The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-20
ROMANCE IN A PETITION.
Colonel Ryan's Imprisonment by the
Government

Government.
From the Boston Globe
WASHINGTON, July 15-It is hardly
probable that one would search the ava
lanche of bills, petitions aud similar docu-
ments that are intoduced in the House on
Monday of each week for informal ion of a
dramatic or sensational nature, and yet a
petition intoduced by Mr. LAWYER of Iii
inois embodies within its closely written
pages all the clements of romance of the
most sensational school of fiction. The
petitioner in this case Is Col John
George Ryan, Chicago man and brother
of Con. Ryan, one of the illfated band
of Cuban insurgents who were shot by
order Of the Spanish government in Hav-
ana away back in the early seventies. Col.
Ryan served during the late war in the
confederate army. While on parole OF
honor in the city of Memphis he was ar
rested July %, 1868, and thrown into pris IN.
No reason was given for his arrest nor was
he allowed to communicate with his friends
Several days later he was taken north via
Cairo, Cincinnati and Harrisburg and in
carceratsd in the old capitol prison at
Washington. While passing through Har-
risburg he learned from the columns of the
EUening Telegraph the cause of his arrest
He was boived to be John H. Surratt, one
of the alleged assassins of President Lincoln,
whom he greatly resembled As an evil
dence of the cruelty with which he was
treated Mr.. Ryan quotes as follows from
the Ielegrdph's story:
"The prisoner was heavily ironed. Be
sides the manacles on his hands and feet,
there were attached TO his ankles two
heavy IRON balls of weight sufficient to
render the assistance of two men neces-
sary to carry them while the prisoner
walked
To add to hisdiScomfort, bowling mobs of
Infatuated citizens filled the station, and
were only restrained from lynching him by
the efforts of the guards. A similar re-
ception awaited him, it appears at numer-
Gus other points en- route. While the pris-
oner was at tina old capitol Jail he managed
TO have note conveyed to Sir Frederick
Bruce, the British minister at that place,
asking the good offices of that gentleman IN
making his situation known to President
johnson and his friends in tile south. His
refusal to explain his method Of conveying
this note to Sir Frederick caused him to be
placed in solitary confinement in . narrow
dungeon, known in prison parance as the
sweat box" In this fearful hole, at the
very hight Of tho heated term in Washing
ton, he remained several days an unwilling
victim to rats and vermiu. which nearly ate
him alive. While an inmate of the sweat
pOA al luillaUo vi Il cell HllecuIy overhead
was fired upon by the guard stationed out
side the jail and instantly killed. few
minutes lator Col. Ryan was transferred to
! the cell occupied by the man who had bcen
murdered, and whose blood WAS stil fresh
upon the floors and wall. lie was subSe-
| quently told that that shot had been in
! tended Tor him, the guard thinking in this
| way T. save the government the cost of
! prosecution. After suffering what he de
scribos rs untold horrors, Col. Ryan sue
/ ceeded in the following November in effect
! ing ms release lie now asks congress to
reimburse him for the loss of his health due
! TO the prison confinement and crueties
neeilessly inflicted upon BIN, in the sum
| Of 500 900