The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-31
ALAS, FUR Mr.. RISLEYI

Mr.. John +. Risley, brother-in-law to
Senator Voorhees,, and minister to Den.
mark, has fatty denied that he was
member of the reasonable organization
known as Sons of Liberty, or that he
was Entrusted with $1,000 to purchase
arms for them. Quite number of per-
sons in Terre Haute and Vigo county,
where Risley lived during the war. who
were themselves members of the order,
and who had personal knowledge of the
facts, have etated that there is no doubt
about the money part of the transaction.
As to Risleys connection with the
Sons Of Liberty, there is contemporary
yond doubt. On page so of the report
of the celebrated treason trials" held
in this city in 1884, appears the testi-
mony of William NJ. Harrison, from
which the following is an extract:
QuestiOn-Have you had any other em.
ploy tor W hich You received pay aud 9QEA-
pensatione Answer-I was employed as
grand secrstary of the Grand Council OF
the Sons of Liberty, in the State of lndi-
ana, at Q salary of $500 per snnum. be-
Game q member of the Grand Council on or
about the eth of August. 1868. and became
grand secretary of the Grand Council on or
about the 10th of September. 1863. "a
Q.-When and where did You first have
any know ledge of the Order of American
knights. or Order of the Sons of Liberty.
or Knights of the Golden Clrclef A.-Tbe
first knowledge l ever had of the Order OF
American knights was at Terre Haute, on
or about the 9th of August. 1903: I re-
ceived letter from II. II. Dedd, at Terre
Haute. requesting me TO 90 there; when
there was invited to attend a meeting
that night attended the meeting; there
were but twelve or fifteen present.
Q.-Whom did you meet theref A.
Among those recoilect were +. G. Wright
and person by the name of ID. X. Eckles.
John +. Risley, Callum Bayley and John
u. Davis Most of them were strangers to
me.
Q.-What was done at that meetingf A
MIR. Wright appeared TO have charge OF the
meeting. He stated that it was called for
the purpose OF organizing secret society.
He proceeded to initiate members and after
State of Indiana. Those who were In.
itiated were initiated In the three degrees
at tho same time.
Q.-Were you initiated in the three de-
grees ut that timeY Al was
Q.-Wbo were elected officerss A.-D. X.
Eckles was elected temporary grand CON-
mander Ii. III. Dodd temporary deputy
grand commander, John L. Risley tempo
rary grand secretary. and | was elected
temporary assistant secretary.
Mr.. Harrisons testimony was pub
lished in full in the Journal Of Oct. 80,
1864, and following days, and occupied
more than ten columns of a folio paper
which were much longer than the pres
ent columns of the journal. A rigid
ross-examination failed to shake his
testimony in any respect. This testi-
mOny, given year after the organiza-
ton of the Sons of Liberty, by the grand
secretary of the Grand Council, is far
more valuable than any PERSONS recol-
lections thirty years later. The meeting
at which Harrison was initiated and
where he says he met Rislcy, was held
i'm Terre Haute. on or about Aug. 81.
1868. AT this meeting Risley was elected
temporary grand secretary and Harrison
temporary assistant secretary. The
next meeting was held in this city on
Sept. 10. 1868. AT this meeting perma-
ncnt organization was effected, and Har-
rison was elected grand secretary, the
office of assistant grand secretary being
dropped. Of course, Risley could not
have been elected temporary grand
secretary without being mem Der of the
order.
This puts quietus on Mr.. Risley's
denial that he was q member of the
Sons of Liberty, and his letter to the
grand commander, II. II. Dodd. written
from New York in August, 1864, and
printed in the Journal yesterday. proves
that he continued to sympathize with
the order after he had left the State.