Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-07-18
MlscEnNa:
KEMPER COUNTY.
Results of a Government Inves-
cation,
r,rresnoudepce New yo,k Times


cation.
correspondence New York Times
WAsuINGToN. ID. c.. July 6.--The
report of the investigation directed
to be made by the Government in
the murder of The Scotchman, Angus
Mcclellan, who, it will be recollected,
was killed in kemper county, Miss
issippi, at the time of the Chisholm
massacre, has been presented to the
Attorney General, and will be refer
red to the Department of State
This investigation was directed in
consequence Of request made by the
British Minister for the facts connect
ed with the murder of Mcclellan, it
being understood that he was Brit
ish subject. While the investigation
was chiefly directed to an inquiry in
to the killing of Mcclellan, testimony
was elected at the same time which
brings out all the facts in relation to
the murder of Gilmer and the CHS
holm family. The evidence confirms
all the facts thus far published in con-
nection with the tragedy, and at the
time developes some new facts, which
show that the murder OF Judge
Chisholm was the result of deliber-
ately-planned conspiracy, and that il
was intended to kill the other parties
arrested with him upon that fatal
Sunday morning at the same time.
1t has been given out that these
murders i'll Kcmper county were the
result of an cbulition of popular
feeling, and that they were pcrpcirat-
ell by a mob embracing nearly all
the citizens of the town of Dckalb,
and. in consequence of this belief, the
citizens of that place have been uni
vcrsally condemned by public scnti-
ment. This, hewever. seems to be a
mistake. The-killing was not the re-
suit of any sudden outburst of popu-
lar passion or Frenzy, but was de-
libcrately-planned and cold-bloodcd
murder, the purpose of those perpe.
trating the crime being to remove the
victims of their conspiracy in order
that they might not be witnesses
against them for otlenscs for which
they were indicted in the State and
Federal courts. The parties directly
concerned in the killing, and those
who aided and allotted them. and
who constituted all the actors in the
terrible tragedy, did not number ovel
fifty persons. OF this number TWEEN.
ty-one were indicted for offense;
against the election laws committed
in November last, and OF these TWEEN
ty-one six were members of the Gul.
ly family. During the Presidential
campaign of last fall 3 number of out
RACES were committed upon reEubli
cans, black aud white, in kempcl
county, and for these oiienses twenty
one persons were indicted as stated
above. Indictments were fount
against them in the State courts, anf
also in the Federal courts. The trials
in the State courts were to have beer
held prior to the massacre, but thu
indictments were all stolen from the
| Clerks Office, and in consequence,
they could not take place. Tho trial
in the Federal courts were to TAX,
place in May last, and the witnesses
against the parties to be tried wer,
Judge Chisholm, Rosenbaum. tn,
Hopper brothers and Gilmer. AL
those indicted were democrats, and
the witnesses named were republic
ans. 1t was TO prevent those trial
that the conspiracy was Matched, it
deliberate purpose being to kill al
the parties named above as witnesses
and the assassination of John w
Gully, on the Goth of April, was use,
as preteXt for the action of the con
spirators against Chisholm and hi
friends.
| One of the main points Of The in
vestigation was for the purpose o
establishing the nationality Of Me
Lellan, and to ascertain whether h
was a subject Of Great Britain. On
this point the testimony shows tina
Mcclellan was born in Scotland il
! 1917, and in 1S4S arrived in Maine
where he stayed about year II
1919 he went to Alabama, settling il
Mobile. In 1865 or 1856 he went t,
kemper county, Miss. In the latte
part of 1861 the Governor of Missis
sippi called into the field for sixt,
days body of militia. These wer,
known as State troops. were all vol
unteers, and were sent to Bowlin!
) Green. Ky. Mcclellan Joined thi
. force, which was not engaged in nc
tual hostilities, no occasion for activ
service arising during their shor
term. After the expiration of tn,
sixty days enlistment Mcclellan re
turned TO Dekaib, and during tht
rest of the war appears to have beer
engaged rs a workman in the Con.
feierate Ordnance Department al
| Mount Vernon, Warrington and Mo
bile. 1t cannot be definitely ascer.
tanned whether he enlisted in the
Confederate service or whether ht
was simply hired cmploye. From
all the facts that can be gathered
however, itappears that he was sim
ply an employc. While working al
Mobile the workmen were frequent.
ly call out to perform temporary mil.
itarv duty. On these occasions Me-
Lellan invariably refused to perform
any kind of military duty. claiming
that he was British subject, and as
such exempt from such duty. lie APP
piled to the British Consul at Mobile
for protection, and informed him OF
his enlistment in the sixty-days troop;
of Mississippi. The Consul, howev
er, refused to extend him protection
alleging that by his act of enlistment
he had forfeited his right to thu
protection of the British Crown
In speaking of this action of IN,
Consul, Mcclellan always charged
that his Judgment was biased by rca.
son of his sympathy with the Con
| Il
Mcclellan returned 10 Dekalb and
resided there until he was killed. IL,
always claimed to be q subject OF
Great Britain, and persistently alb
stained from performing any duties
peculiar to American citizenship. III
never had himself registered, never
voted, and never served on jury
4 AS question of fact it is clearly es
tablished that Mcclellan was not {
citizen of the United States, and thai
he never voluntarily renowned his
allegiance to the British Crown. L
is known that he repeatedly urget
another British subject residing il
DeKalb never to surrender his ale
glance to become a citizen of thu
United States, always giving as a rea
son for not seeking citizenship here
that the United States Government
was not able to protect its citizens
Whether Mcclellan forfeited his right
as British subject by reason of hi
connection with tho Confederate mil
itary service is for the British author
tiles to determine. A copy of til,
testimony will no doubt be furnished
\ al n - 2.
| by the State Department. Mcclellan
was bachelor, and the legal success
sion to his property will require ,
decision upon his citizenship.
1.-THE CONFLICT OF AGES,
Men differ on nearly every Issue
There have always been opposite par
ties in politics and religion, though
the measures fought over one day ma,
be universally adopted at another, an,