, stating that We had
been arrested without warrant. held
for two months i'll ignomin;ou5 con-
tinement, without knowledge OF our
and that our known character was
such as made such treatment scan.la-
lous and unprecedented Brooks re-
fused to hear the case, but instructed
the Marshal to admit rs to bail in the
sum of 5000 each This tardy grant
ing of right which should have been
ours from the day of our arrest, en-
ragged me so much that / refused to
accept it. 1t was mockery to hold
men in close custody for nine weeks,
or until near the period of trial, and
then, after they had been dragged
away from their friends into a strange
community, extend to them the priv
lege of giving an enormous bond for a
few days freedom.
I to-day had an interview with S. I.
Carrow, United States Marshal for
North Carolina. / had sent for him
several times, but he refused to come
until tod by the Yankee officers that
he ought to see what 1 wished of him.
He brought large crowd Of scallawags
who thronged around the cage, cutting
off every Whit of fresh air, and nearly
suffocating the eight of us inside.
Carrow asked me what T wanted
''Sir, your eyes must tell you," said I,
"and your nose, too, for that matter
here are eight grown men, cramped in
a space INSULT cient for half the num-
ber we lack room, we lack food, we
lack air, water, and light, and our
sufferings are uncomfortable" .Despe-
rate diseases require desperate rene
dies" said he, winking at his
satellites. "You have had things
all your own way in Ruther-
ford, and done as you pleased,
and now you see how it is yourself. y
He then ordered the jailer to unlock
the cage, and coming within, began
disgusting TRADE against us and the
Conservative party generally, boasting
greatly of his power, and dec airing
that though we should fly to the ice of
Canada or the chapperalI of Texas,
his arm would reach US and bring us
to punishment. l interrupted him to
say that he was assuming that we
were guilty, which he had no right to
do, unless we should be found SO by
the court. He continued speaking
(the same political speech he had made
on the stump on Wednesday, for
some time, to the great delight of the
mongrels. / should have answered
him Indignantly had | not supposed
that after he had inflicted his speech
on us, he would ameliorate our suffer
ing by giving what we asked. Alas
our hopes were vain. The fat scoun-
drel, after having subjected us to the
indignity of personal search, ostensi-
bly, to ascertain if we had concealed
weapons, but in reality merely to hu-
miliate us, returned to his quarters
without ordering the least change in
our treatment.
One important fact I learned frcm
his visit; when asked why we were
not carried on to Raleigh, he replied,
1.-The c0pids for your arrest has not
comet is among my papers at
Raleigh-mislaid somehow, but I have
dispatched special messenger for it.
Thus, my dear Wide, you will OBJ
serve that, though the law says no man
shall be arrested without warrant,
have been held for several months,
confined in cage with murderers and
negroes, and dragged about the
in irons, while all this time,
as the Chief Marshal of the State ad-
mits, the authority for my arrest has