Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-02
SAVED BY REpR1EvE.
A DRAMATIC SCENE IN CINCINNATI
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Marrow Escape From Execution of Thomas
Martin. ouerriiis--ssntenosd by Mill
tary conarnission. but Saved Al the Lat

=
tary con,mission. but Saved At the Last
Minute.
Thirty years ago II was possible Tint tho
occurrence referred 10 In this connection
could enter tho history OF great city like
Cincinnati under tho circumstances which
ORC detailed hero. But iinuRino such
thing today--a man condemned to death
by muskctry, NIL preparations for the event
fully arranged and nothing lacking but
the accomplishment Of tho sentence and
that interrupted Mt the last moment by tho
Intervention Of q grcnt power. and all, I'M
I'll tho rcproyc, without n word In tho
newspapers Of the city, nil without the
knowledge OF the people,
This AFFAIR had all tho dramatic ele-
monts, with the exception OF love scene
The plncc fixed upon for this killing Of
man was IN old quarry OF East Mount
Auburn, southwest Of tho old schoolhouso
of Southern avenue. Thomas Martin, q
Kentucky guerrilla, was TO have been shot
thoro Mt i;bo o'clock p m, on Friday, the
fifth day OF May, 1906.
According to general order No. 80, from
headquarters OF the northern department,
at Cincinnati, dated April 90, 1865, by
command OF MINOR General Hooker, and
signed by o, II. Hnrt. lieutenant colonel
aud assistant ndjulant general, II Ind been
found that Martin was guerrilla but
that no was innocent OF nearly all tho acts
that had been charged against him during
his career as guerrilla.
This order No BE-, ms printed, showed
that the findings Of the military commits.
sion convened hero September, 1864, with
Captain william q. Rowclle president,
had cleared this young man Of cvorv nccu-
sation that had been brought against him,
save TINT he had been n guerrilla. Ho was
an ignorant young fellow OF tho back
woods, about 81 years OF age simply tool
TO bo used by others. Previous TO tho re-
bellion he had worked ON n farm In Carter
county, whore ho was born, and whore his
father, two brothers md four sisters con-
tinued to reside.
Tho reader will naturally inquire how
It cnnio that, now tho war was over, such
an execution should DO on tho carpet ns
possibility. The sentence OF the commits
sion had been nnased In September, 1854.
IL was that "Thomas Mnrtin should be
shot TO death with muskoiry at such timo
and place as the commanding general may
direct. two-thirds Of tho members Of tho
commission conourring therein" Under
the dnto Of April n5 the commanding gen
eral had approved the proceedings, find
ings and sentence and directed that tho
sentence be duly executed at Cincinnati
between tho hours OF l2 IN. and 9 p. IN.
Friday, May 8, 1865. This wns signed "by
command OF Major General Hooker, o. ii.
Hart, lieutenant colonel and A. A. G."
At nbout 1880 that day n detachment OF
tho Thlrty-scyonth Iowa and Ono Hun
dred and Nincty-sccopd Pennsylvania, I'M
der command Of Captain Booth, post nd
jutant proceeded TO this spot and took up
n position on tho ground mentioned. Do
spite the secrecy with which tho whole
affair had been conducted these strange
preparations woro Of sinister import to
some Of tho many who witnessed them.
Gradually there congrcgated around the
spot crowd Of several hundred from tho
northeastern part Of tho city. At that
period OF Cincinnatps history this location
was very difficult OF access.
At l O'Clock tho escort conducting Mar
tin left the Mclean barracks As tho pris-
oner, supported by Father Gsrresche, en-
tered the close hack thorc wns visible upon
his countenance nm expression OF stupelcn-
ton that concealed tho sharp points OF
fear. A henrse bearing n coffin preceded
the hack, while In front, Mt the sides and
in tho rear marched tho escort with slow
posed Of mon from the same regiments MS
mentioned above, was under command OF
Captain MoLeary. rs the procession took
its way north on Sycamore street tho OBJ
Servers ON tho streets supposed 1t 10 DO
funeral Of ono already dead, to whom mill
itary honors woro being paid Upon the
spot selected tho guard and firing SOUND
wore awaiting the arrival Of the procession
whom, nt about 40, messenger on horse
bnuk dashed up and handed to Captain
Booth u dispatch just received Mt General
Hooker's headquarters from tho president.
ordering tho execution postponed until
further orders.
Captain Booth then dispatched this mes
scngcr to meet tho procession md inform
tho captain commanding Of tho order. Tho
procession was midway up the bill, and
thence II returned To tho barracks, Father
Gnrrasche having the pleasure Of communi-
eating the good nows to the prisoner. Cen
eral Hooker was not In tho city that day.
1t WINS given out ut the department hend-
quarters that the rcpriovo had como In an
sv'or TO q dispatch sont TO the president by
the assistant adlutnnt general, in bis gen
erals absence, at the earnest request OF tho
doomed mans friends and tho positive
representations Of certain legal gentlemen
that thoy could point out such Jaw In
the court martial proceedings MS would on
titlo tho nan TO u new chance for his lifc
Tho execution was indefinitely post
poncd, and Martin may DO living today.
Perhaps II no Is ho may have theory or
positive knowledge Of what It all meant
Certain IL is that Of tho many thousands OF
rough rldors who ovcrran Kentucky, Vir-
glnia and Missouri during the rebellion ms
guorrlllas Thomas Martin seemed one OF
tho most Insignificant and ino1ensivo
specimens that could have been selected
for nm awful example. The war had closed,
md Andrew johnson had succeeded Lin
coin. This case had dragged and perhaps
been lost sight of until there came time
whom something must bo done or tho find
ings completely ignored It may DO that
General Hooker had q complete under
standing with the powers ut Washington
whom no named the time and place for this
execution that II should nOver occur. Al
ready in tho minds OF many Grant was be-
Ing looked upon US n presidential probable
ity, and people generally wero ready TO fol-
low his incllnn,ions. And it was well
known that no wanted no more blood lot
ng.-Cincinnnii Enquirer.
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