The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-19

The case Of the United States vs..
| The Holy Bible, ct al, is a strange
title for case of treason. The case
is one brought in Keokuk in 1866, and
prosecuted in the federal court here.
The Holy Bible named as the chief de-
PENDANT belonged to William s. Wind
er, an attorney of Keokuk, who left
the north in 1861, returned to the
south and entered the service of the
confederate states, getting a commits
sion as captain. In 1868 he chose the
site and laid out the general lines OF
Andersonville prison, for his father,
John H. Winder. An examination of
the papers in this case in the federal
court records here reveals an inter
esting story of what was the most IA
nous prosecution for treason ever be-
gun in >Keokuk or in the state, and as
an oddly, it is doubtful if 1t has an
equal in the United States.
The case is numbered Seventy
five," and was filed on March 3. 1865.
Caleb Baldwin, attorney for the United
States Of America is the prosecutor,
with r. H. Gilmore, as deputy. James
M. Love was the presiding Judge; I.
c. Burns, clerk, and Eric J. Leach,
deputy clerk. Peter Melendy was the
United States marshal and Harry
Fulton the deputy marshal.
Property Seized In 1853
In the libel filed, the U. S. attorney
shows that in consequence of Winder's
becoming an officer in the rebel army,
the president Of the United States has
caused the seizure of all the money,
estate, property, credits and effects OF
the said Winder, and that on informa-
ton given in Keokuk on the first Of
July 1863, the property of Winder was
seized. The property consisted of
hundred or more volumes Of various
works, and the list is headed by "One
holy Bible" hence the title of the suit
for treason.
Among the books seized In Winder's
rooms were Blackstone's Commentar-
les, Chitty on Pleading. Coke on Little
ton, Stark on Evidence, Sanders on
Pleading, Law Dictionary, Greenleaf's
Evidence, Fonblaques Equity, Roscoe's
Crime and Evidence, Iowa Laws,
Memoirs of Franklin, two sets of
Bentons Thirty Years
in the United States Senate, History
of the Great Reformation, Pilgrims
Progress. Map of Ohio and Kentucky,
Life of Washington, Dean Swift, Life
of Cicero, Spectator, Reveries Of
Bachelor, Milton, Buffers Hudebras.
There was seized also. according to
Harry Fulton, deputy U. S. marshal,
who was gifted with a sense of flumor,
zone bedstead.'
UnlawfuIIy Treats Prisoner
oft
the libel further that the offense of
the said Winder "as hereinbefore
charged, hath not in any wise been
pardoned or condoned by the procla- |
nation of the president of the United
States, or otherwise; for he shows that |
the said Winder from and after July
II, 1852 until May 20, 1885, was en- !
gagged in treating otherwise than law
fully as prisoners Of war, persons
found in the United States service as |
officers, soldiers, seamen and in other
in that during the time
aforesaid the said Winder at Ander- !
sonville in the state of Georgia and at
Richmond in the state of Virginia, did
treat, starve, Cypress. I'M
lawfully treat and otherwise those as
prisoners OF war, persons found in the
service of the United States"
Winder Is further accused of not
having taken the oath of office as pro-
Vided for by the president of the
United States in his proclamation of
May 20, 1865. Therefore the forfeiture
Of his property is asked. The libel