The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-09-07
Thnt 300.

~ 49, o
of taking $500 from the executed de-
serter. Proposing to be fair in the
matter, We willingly give space to
their statements, leaving the un-
prejudiccd and intelligent reader to
decide whether they have made out
case satisfactory to his mind.
On the Hayes side we have simply
the statement of the Governor and
that of Gen. Comfy, while on the
other we have the statement of Mr..
Harper, which he is willing to make
oath to at any time, and which he
proposed to do at Columbus. lie is
sustained and cOrroborated by Col.
w. r. Brown, who commanded the
Thirteenth West Virginia Volun-
teers, and by Capt. VIM. NJ. Hovey
also an officer in the Thirteenth Reg
iment, and by David T. Howe, of
Morrow, Ohio, who acted as Orderly
Sergeant during the trial of the de-
serter, and who was member Of the
Twenty-Third Ohio. Mr., Howe in
dispatch to the Enquirer of the 9lst
of August, says: "Being an officer at
the dcscrtcr's trial l had an opportu-
nifty to see and hear considerable
Was present when the desertcr han
ded over the s400 to the Chaplain,
and heard the instructions given to
get the money and watches to his
mother; and knew of the property
passing into the hands of Hayes. y
OF its further history, Mr.. Howe, like
Mr.. Harperdoes notknow what Hayes
did with it,
Capt, W.M. Hovcy, of Cabell C.
H., this State, while in Columbus,
on the 31st ult., was interviewed on
thissubject, and we find the following
in the Cincinnati papers of 31st ult.;
"Capt. w. NJ. Hovey of Cabell c,
H., West Virginia, and a former Off
Ger of the thirteenth West Virgin
ia Regiment, was in this city to-day.
In private conversation he reiter-
ates all of Chaplain Harpcrs story
about paying $500 to Hayes, and in
sists that there are further facts Of
the case which will yet be brought
to light in substantiation of all that
Chaplain Harper has said"
We sometime ago published the
statement of Col Brown relating to
this affair, which is familiar to our
readers. Since that time, Col. Brown
has written a letter to Mr.. Harper
fully corroborating his statement in
regard to Hayes getting the four hun
bred dollars. The letter is rs follows:
INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS,
August 18th, 1876.
w. W. HARPER,
Hartford City, Vest Va.
DEAR SIR Yours of the 10th inst,
at hand requesting me to state all |
know in regard to the execution of a
deserter belonging to the 23d Ohio,
who was executed on the Monocacy,
Maryland, about the LIST of August,
1864.
Ny recollection of the matter is as
follows: That shortly before the con,
dcmncd man was shot, he requested
to see a Chaplain and you were sent
for. When you returned You showed
me two watches and Il sum of money,
but as to the amount of money | am
not able to state. | remember dis,
tinctly of your saying that the de,
ceased man had a mother somewhere
in Virginia, but was not positive as
to her whereabouts, and if you did
not succeed in finding her that you
were to retain the watches and mo-
ney. | also remember that soon If
ter you were sent for by Gen, Hayes
when on your return YOU told me
that Gen. Hayes had decided that
the money belonged to the govern,
ment, and that you had turned ovcl
money to him,
Respectfully yours,
WIN. K. BROWN.
There are hundreds of soldiers in
this county who know the circum,
stances connected with the trial and
execution Of this dcserter Whelton
and everyone of them will sustain
Mr.. Harper in his statement.
AS to Gen, Comly's statement, it
is hardly worthy of belief, for a man
who had not the nerve to carry into
execution the orders ofhis command.
ing officer, would hardly have the
courage, Conducting as he does the
official organ of the Republican party
of the State of Ohio, the Ohio STATE
Jownai,) to state the truth at this