The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-05-14
MARION COUNTY
The Leaders Silly Talk About that
,av indictment.
Its Shameful Attempt to BulIdoze
the Courts.
Editors Register:

18th ult. homily from Gen. Kelly, OF
"Hen. roost" fame, IN which he makes a
sortie and threatens to take gang OF
blue boys and come down to Marion
county and clean out the "Copperheads"
who dare assail his soldiers who killed
Joe Ice during the late war.
Also, in the same paper OF the 9th
inst, an editorial lat least suppose 1t is,
as no credit IS given TO any other person
or paper An article headed "Grey VS..
Blue" with such headlines as "War to
the Knife" Union Soldiers Aroused"
Packed Grand Juries," etc.
Well, as to Gen. K, we have only to
saw that if he again wants to try the
game his masters Grant il Go. inaugu
rated, and for time operated so sue
cessfnlly in this State, but which finally
met with such disastrous defeat, we will
welcome him and try TO make it inter
estlng to all parties concerned, and if be
thinks he can override evil law by bay
onets, as he did in 1923 4,
he may find himself sadly
mistaken, The Leader ssssils the action
of the late grand jury as being sctuated
by personal malice. In short, that such
men rs u n. Arnett and the men COM
posing that body would and did perjure
themselves to crafty political spite.
l sm personally and Intimately &C
qusinted with U. n Arnett, the fore
man of the late grand jury, and with U,
N. Arnett, Jr. the present prosecuting
attorney for this county, and know both
gentlemen to be above reprosch among
men OF either political party, either as
politicians or private citizens.
| think the editor of the Leader knows
nothing of the circumstances connected
with the murder of Mr.. Ice, nor has
even proper conception OF the con-
dition of society in this county at
that time, and for his personal benefit
l propose to try to describe it.
When the war broke out there were
two, may say three opinions in this
county, some were abolition to the hub,
others Rebel and again others temperate,
deploring the action of fanatics on either
side The line being drawn SO that We
were thrown north gave the abolition
element the chance to crow over every
thing that was not to their mind and n
man then must declare himself an sbol-
itionist or be denounced as Rebel and
thenceforth carry his lite IN his hands.
Low-lited, despicsble scoundrels who did
not from any principle exc pit tina. OF
personal gain enlist, Joined the Union
army and under cover and color OF the
blue, mdrawded, p,tLaged and murdered.
h.n la UA.
brutally murdered for some personal
spite, which Was none the less murder be-
cause the men that did the damnable deed
had on blue or gray blouse The grand
jury spoken OF would have found an in
dictment against an exConiederate on
similar evidence as freely as they did
against an ex-Union soldier, and the
insinua:ion of packed grand jury" Is
by the hoRest men of both parties de-
n -unced rs ia Sc and maiciously absurd.
The most damnable OF the evidence
that will be sdduced in the trial OF the
man Thompson is his own confessions
AMI admissions. A few minutes after the
deed was done he met a man and told
him he had shot gray squirrel" DOWN
the pike, and he had better go AMI pick
it up. Some time after, in The presence
OF several persons in the town of Man.
n rgton, he threw himself on the ground,
and rolling and kicking like man in
his death, saying "this is the way that
id s-n Of q b-h Ice kicked when |
shot him, Cd d-n him" Again, he
told An old and respected gentleman, 81
did xii Jim Ice, and don't care d-n
who knows it, and l am sorry did not
get to kill two or three hundred more
Cd id rebels in Marion county be.
fore the war closed This can all be
proven by the best citizens of Marion
county.
1t is not the Intention Of this county
TO prosecute the adherents OF any politi-
cal party, but criminals OF either party
may expect to receive just punishment.
In bellum days and until few years
since the citizens OF West Virginia who
would vote anything but the Radical
ticket, were dis!ranchised at the option of
q set of men called Boards OF Registra-
ton, and the enunciatron of foreign
born official sitting upon the sutfrages
o: the Taxpayers and supporters OF tie
country that my decision is final" was
q royal edics that was, if necessary, back
81 by the necessary bsyonet; and, IN
, more than one instance, when that an
gus body were asked a reason tor strk-
ing off some voter they were Obliged to
confess, well, MIR -, we know
nothing against your loyalty, but we
have orders 10 strike of so many votes
in order to ensure majority for our
ticket Such men as U. n. Arnett,
ssnior and Junior, and the men compos-
ing the late Grand Jury threw them
s,lves into the breach, ard with energy
and courage equalling that of Leonidas
and his dauntless three hundred, rescued
their countrymen and themselves from
this bondage more calling than the
slavery OF the black OF the South, about
which the RAIDS made such furore.
Thank G. d q West Virginisn is once
more a freeman, and Gen h aud his
satellites cannot, as they once did, rule
courts and juries by the bayonet.
The honest men If this county, ire
spective of party or party affiliations,
agree that If Thompson shot Ice without
him from the just punishment tor his
CRIME. That man csn be running and
from fifteen to twenty yards away, as
they assert, and his shirt and flesh be
powdered, is absu q, as upon actual trial,
q musket will burn not more than SIX to
eight feet away.
The soldiers "reunon" set for the 10th,
at Fairmont, will no doub. be a gratid-
cation to many who may there meet old
comrades and discuss old times, but tina,
any sensible man will meet there for the
purpose of interrupting or interfering
with the cause of justice or civil law, is
preposterous. The true soldier of the
rebellion has merged INTO the honest,
law abiding private citizen of to-day,
and the idea that civil law is subordinate
to military dictstion has with the sd-
miuistrstion OF Gen. h. and his likes
died. except in the hearts of those VITO
fear the results of the actions OF justice
as to their own evil deeds. The people
OF old Marion will prosecute murderer
whether the deed was done in citizens.
- 4 L.