The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-26
SOME UNWRlTTEN HISTORY.
The Pardon Of Two Brutal Murderers by
Mr.. Hendricks While Governor,
Possibly Because They We're Rebel Guerrillas
and Killed Union officer in the
Discharge Of His Duty.

life has been fttingly illustrated grave
yard from which the ghost Of some evil In
fuence or deed is ever arising to confront him
There are not many who have any recollection
of the war days that have forgotten the evil in
Huenee that he tried to exert in Indiana. It is
not likely that the man whose sympathes, in
those days, were wholly with the people who
were trying to destroy the government will be
remembered without there arising a recollection
Of the odious record which he then
made. There are many who have
not forgotten his appeal to the Democracy of In
diana to 'hurl the tyrant Lincoln from political
existence" and how he fought Oliver P. Morton,
the war Governor With the record of having
been a copperhead during the war, and the enemy
Of Oliver p. Morton, the friend Of the soldiers it
Is significant that when he became Governor IN
1872, one Of his first official acts was to pardon
two Kentucky ex-confederate guerrillas who, at
an enormous expense to the State, had been con-
victed of having come over to Indiana and
murdered man who had been lieutenant in
the federal army
The atrocity of the murder made the case one
Of more than State celebrity, and the history Of
It is well remembered by many, but in recalling
the circumstances Of the pardon the particulars
Of the crime are Of interest
AN ATRocIoUs CRIME.
In the winter of 1865 Lieutenant Hampton was
sent out with detachment of troops to capture
some of the confederate guerrillas who were ter
rifying the people living in the border counties.
Among those who were taken into custody were
Thomas Carlisle, a Kentuckian, captured in
southern Illinois Carlisle attempted to escape
from the soldiers and was shot down. He be-
longed to vicious family, several members OF
which were guerrillas, After he had been dis
charged from service at the close of the war,
Lieutenant Hampton returned to his home in
Hopkins county, Kentucky, where the Carlisles
lived, but he found that his life was in danger.
With his wife and three small children he
moved over into Indiana, settling near
Rockport, in Spencer county, within
short distance Of the Ohio river. It
was not long afterward until he was taken from
and, with his wife and children clinging to him
and begging piteously that his life might be
saved, he was dragged down to the river He
was placed in skiff and taken over to the Ken
lucky side, where he was riddled with bullets,
and his body was thrown into the river Al
though there was no doubt as to who the muir
derers were, the feeling againt federal soldiers
and the fear of the Carlisles was such that one
could be found in that section of Kentucky
whore they lived who would dare
TO furnish any evidence against them.
Oliver p Morton was then Governor
Of Indiana and having determined to bring the
own responsibility employed detectives who
were sent into Kentucky to work up the case,
Evidence was obtained fastening the guilt of the
crime upon the CarliSles,
THE CAPTURE AND TRIAL.
requisition for their arrest was procured,
but the officers in Kentucky refused to take
them into custody. Governor Morton chartered
propeller which, with twenty men
under the provost-marshal, was sent from the
Ohio up Green river to point within ten miles
of where the Carsles lived. rapid march
was made into the country and John M. Carlisle,
the father and Cyrus a brother of the guerrilla
who had been killed by lieutenant Hampton's
men, were captured while at church. They
were brought to Indiana and were indicted for
murder Extraordinary efforts were made by
the State to secure efficient prosecution. In
communication to the General Assembly of 1867,
calling attention to the case and recommendin g
an appropriation for the prosecution of the MUIR
derers, Governor Morton said:
1.-THE atrocious character of the murder and
the necessity for preserving peace and friendly
intercourse between the citizens of Kentucky
and Indiana by the pursuit, conviction and pun
ishment of those who may be engaged in murder
Gus commissions, induced me to make unusual
exertlon to arrest and bring to punishment
men have been arrested, who are
now in prison awaiting their trial
for this crime; but as to their guilt or in
nocence, of course, express no opinion. have
resent the State, who will see that they have u
fair and impartial trial under the law, but will
endeavor to bring them to punishment if guilty.
Considerable expense has already been
incurred, and more will be required. for
which an appropriation will be necessary
The Legislature made an appropriation for the
expense of prosecuting the case and the Carlisles
were given support in their defense from Ken
lucky. On q change of venue they took the case
TO the Posey Circuit Court, but they were con-
victed and on the Sd day Of June, 1867 were
sentenced to imprisonment for life. The case
was carried to the Supreme Court of the United
States, after having passed through the Indiana
Supreme Court, upon an appeal to test the
constiutonality of the trial. The decisions of
the lower courts were, however, sustained and
the Carlisles were compelled to go to prison The
punishment was generally regarded as but just.
When the Hon. Conrad Baker became Gov
ernor the friends Of the Carisles made strong
effort to obtain their pardon, but it refused
for the reason that the prisoners had been given
just sentence for having committed most
Rtrocious murder
PARDoNED BY MR.. HENDRICKS
When Mr.. Hendricks was elected Governor by
the Democrats, in 1872, the petition for the par
don Of the Carlsles was renewed, and it was
granted, in defiance of the efforts of Oliver P.
Morton and the Legislatureof the State to bring
them to just punishment for the assassination
Of federal lieutenant. The work which was
lone by Oliver F. Morton, the soldiers friend
and the war Governor Of Indiana for
the sake of justice was undone BY
Thomas A. Hendricks, the Indiana copperhead
md pro-slavery advocate. Why Mr.. Hendricks
rave to the murderers of Lieutenant Hampton
She pardon which Governor Baker refused is
question to which there is no more plausible
answer than that it was because his sympathies
we're with them. The significance is that in 1872
bis sympathies were going out in the same di-
.ection they were in 1860
Local Political Notes.
George W. Julian and John W. Kern, the
candidate for Reporter Of the Supreme Court,
will address the Democratic meeting which is
b he held at Enplish's on Thursday ni0ht