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About The weekly sun. (Columbus, Ga.) 1857-1873 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1868)
OOLU MBU8: From the Constitution. PROCEEDINGS OF THE MILITARY COMMISSION ASSEMBLED FOR THE TRIAL OF THE COJLUiIIiSU.S PKISOKERS. ELEVENTH DAY. McPherson Barracks, July 11, 1868. i Court met pusuaat to adjournment. Tne ceatim my of Mrs. J. B. xVio »ie and ot Edward .-hephem, was read for ttieir hearing by the Juvjge Advocate, when Mjrs. xVloore made ihe oliowiug cone tions, to-wit: in stead oi s tying occasionally, 1 meant to say tnat my si ter, Mis Kirkscuy. invariMy sent for some member ot the lainity, to come and stay with her when the Doctor was absent. I meant to say tint we were not delighted to hear of the ueath oi Kadicals, only such men as ABhburn, who was trying to negioes to in&urr«etion and i.eeds of violence agamst their ormer owners. Edwaru ohei-herd had no corrections to make. Hu record as amended was then adopted. Mrs. Clifford W>nne sworn. By r. Moses for the dc.ease.—i live in «ank> county, (da. The night of . A.’s murder, 1 was siayii.g at. Col .Shepherd's ooi. ..'shepherd’s fiuiily, no one else, was staying in the house with me; I my s»Bter was theie, 1 know whether Dr. Iv. was at home th tt n ght; i had a sick hea ache and was wage nearly all night; old not he r any one come in or go out of the hou.-e that night; three other members of the lamiiy were Sica als thatuight, Mrs.iVloore.Dr. Kirkscey’s baby and Eddie shepherd ; Eddie had tooth- \ ache, Dr. K.’s baby the croup, .Mrs. Moore a nervous headache ; I occupied the room with j Mrs JVluore. By Gov. Brown, for the Prosecution.—What time of the night did the family eat supper that night? Ana *er Sometime after dark. It was in the latter part oi M rcli ; don't remember the day of the mo th, nor what time dark comes in ihe latter part ot March ;it comes earlier in March than in July ; don’t know wkai time of night it was ; Col. shepherd and his family, Dr. K., myself and sister Mattie, werep.eaent at supper that night : Edward bhepherd and Mrs. Moore were there; Mrs. Moore took some coffee—so did I—nothing else ; don't re member of Eddie’s eating anything at table ; they were ail there hut him ; don’t remember wiiat Dr. K. cat lor supper, After supper 1 went into Mrs. Moore’s room ; 1 slept with Mrs. Moore; IreiLed very late that night, having a sick headache ; when very sick 1 sometimes lie down on the bed ;on that night 1 think I laid down about 11 o’clock, but did not go to sleep till near day ; Mrs. Moore and myself Slept on the same bed ; it was nearly day when she went to sleep ; she went to sleep be fore I did—not very long beiore; she had been to sleep once and waked up again ; it was near.y day before she went to sleep again ; c inn t tell exactly when she went to sleep first; it was some ime after I went to bed, about hours, 1 think ; she did n »t sleep very long; when she woke she called Wooddie to go to Dr. K.’s room to get medicine tor her ; Wooddie was in the next room to ours; after Wooddie came back with the medicine she sat on the bed in Mrs Moore’s room as much as an hour I strap so ; do not think it was as much as two hours ; about an hour, I reckon ; Woodie then went to her room ; did not see her any more tha t night; before A.’s death 1 had been staying at Col. she j herd’s about 3 months ; duiiog this t.me Dr K. was rot often out at night; recollect no instance ; lie had calls from patients at night occasionally ; ho went very oltou ; he was then out at night; l was incorrect in saying that he was not out at night during the three months ; do not remember whether his c »lls nt night were frequent or not; remember no cail »n particu lar ; do u< t think i am mistaken when 1 said ho had calls at night ; Mrs shepherd was u."u ally at home ; sue would hive know it the Doctor had been c ille to patients at night ; Edward was usually there at night; he would have known it ; Airs Moore was usual y there; she also would hive known it ; 1 believe Dr. K. some times went out at night to attend the meetings ot the Ma ouic fraternity; do not remember that he went at n gtu to attend the Democratic Club ; Do usual.y went in his buggy at night. I heard ot A.’s and .ath next morning ; was at Col. he] herd's in the 2d room on the right hand of the hall ; Mrs. Moore’s room ; don’t r< member who told me ; I think i servant came in ami told Mrs. Moore ; Miss Wooddie was oil studying; don t know where she wa> ; don’t remember now whether it was be ore or alter breakfast, ihave not talli ed with Airs. Mo re in the last 2u hours ol where Miss Woo do- was at that time ; have not read any of Mrs. Moore’s testimony ; not heard it retd or anybody spu«k ot it. Mrs. Moore Mrs MiepLerd, Mu- Wooddie and myself are staying at the same nouse. Since the Court adjourned y ...-ternay i have heard no conversa tion about what Mrs. Moore or Miss Wooddie stated in their testimony ; have heard a good deal of lalk about how Mias Wooddie acted in the court room ; heard nothing of what she or Mrs Moore sa.u in their testimony. When I firat heard of A.’s death, Edward .shepherd was at school, i believe; don’t remember what time ihe family took dinner, about l o’clock : don’t remember whether or not Miss Wooddie was at dinner that day ; 1 first saw her some time during the day wo heard of Ashburn’s death ; when they first commenced making the arrest oi the young men belonging to the Democratic Club 1 hist heard i. uDcussed about where Dr. K. was when A. was lulled; when they arretted Dr. K. and put him in the Court lloute, and then we located where he was that nig up—found ho was at homo; don’t remember when the Dr. was arrested ; when I say the young men of the Democratic (.dub, I I mean ail who were arrested and belonged to the Club : I am not acquainetd with any oi them except Dr. K ; I heard i hat those arrested belonged to the Demo- ratio Club. B> Mr. Moses for the t.ereuse—ln the early Eartof the year Dr. K. was living at Col. Sbep erd’s; he did not live there all the time from the Ist of January to tl.e killing of Asitburn ; he was stayiug part of the timo at Cook’s Hutel In Columbus. By request of counsel for the defense, the Coui t allowed the te.-timony of this witness to be read over to tier at once, in consideration of the tact that she lives in Banks county and wisues to go home. On hearing the testimony read witnesses made the following correction, to-wit: When Dr. Kirkseey was called out to his pa tients he went. Witness was then discharged. Andrew shepherd, sworn. By Mr. Moses for the Defense.—What is yojir name! Where do you live! Andre w shepherd is my name; I live in Wynn ton, near Columbus: on the night of A.’s murder 1 was at home; Dr. K. was at home between 10 and It o’clock, as far as I know; i saw him go to his room at that time; don’t know where he was the rest of the night By Gov. Brown, for the Prosecution—l think a. was killed on the ;>oth March; dou’t know what time the sun sets on that day; the nights are longer than in July. The lamiiy usually take supper aboutßo clock; the rule applies as well in winter as in summer; in mid winter 1 think that is about two hours after dark; eight o’clock now comes just about dark or a little after; in the winter the lamiiy take supper about two hours alter dark; they now take supper a little alter dusk: take supper about j 8 o’clock generally. Father, mother, Dr. K. , and wife, Mrs. Moore and my sister and two ! brothers were ai supper that night. I went to bed a l.ttie beti.ro l l o’clock; it was a little before I went to bed that I saw Dr. K. go into his room. 1 was not up any more that night; did not sleep with Edward; slept by myselt in the room opposite Dr. K.’s. Edward slept with my brother Andrew. Mother slept in the middle room opposite Mrs. Moore’s room. My brothers slept in the 3d room ou the side where my mother slept. Father is in a different part of the house altog ther. Between supper and the time 1 retired I was studying in ihe hall, at a tai lo about twenty leet from Dr. K.’s room. ’ I studied there until i retired. [Here Gen. Meade entered the c urt room.] Judge Advocate said that the witness about to be examined is to testily concerning Win. Duke, and if any other witness for Duke is in the court room he must retire. O. T. Arrington, sworn. By Mr. Stephens ! for the defense.—l reside in Carroll county; when I beard of «he killing of A. I was down at Mr. Duke’s; when 1 first hoard it 1 was in tli blacksmith shop; it was Tuesday or Wed nesday; Mr Duke, the accuse and was present at the shop; went to Mr. Duke’s lather’s on the Sunday before; I staid there :our days on that visit; Win. Duke, the accused, was at his father’s when I reached theie on Sunday; on Sunday night after 1 got there, he was in the house with the balance of the lam ly: l step' with him; M nday nigh' he was ht re, ho slept wi h me in tfio house; in tne same ro >m where his mother and lather and some of liis ."isters; Tuesday night he was sti.l there; we slept n the same bed every uight whi e 1 was there during that visit; I returned home on Thurs day; nuke’s is about forty imies from Colum bus; Wm. Duke’s m (her C my sister. By Gen. Dunn, for th Prosecution.—l am a mm of family, myself; T reside i Carroll county ab -ut 43 miles fr-m my brother-in-law Duke; 1 walked m»m wnere i lived; no particu lar b siness to take me there, only to go on a visit; ii took me a day ana a piece’to get from my residence to Mr. Dukes; during he trip don’t re ollect what sort of we iher we had; left home on sat inlay; a <n’t remember whe h eritriinedon aturaay or Sunday whi.o I w»s pursuing my j urney; J got to Du -e’s about two h urs ysu i,or a little more than that; no ; e sou wa> with me on my arrival at Duke’> I found t>e utility there: Wm Duke w s at h m wuen I ar.Dei here; he was pit ting by the fi e wh .i 1 w»*nt i ; it was not cold but he wa» sitting befuo the fire. Monday f llowing my arrival at Duke g, 1 was at the bl ck?m.»th fchop ne riy all day; a negro man and one oi M Dikes brothers wt re there; Duke's father hud been down be ow Columbus; he was th re, too, at the o aokMiiith ."hop on Monday; part ot the day 1 was at the shop and part at the hou-e; don’t know what time I went o bed that uight; it was sometime be tween 9 and lo o’clock i think Lhoie were 3 beds in the room in which 1 slept. L believe; the bed I slept in was at the back part of the room; it was a go and large room: it had three doors, 1 think; the front door faced the big road, *ou;h, 1 think it is, the bed I slept in w s hack t the tight o. that door, ns 1 entered the front door it wa- on my right; don't kn w whe hei it was against the wall or n t; u was ai the right hand corner of the opposite cud of the house as you enter the ;ront door; tne rest of tue beds stood on the leit. His father and mother, two sisters .nd I slept in thort; he has two or three married sisters; his mar ried Biste. and her husband slept in an adjoin ing room. No one of his married brothers and his wife slept in that room that as I know ot. ihe lueMay h i,. wing the morning that 1 sptak of 1 was at the house and ,hop, backwards und forwards; so, also in Wednes day. there were other men there but Id n’t recollect the names. 1 am a firmer; I flist heard of the murder of a. on t'uesday or Wedue day; seems ike it was In the evening; I think it was auesday. not certain;dont know who brought the news—some man in the set tlement there, who cune to the shop: there were tight nights ab uc that'ime, I think. I heard it was the 8 *th of March that Mr Ashbum was kiled; it was only a day or two after that 1 heard cf it, which makes me know it must have been Tuesday or 'Wednesday; 80th ot March came on Monday, I think, I traveled thirty miles that day, stop ped that night at a house about three-fourtns of a mile from Dr. Pierce's; Dr. P. lives in Merriwether county, on the'columbus road, I place 1 stopped at was a little ot! th*? blx ! or l^ he left hand sJ de of the road, when I ,hC UI V uw < s after niglit a while few steM- close hy the road, just a tween it and Pierce'e also a I?f,,nil, rancll right hand side of the road S -, on the litUe oloody when I stopped think the moon was shining, don’t ?ememw whether Sunday was a moonlight night or not nor the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday foil lowing. I think the moon was shining during those nights, when it was not cloudy. I left Duke on Thursday to go home soon In the morning. I came the first night eight miles this side of LaGrange, staid at my father-in law’s—Reynolds’—in Troupe county; it was in the evening, just before night, when I arrived a my father-in-law’s house; think it rained that evening, and a little that night; staid there till Friday, and from there went home. My lathe>-ln-law’6 house is between thirty-five and forty miles from home. I leit soon in the morning ; did not reach home the same day; staid at my brother-in-law’s house that night; his name is Handy; I staid in the room with him; he lives in Carroll, near Chattahoochee river, with a man by the name of Akers; he lives on Five Notch Road, which runs up and down the Chattahoochee river. I arrived home on Saturday, I think; had been absent six days. At the nouse where I staid the first night after I left home, a black man—a chunky man, about 45 years old, lived; there was a woman and thiee or four children in the house; the voman looked like she would weigh 200; don’t know the age of the eldest child. I first heard that Duke was connected with tne mur der of A. (one week ago last night, at home;) Mr. Duke's brother told me of it—his brother Wayne Duke. I remember what occurred about the 30th ot March, alter so long a time, because I recollect about being there at that time and hearing ot a man being killed then. By the Court—When you visited Puxe .- home, what time of the moon was it Answer —1 thick the moon was full, or about full—may-be it was done full: I don t recollect, exactly. Robt. T. C. Tucker, sworn—By Mr. Ste phens. for the defense—My name is R. 1. C. Tucker; I live in Merriwether county; I know Mr. Wm. Duke, (witness pointed turn out;) the first I heard o the death ot A. 1 was at Mr. Duke’s shop; I think it was on Wednes day; Duke was there Wednesday evening; * that was the time that I went up to the shop; had seen him twice previously since his return; did not see him near enough Saturday even ing to speak to him; saw him between Satur day and Wednesday; saw him at the shop Mon day evening after tne sun was down: saw Mr. Reese, Mr Parron, Mr. Woodward, and the young men that belonged there at the shop: late in the evening a man came down that I understood was a brother of Mrs. Duke. (Here Mr >tephens asked that the previous wi ness be brought in, which was done, when Mr. Lucker recognized him at once, as the man who came to the shop Mate in the even- j ing.”) Mr .Stephens—ls taat the gentleman j who was there ? Yes, sir, that is he. Witness continued : Duke’s house is about forty miles from Columbus By Gov. Brown, for the Prosecution—l have lived 3 0 or 400 yar s from the blacksmith shop for about sixteen years; Mr. Duke moved to where he now lives about a year And a hall ago. I am frequently at his shop; have all ; my work done there: sometimes 1 am there ' every day in the week and sometimes not once in three weeks, depends on circumstances; his shop is the place of rendezvous for the neigh j bornood; 1 wafl there almost every week; I was preparing implements to plant cotton; th 1 1 took me up nearly every week; cannot call to mind was at the shop the next timo alter ' the time to which I testified; I was there some . day in the week after Wednesday; what directs my mind to who was there on Wednesday, is the lact that someone at the shop mentioned that A. had been killed on Monday; I had made arrangements on Tuesday to start my son and son-in-law, with a load of cotton, for a friend, to LaGrange, and they started next day; they returned on Thursday night and : confirmed the report; Wednesday was the Ist ot April; it has been nearly three and a half ■ months since Ist of April; 1 had finished plant- ! ing corn and was preparing to plant cotton. [Witness went on to explain various particu lars very clearly, but spoke so rapidly that Reporter could not record them.] 1 frequent ly mark in iny Almanac when I commence planting and when 1 get through; I did not mark this year when I planted corn or finished planting cotton; I speak from no memoran dum, but from positive knowledge of tho fact, because I have planted earlier than usual and have regretted it ever since ; 1 have a bundle of Almanacs that 1 have kept; some are mark ed and some are not; I could not have located 1 these days had it not been from concurrent | circumstances; I had set apart the oth day ot April to commence planting cotton, and 1 re ! member the e things as well as 1 ever did any -1 thing in my life; I never thought anything about Duke being there on that day, until 1 heard that ho was arrested—Wednesday or I Thursday—about two weeks ago; 1 pointed out ; his house to the party that arrested him; I did not know what to think about the arrest of Duke; both the death oi Asliburn and the ar ! re.-t oi Duko made a decided impression on my 1 min i; the arrest oi Duke, under the circum stances, made a very oecided impression on my mind, because I knew where lie was at the time A. was kil .ed, and that he could not have ! had anything to do with it; I know Duke was |at home at tho time the murder was commit ted, and that as he was arrested innocently, I | did not know but that I, or any other man might be arrested; 1 know that at the time A. | was kil led D was at home at sunset, at his fath er’s home, 40 miles irorn Columbus. I should not have thought again about the day I ii* ish ;ed planting uij c>rn had these occurrences j not. transpired; I recollect the day I commenced j planting corn; it was tl.e 16th of March; don’t ; always commenco on that day; always com i mence Irorn the 12th to the loth; I marked ! the day in my mind that it was the 16th day ! of March when I commenced planting corn The last day ot J une we were planting cotton ; 1 commenced planting cotton the oth day of i April; don’t remember tho time of the moon on the 30th of March ; don’t pay much atten tion, as a tanner, to the moon only in a few things ; I did not bear of Duke being charged as connected with tho.murder of A. until the next day alter he was arrested ; prior to that time I never suspected that he would be charg ed with it. Ido not recollect every per.-on 1 saw on Monday the 30th of March ; was at home until alter « inner; then walked to the shop and remained there until after sunset; was not busy in the forenoon of that day ; was setting in the house—reading perhaps. On -unday, the day before, I was at church ; and I recollect very well what I was doing on the day before that. On Tuesday, 1 was wart of the day at my son-in-law’s, ana part of tne day at ho «.e. I came home fr >m my son-in-law’s to prepare tho wagon to take tho cotton to La- Grange I would not have been home till ■ night it' it had nut been for the cotton. On Wednesday, 1 was at home part of the day— ; part of the day at the shop. I saw Mr Woodward at 'the 6hop; there was some other person thore; 1 xhink it was James (Jrowdor. but am not positive Thursday, I think I was at home all day. I commenced trying to stock a double plough on that day; don’t think I was at the shop on that day. On Friday, 1 was.working on this same double plough ; don’t think I was at the shoo that day ; saw no nerson but my own family, as I recollect; cannot say that 1 did j not see any other person ; on Saturday I was probably fishing—don’t remember; Sunday I was at Trinity Church —the church 1 belong to; we had no preaching that day ; next Monday I was at home. I suppose; no distinct recollec tion about any other day of the week ; the Monday after Monday 30th of March, I was planting cotton ; Wednesday week after the 30thof March, I don’t know what I myself was doing—my people were planting cotton ; Tues day week alter the 30th of March, it is proba ble that 1 was about the field part of the day, and part about tho house. Tne Wednesday before the 30th of March, ray people were pie paring the ground for planting cotton. I don’t keep a diary of wnat 1 do every day, and I don t think many men do in this country. The ! Friday before the 30t.h of March, 1 and my son i were out shooting birds. On Saturday before 30th March, my son told mo the Duke boys were burning the sedge-field, and asked me to go up tiiere—perhaps we could kill some rab bits I was at home in the morning ; after dinner wo walked up there with the guns ; the sedge did not burn well, and we spent the bal ance of the evening in shooting birds; I saw Mr. Duke there, John and Wayne Duke, Jo seph Jackson and Nor an; I observed to Nor man “has Billy got back” and he said “yes”— Billy was about fifty yards off—l did not speak j to him; don’t think I saw old man Duke there on Saturday. Mr. Duke has been backwards and forwards to Columbus, since his father liv ed there. By the Defence—What is your age and occu pation ? 1 havo been a farmer all my life—67 years old next October. By the Prosecution—ls your memory as good as when you were a young man I By no means. By the Defense—l am positive as to the lead ing facts I have stated here. I have held an office at home ; 1 was a Judge of the Inferior Court or several years. By the Prosecution—Was not the sensation produced iu your mind by the arrest of Duke as great as that when you heard of the death oi Aidiburn ? I think it was greater, sir. Court then adiourned until ten o’clock Mon day morning. TWELFTH DAY. McPherson’s Barracks. ) July 13, 1868. ' } Court met pursuant to adjournment. The proceedings of Saturday were read. Andrew Shepherd desired to make the following correction in the record of his testimony, to wit: “Brother Eddie was not present at supper. lie had the toothache.” Correction by C. T. Arrington: “I was 8 days Iroui home.” Mr. Tucker had no correction to make. Gov. Brown asked leave to propound a few questions to Mr. Tucker, which was allowed. By Gov. Brown—To whom did the cotton belong and who carried it to La Grange? The cotton belonged to a young man by the name of Burke; he had bought it from Parrhan, about six bales, I belie ve. Who drove your wag ou? My son-in law. What is the name of your sou in law? Bluemcr W. Wil liams. Who did he deliver the cotton to in LaGruuge? Don’t Know; did not hear him say to whom he delivered it. Mr. Burke was at that time buying cot ton. Parrhan lives near me—about miles from me. Buike, I suppose,lives in LaGrange; have seen him there fre quently; he has no place of business, as I know of, iu LaGrange; I generally meet him on the street. Burke’3 chris tian name is Joseph. Don’t know whether he bought it for himself or not. Burke told me that he bought the cotton trom Parrhan. Witness was then allowed to retire. Recess of ten minutes. Juab Abney—By Mr. Stephens, for the Deiense—l have been peddling for the last three or four years; have been in bad health. When I first heard oi the death of A. I was in the porch of my house, and heard from neighbors passing. My house is in the neighbor hood of the C;ty Mills, outside of Co lumbus; it was Thursday morning; black people passing; the Monday be fore I was at home; the day beiore I was at home from 11 o’clock till night. I left home on Thursday .evening to carry Wm. Duke to his father’s, in Merriwether county, Georgia. Got there with him that night after sunset; remained there all night, next morning went to my brother’s, fourteen miles further; James Abney; there I remained i Friday night and got home 11 o’clock Sunday; 1 am absolutely certain of the facts I have sworn to. From the Intelligencer. Cross Examined.—l have lived in my house since a month before Christmas, j I moved from a house situated 60 yards j irom it. I have lived ia Columbus 8 \ Cross Examined.—l have lived in my house since a month before Christmas. I moved from a house situated 60 yards from it. I have lived in Columbus 8 years. lam not in tbe habit of carry ing persons for pay. I took Duke borne because I wanted to go to my brother’s, and, as Duke was sick and asked ma to take him home, I did so. Afler Duke’s father moved to Merriwether, I saw him in Columbus sometimes boarding at Martin Beck’s. I can’t tell how long he had been in Columbus prior to the time I carried him. I saw him there every few days within the last two weeks before the time. He boarded about six hundred yards from ray house. It is forty miles from Columbus to his father’s house. We made the trip in one day. We traveled in the same buggy. We had but one horse. He was a large bay horse about 12 years old. The buggy was a common, ordi nary buggy. They did not belong to me. The horse belonged to my son. The buggy belonged to another man. I don’t think the horse and buggy were at my house at all before we started. They were brought up there that morn ing by a small son of mine. I started on the last Thursday in March. I re collect that it was the last Thursday in March, because when I got out to my brother’s they were grumbling because they had not finished planting corn. I first heard of Duke’s being accused of Ashburn’s murder about two months alter the occurrence. My sou told me ol it. He said he heard of it at Cook’s Hotel. Before hearing of his being suspected, I had no distinct recollection of the day I went home with him. My attention was first called to the fact when I heard of his arrest. That was about two months after I went home with Duke. Ido not always recollect the date of an occurrence two months ago. I did not make any memorandum of ilie date I went home with Duke. I am not in the habit of doing so. I would be liable to be mistaken about a date, if there was not anything inter estiug connected with it. When I went with him, I don’t think there was any thing interesting in it. I think it rained oh me ten miles before I got to Meriweth er. It was a very dark night, I think, I don’t recollect seeing any moon. I stayed at Duke’s until 8 o’clock next morning. I stayed at my brother’s from 1 o’clock that day until about tbe same time next day. It rained that morning before I started. I left his house on Saturday about eight or niue o’clock in the forenoon. It is fifty two miles from my brother’s to Columbus I drove to Columbus about eleven o’clock next day. I stayed all night at old man Whitehead’s. He lives on the road that leads from Columbus to the several forks that leads most anywhere. His given name is Thomas. He lives 21 miles from Columbus. I stopped a mile after I passed his house. I stop ped at a log house on the left handside of the road. I mean the left haudside as you go towards Columbus. I think there is only one room in it. I can’t recollect the name of the gentleman who lived there. He is a tolerably small man, looks like he was about 30 years old. I disremember his complex ion, and the color of his eyes and hair. He has a wife and children. I don’t re member the complexion of his wife. She was complaining of being sick. He has stables. I saw tho horse ted. He was in a lot. He was loose I think. There are two houses between White beta’s and the house I stayed all night in I have heard their names but dou’t remember them. I have been there since. I was there five weeks ago. The same man has lived there since. I tried to refresh his memory about the time I stayed there before. I stopped for the purpose of payiug him my bill for the last night I stayed there. We did not then say anything about tbe day of the month when I first stayed there. I have never seen hint since then. At that time there was no conversation between us about Duke or Ashburn. It was a dark night, I think. I don’t recollect what time of the nioon it was. I got home on Sunday and lay down until 3 o'clock, and we had a prayer-meeting at my house, and I attended that. I was at home on Monday. I was doing nothing that day. I was up town with my son. The upper end of the street I was at on Monday is about 300 yards from tbe Perry House. I don’t recollect who I saw that day. I expect I conversed with some of them, but I don’t recollect who they were. I first saw black peo ple on Tuesday morning after the mur der. I don’t recollect the names of any of them. I heard them talking, and as ked them what was going on. They told me A. was killed. I don’t know the names of any of them, but I could !go and put my finger on them. After I got to my son’s, I heard several white persons speak of it. I can’t name any of them: there was not many there. I heard several speak of the occurrence. I heard my son and Wm. Brooks speak of it, as well ns I can recollect. Brooks lives at Girard, Alabama. I can’t recol lect any others except my own family, j I will be G3 years of age noon. My memory is tolerable, but not as good as it formerly was. There wu9 no occur rence took place in Columbus three : months ago that I now remember the date of. I don’t recollect any ether oc currenee that took place in March or April, that I can now mention the day on which it occurred. There is one day in June on which occurrences took place that I recollect. I don’t recollect, the day on which it occurred. To Mr. Stephens—l recollect my vis it to Columbus because there was a prayer meeting coming off at my house before I left home, and I told them I W’ould be back in time. To Gov. Brown—l had a good many praver meetings at my house during the’ spring. They were usually on Sundays in the afternoon. It was ap pointed a week before it came off. I can’t tell the exact day when it was appointed. I can’t name the day of the month when any one of them took place. I can look at the almanac, and tell most all of them. Witness was here handed an almanac, but liis sight not being good, he was unable to read even with the assistance of Gov. Brown’s glasses. They don’t see things alike. There was a meeting there four or five Sundays handrunuing. lam sure that was the first meeting held iu my house. There were several persons present. Witness here mentioned some of the parties who were there. He also named some of the persons who were present at some of the other meetings. To Mr. Stephens.—l first heard that my testimony would be required in this case week before last. I heard it from two different persons then. I next heard of it when I was in the East corner of Marion connty, 47 miles from Colum bus. It was there I was subpeened. By the Court—On your return from your brother’s to Columbus in March last, did you pass by Duke’s? Answer—No sir, I did not. Question —Was the first prayer meet ing held in your house, held in April ? Answer—lt was held the last Sunday in March. This witness is very deaf and it was with difficulty that he could hear what was said to him. TESTIMONY OF S. . PARHAM. I reside in Meriwether county. I know Wm. Duke. There he is. I live about a mile and a half from his father’s residence. I saw him at his father’s in the last week in March. I suppose it was about the 30th. That was on Mon day. He was at his father’s shop, and I suppose the sun was an hour high, or later. I saw him there next morning. The sun was not then, I suppose, more than two boors high, ihe circum stance is fixed on my mind by the tact that a gentleman tiougm tome timber from me and I went up there the next morning to see him about it The land the timber was on belonged to me.— The wood was to be sawed into lum ber. The father of Mr. Duke lived on that tract of land. There was some thing special on Tuesday that called me there, I went up to see about the haul ing of the timbtr off. There was a young man of the name of Hanley who hauled the timber. I heard of the death of A first in LaGrange. I think it was on Wednesday c-r l'uesday. When 1 went to see about the timber, it was the Tuesday before I went to see about the timber, it was the Tuesday before 1 went to LaGrange. I went thereto sell some cotton. It was my father’s cotton and mine. I went to the shop on Tuesday because the rein of the ox yoke had been broken by Mr. Hanley, who was hauling the logs, and I wanted to have it fixed. lam positive that it wa9 the evening of the Monday before I went to LaGrange that I saw Duke at hiß father’s house. Cross Examined—My cotton was hauled by Mr. Williams. He is the son-in-law ot Mr. Tucker, who testified here as a witness. The cotton wap lold beiore it left home, and I went todcliverit. 1 delivered it at the railroad depot ill LaGrange. Air. Williami anda neariiinan carried it - here. The wagou carrieu si.\ bales. \ 1 daa’t recollect who paid for it. I received ' the money irom Air. Araham?. i don’t know , who eui" me to them lor money. Mr. Frost bought the cotton. Mr. Abrahams io a mer chant. I think there was a momjra,.<lum or receipt gicen ior the money. Idi I not sgn it. 1 don’t lecoileet the exact amo .nt t received. I suppose it was between SBOO and S9OO. It was on Thursday, I think lam certain of that. It was the secoud day of April. 1 stayed there until one or two o’clo kin the evening. It is about tweDty miles from my residence to La- Grange. I don’t recolleet whether it was a dark night or not when 1 got home. I don’t recollect whether it rained or not that day. The next day 1 went down to my father’s. 1 dou’i recollect what I did the next day. Where 1 1 was ihe Monday beiore thoSoth of March I don’t recollect. 1 first heard ol Duke’s arrest when I w.-.s summoned to come here. I w r as at home when l was summoned. I don’t recollect ot hearing of Duse’s arrest beiore I was summoned. 1 don’t recollect the month 1 ! w-assummonedto come here. It was some time j last week. It didn’t made a decided imprts- | sion on my mindxvhen 1 heard oi Duke’s being arrested. 1 suppose it did in the neighborh .0(1. I was not at home It made an impression on j my mind. IDs arrest made a more dec.ded im pression on the people than the hauling of the stocks to the mill. 1 don’t know why it is j that 1 could locate the day of the hauling ‘ oi tue log*, and cannot rscoilect the day on which ho was a re ted. D Duke had ueveV been arrested I believe I would have recollect- j ed the day of the haulingo the timber. I sup- ; pose thore were someii ty stocks hauled. They w re ueiivered to Air. Oglesby, and I suppose made an entry of the delivery When I was at,the shop, the Saturday beiore toe 81st of | March 1 saw several persons. There were Tucker. Kee-e, Norwood, and others, x went lhere frequently—every day or no. 1 siw j Kooert Tucker that day, late in the evening. I left him there. 1 wa.- there Tuesday morn ing. I have no recollection oi any other day | that 1 was there that week, becau-e I went I up to LaGrauae. I have no recollection wdro ! was them when i was there. I an’t locate any particular day I was lhere, except Natur <lay beiore the 30th of Mutch, anl Tuesday after it. I can’t swear it positively, but 1 Uiink 1 commenced planting corn about the 10th day of March last. By Mr. St .-phene—lf your mind was directed to any of these events, is it not probable you i would recollect the day on which it occurred 1 1 Answei—li I had been summoned to appear ! here or at any other place,’ I tliiuk I euuld re collect when the circumstance occur,cd. I am positive that these even s haven’t occurred ! in connection with any other day. 1 recollec hearing of the death of A. on my visit to La G-range. To Gov. Brown —I atn positive as to that incident, and cann- t be positiv about any (finer within ihe last six months, on account oi the circumstances attending it. TKSTiMONY OK DU. CLIFFORD H. STYLES. I am brother ol Hon. Wm. Styles, formerly United States Minister to Au.-trm, and Kev. j Dr. Joseph U. Styles. I reside in Meuwether ' county. lam a physician. I know Wm. Duk»s. I see him here—that is him. I reside about three miles from his lather’s. I saw him at his father’s on Monday, 30th March, 1888, about 40 miles from Columbus. It was be tween 5 and e o’el .ek p. m. 1 recollect when Ashburn was assassinated. 1 was in Duke’s workshop at the time I heard the news first, j Wm. Duke was there then. I think it was on | Thursday. lam certain it was the Monday evening of the death ol A Alburn that J saw j him there. C it one-examined. — l am enabled to recollect . ; the tacts because I was called in the neighbor ! hood to see some p itients. Mr. Greer was ; one. Ho lived about three miles from the i shop, and I stopped at a plantation about two j j miles from the shop. Witness here named several places at which ! he had stopped, varying short distances irom i Duke’s shop. j l can’t give the precise days of the week and i month on wli eh I visited each one ol those ! patients. 1 have not got my record with me. ' I merely referred to the record as to tho 30th | March. | The prosecution objected to anything being ! said about liis reference. I 1 have not got my record with me because I did not think I would be called on to refer to it. lam not certain whether I was subpoeiiled ; or not. I have not received an> writtensiate : ment to come here. lam in the habit oi pass ing there gen rally about twice a week J j can’t locale any other day of tho week or i month I pas ed iliore. I have been prac icing i in the neighborhood about three years. 1 looked at my record in relerence to this par ' tieuiardato. Af er having rotreshed my mem ory in that way, I am now able to state from j my memory, and not from the record that I ! visited the neighborhood that day. I passed j there a few da>s a ter and Mr. Dukeasked me | if I had heard of the assassination of Ashburn. I examined my re -ord in regard to this ease ; first about a week an 1 a half ago I tuink. I Before the testimony of this witness had I been concluded, the Court adjourned to 10 a. i m. to-morrow. TIIIBTEENTII DAY. McPhekson’ Bahuacks, \ July 14, 1803. ) i Court met pursuant to adjournment. The record of the testimony of Joab Abney and of S. 11. Parrhan was read over in their hearing. Mr. Abney had no corrections to make. Mr. Parrliau stated that, upon reflection, he recol lected to have left home on the 7th, and that he arrived here on the Bth of July. The record, as thus amended, was then approved. The reading of Dr. Styles’ testimony was deferred until to morrow, by the adjournment of the Court in conse quence of the indisposition of Mr Ste phens, leading counsel for the defense. Mr. Stephens was not present to day, but Col. Crawford,, associate counsel, staled that it is probable Mr. 8. will be able to attend at 10 o’clock to morrow morning. Soniiienst Electoral Totes. The Washington correspondent of the Boston Post, writing on the 10th, thus ventilates the manuevering in Congress to stave off the chances of the Southern Slates carrying llie Presidential elec tion again! Grant. The writer says : The question whether or not the elec toral votes of the Southern States shall be counted for President is now agita ting the American Senate, and although the cloud it presents is“not bigger than a man’s hand,” yet it is one which may spread and expand until it shall darken ouv whole political firmament. Refer euce has before been made to this sub ject when it was anticipated that Con gross would endeavor to place the Southern States iu such a position as to guard against the possibility of their casting a Democratic vote iu the elec toral coliege. Prior to the late elections in Mississippi, the subject has never been mooted in Congress, hut since it has discovered that the negro votes are not given necessarily to. the carpet-bag gers the greatest alarm has seized the | dominant party, and the deepest inter | est is manifested in placing the South ern States beyond a possible contingen ; cy. The fact that these States, or at least a portion of them, have been de dared to be again in lull communion i with the other States of the Union j appears to have little weight with Sen j ators who are determined to seize upon i the Executive branch of the Government in order to perpetuate party ascendancy. It was not until within a few weeks past that any danger was apprehended and that this dangerous question was sprung upon Congress. A few bold spirits among the Radicals who dare to do right are loud iu their denunciation of the whole scheme. Senator Trum bull a few days since cautioned his allies against the stupendous wrong which was proposed, and said the result might be another civil war. Nothing is more ; evident than that frauds and violence i are to be resorted to, to secure the i Southern electoral vote for Grant, or the | vote will be ruled out as far as may be ; considered necessary to accomplish the : purpose of seizing the Presidency. This I is a desperate game, and it is fearful to ! contemplate the possible consequences, i Senator Edwards reports in favor of re ! jecting the Southern vote. Trumbull tells him it may lead to another civil war. While the South only was inter : ested in the result of her election, fraud : and violence could be committed with j impunity, but the case will be material ’ iy changed when the great States of | of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio ] are to be the sufferers. Well may Sen | ator Trumbull give warning to the Ja cobin while considering the great ques tion now pending before the Senate. Horatio Seymour, in his speech be ! fore the nominating Convention, utter ! ed the following great truths —the duties j the great Democratic Party have to perform to save the country from im pending wreck, from the misrule of Radicalism. These gfeat truths should be printed in letters of gold. He said : “It is not a mere party triumph we seek. We are trying to save our coun try from the dangers which overhang it. We wish lo lilt off the perplexities and the shackles which, in the shape of bad laws and of crushing taxation, now paraliza the business and labor of our land. We hope, too, that we can give order, prosperity and happiness to those sections of our country which suffer so deeply to-day in their homes, and in all the fields of their industry, fromtheun happy events of the last eight years.” In the spirit then of Geo, Washing ton, and of the patriots of the revolu tion, let us take the step to reinaugurate our Government, and to start it once again ou its course to greatness and prosperity. May Almighty God give us the wisdom to carry out our purposes, to give every State of our Union the blessings of peace, good order and fraternal affection. From the National Intelligencer. The Standard-Bearers of the People. The New York Democtatic Conserva- i tive Convention on Thursday nominat ed Horatio Seymour, of New York, and General Francis P. Blair, of Mis souri, the standard-bearers of the people in the approaching contest, on whose bauneraare inscribed the heart-stirring motto of all true Americans, and of all who are resolved upon a restored and regenerated country— the Union, the Constitution, and the laws. On the maintenance of these lies the pith and marrow of our cause. It was for these that we set out long ago to fight. It is for these that we propose to fight now and hereafter ; and with these as the compendium of our political faith, we propose to triumph. We take them because they’are fundament al ; because they are indispensible to tbe national welfare—-nay, to the na tional existence, because in them lies the anchor of our country’s hope; and because they stir, with deep vibrations, i the spontaneous sympathies, aud are responded to by the yearning desires of the American heart. To any candi dates, whoever they might have been, would we have given them, as the con densed policy and platform of the pco- j pie, on which alone success is worth atrivinf for. To those who, after long and patient deliberation, ami with a sincere desire on the part ot the Con vention to do the best possible for the country, under the circumstances have been chosen Mr. Seymour and General Blair, do we give them as the creed in which they and all patriots unfaltering ly believe, the chart by which they will unshrinkingly fight-, and the vindication ami triumph of which secures, beyond, peradventure, tho bar monv, peace, power, and prosperity of the country. With these principles, ibis brief but comprehensive creed, which is at once the only sure l tdieuee and the chief glory of this peo ple, do our candidates go forward, con quering and to conquer, it we are as a people but true to ourselves, true to the teachings of the past, true to the pro found meaning of that Constitution which is as light to our path, and true to those fundamental and far reaching principles of Government, bounded and illuminated by one supreme law, which we cannot separate from our national ! existence. Though we put forth as a candidate l for the first place on our ticket by iar the ablest statesman, the most profound I political thinker, the most lofty and ir reproachable character, and one of the most accomplished gentlemen now in | or out ot American politics; aud for the | second place a brave and gallant soi ' diet', whose name is inscribed on the rolls of fame as one of the saviours of j his country in the death dealing hour of ! battle—it is with us not so much a mat ter of men as it is of the principles which they represent, and for which, iu the name of their country aud civil liberty they go forth to fight. We care 1 nothing about men; the country should care nothing about them. We should all look to the principles which they | embody, and what they propose, with . the aid ol the mighty masses of the people, to accomplish for us. It is our cause that should enlist our sympathies —our active, indomitable energies, our | constant, utmost, unflagging zeal. _ It ! is a grand aud glorious cause, being nothing less than the preservation of a ; fiee government, and the salvation of a mighly nation. Our mission is a glo rious mission, for it is to redeem our land from tyranny, disunion, disorgan ization and disgrace. Our cause is just iu the signt of men and angels, wrung from conflicts of fire and blood, bap tized in the tears of a whole land of-j widows and orphans, sanctified by the sacrifice in its behalf of a million of souls, and should by the smiles of heav en and the patriotism of the people, prevail. Men, then, to us arc little— our cause all. Let us put on the breast plate of true loyalty, and bear this in mind. Let us go to work with a will, with a heart-, and an energy that shall never fail, until with “trials past and duty done, we place our tom and battle stained banners on the ramparts of vic tory. Xeyiuoirr’N Speech of Acceptance : Delivered at the Ratification meeting in New York on the night of the 10 th. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Committee: I thank you for the courteous terms in which you have communicated to rhe the action of the Democratic National Convention. [Cheers.] I have no words adequate to express my gratitude forthe good will and kindness which that body has shown to me. Its nomination was unsought and unexpected. It was my ambition to take an active part, from which 1 am now excluded, in the great struggle going on for the restoration ot good government, of peace, and pros parity to our country. [Great cheering. ] But 1 have been caugut tip by the whelming tide that is hearing us on to a great political change, and find my seif unable to resist its pressure. [Loud cheers. You have also given to me a copy of the resolutions put forth by the conven tion, showing its position upon all the i great questions which now agitate the I country. As the presiding officer of j that convention, I am familiar with their scope and import, and as one of its members I am a party to their terms. They .are in accord with my wish,and I stand upon them in the contest into which we are now entering, and I shall strive to carry them out in future wher ever I may be placed in public or pri vate life. [Cheers.] I congraulate you, and all conserva vative men who seek to restore order, peace, prosperity, and good govern ment to our land, upon the evidences shown that we are to triumph at the 1 next election. [Prolonged cheers.] — Those who are politically opposed to U3 flattered themselves there would be discord in our councils. They mistook the differences of our views as to the methods of carrying out our purposes for differences of opinion with regard to these purposes. They mistook an intense anxiety to do no act which should not be wise and judicious for a spirit of discord. But during the lengthened proceedings and earnest dis cussions of the convention there pre vailed an entire harmony of intercourse, a patient forbearance, and a self sacri ficing spirit which are the sure tokens of a coming victory. Accept for yourselves gentlemen, my wishes for your future welfare and happiness, [Cheers.] In a few days I will answer the communication you have just handed me by letter, as is the customary form. [Tremendous and long continued cheering.] The Sweat Box. —This institution, one of the enlighteners of the stupid intellects of dull witnesses, in use at Fort Pulaski, through which John Wells and John Stapler complain of having passed a severe drill, is thus ex plained and described by Gen. Meade : The Telegraph says, “In conversa tion with one of the most eminent citi zens of Macon yesterday, he assured us that Gen. Meade explained to him in Atlanta, week before last, the whole modus operandi of this instrument of torture. Meade described it as a box sufficiently capacious to admit the vic tim, aud then arranged for compression by screws, by which a lorce could be brought upon the prisoner sufficient to ‘squeeze the breath out of him.’ It was also provided with a steam appa ratus connected with the throttling box by pipes, and upon turning a fosset jets of steam were thrown in, which added materially to the anguish of suffocation. This machine wa3 applied to three wit nesses—Betz, Bennett, and a negro, with entire efficacy—the negro gave iu, in a moment, and cried out that he would swear to anything ii they would only let him out of that box. “The foregoing is the statement of a leading citizen of Macon —a man whose word nobody doubts—as to what was voluntarily 9aid in his hearing by Gen. Meade himself. Are more words want ed by way of improvement ? Is it pos sible to add to the force of the facts themselves in showing the depth of de. gradation to which Radical rqle has brought the American Government From the Confutation. GEORGIA LEGISLATURE. SENATE. Atlanta, July 13, 1868.« Senate met persuantto adjournment, and was opened with prayer. In order to give further time to the committee on eligibility, on motion of Mr. Spear the Senate adjourned until Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock. house. Monday, July 13, 1863. House met pursuant to adjournment. Speaker McWhorter in the chair. Prayer by llev. J. Spillman. Roll called and proceedings of Satur day’s session read and adopted. Mr. Bryant, of Richmond, having the floor, resumed his speech of Satur day in reply to Mr. Scott, ot Floyd, iu support of the O'Neal resolution tor its reconsideration. Mr. O’Neal, of Lowndes, author qf the resolution, followed at some length in support of it, and in reply to Mr. Scott, of Floyd. In concluding, he called for the previous question. This latter motion, the Democratic side of the House Claimed, was diseour teous, as it did uot permit the opponents of the resolution to respond. Alter some little discussion it was withdrawn, when Mr. Harper, of Terrell, replied at some length in favor of the reconsider ation of the O’Neal resolution, and iu response to the arguments of Messrs. Bryant aud O' Neal. He deprecated the party spirit which had been permitted to enter the discussion, and insisted that such a course could result in no good. He favored an open, and fair investigation of the eligibilityot mem- bers, etc. When lie concluded, the previous question was called tor, and resulted as follows: Yeas 79, nay<B2, by which the motion to reconsider was lost. [And here, lest the reader .shall ior get the character aud import ol the res olution under discussion, wo republish it. It was introduced by Mr. O Neal of Lowndes, and reads as follows: Kesolved, That there be a committee of five appointed : by the House, whose duty it shall he to proceed immediately to investigate tfic case of each membei of this House, and report the facts in reference to the eligibility of each under the actruf Congress referred to iu the message of his Excellency, the Gover nor, and that said committee have pow er to send for persons and papers, and to swear aud take evidence ot witnesses who, under the laws ot this State and of the United States, arfc competent wit nesses in civil cases. And a£ the effort to reconsider this resoiution failed, it stands as the only business now before the House. J The Speaker then appointed as the committee called for by the resolution : J. W. O’Neal, of Lowndes, (rad.); I. E. Bryant, of Richmond, (rad.); A. H. Lee, of Newlon, (rad.); I. E. Shumate, of Whitfield, (deui.); F. M. Harper of Terreli, (dom.) Leaves of absence were granted ior a few days to Messrs. Hall of Glynn, Powell, of Decatur, and Butt, of Ma rion. The House then adjourned to eleven o’clock on Thursday next. The House Investigating Commit tee. —This Committee, composed oi J. | W. O’Neal, of Lowndes, J. E. Bryant, of Richmond, A. 11. Lee 1 , ot Newton, I. ] E. Shumate, of Whitfield, aud F. M. j Harper, of Terrell, were in session in | the hall of the House this morning, j The Committee agreed upon the follow- j ing interrogatories as sufficiently appli- t cable to tbe cases of ineligibility which i might come before them,: 1. Were you a member of Congress; J or of any State Legislature ; or did you j hold any executive or judicial office in j any State prior to the war ? j 2. Did you prior to the war tako an oath to support the Constitution of the United States? 3: Did you engage iu the rebellion j against the United States ; or give aid j or comfort to the enemies thereof? ' These questions are being propounded 1 to each and every member who comes j before the Committee, and will be put j to every member of tire House before | the investigation shall end. If the first two questions are answered in tbe neg j ative, (under oath) the person is at once dismissed. The iuvesigation was . progressing very satisfactorily and har moniously this morning. A few certificates were necessary in the cases of several, and it is the design j of the Committee to base their report ; upon such as are unable to answer the i three questions in tbe negative. The ! report will then become matter for tlie House to act upon. Up to 12 o’clock about seventy five members had been ; examined.— Atlanta Constitution , 15 th. Mopalio Key ill our. The people’s candidate for the Presi dency at me next election is a native of Utica, New York. His lather, who was j one of the earlier inhabitants of that. : city, and a native of Middlubury, Ver mont, was one of the most distinguish ed citizens of Central New York, and at the time of his death, which occurred about thirty five years ago, held the of fice of Canal Commissioner. Horatio Seymour, after receiving a liberal education, studied the law, and was admitted to the bar. Being pos sessed of an ample fortune, and having embarked at an early age in that career in which lie has been so successful aud so justly popular, he never practised his profession. Asa very young man he was the acknowledgetl favorite of the young Democracy ot New York. Ilis pure and spotless character, his sound judgement, and his fine oratorical pow ers rendered him, thirty years ago, by far the most conspicuous of the younger members of the Democratic party of the Empire State. _ Iu 1850 Mr. Seymour was elected Governor of New York by a small ma jority, over Governor Washington Hunt. Iu 1852 he was reelected by a majority of over twenty thousand. In 1862 he was again elected to the same high office, his term expiring in Janua ry, 1865. He was therefore, Governor of New York for two of the most im portant years of the late civil war ; and it is a matter of record t hat he cordially cooperated with Mr. Lincoln’s admin istration in all just measures for vigor ous prosecution of the war, and received the thanks of Mr. Lincoln for his exertions a short time previous to the death of the latter. Governor Seymour is about fifty-six years of age. His wife, a daughter of the late John R. Bleecber, of Albany, is universally admired for her intelli gence, loveliness of character, and ele gant manners. They have no children. Oi Mr. Seymour’s three sisters, one married Ledyard Sinclair, of Caseuovia; another Mr. Shonnarri, of Westchester; and another the Hon. Roscoe Conkling, United States Senator from New York. Governor Seymour’s speeches on subjects of great public interest during the last three or four years have been universally read, and have secured for him a national reputation. It is not extravagant to state that few speeches of tiie present day have ma lea deeper mpression on the public miud than ose of Governor Seymour. If elected to the Presidency—as he undoubtedly will be, by an overwhelm ing majority—ho will bring to the Presidential office talents equalled by but few of his predecessors. Iu patriot ism and purity of character he will not suffer by a comparison with the bright est names in American history. Horrible Homicide. Mr. M. V. Wood, a quiet and peaceful citizen, died, at his residence, in this city, last Sunday evening, from the effects of a large number of blows received from John Oswalt, appointee of Gen. Meade, as Deputy Marshal of Rome. It seems that Mr. Oswalt put Mr. Wood iu the Callaboose about 2 o’clock Sunday morning—for what offense we are not apprized—though it is said that he had been drinking. The other in mates of the Collaboose discovered, at daylight, that he was in an insensible condition. About Bor 9 o’clock, a citi zen happening to hear of his condition, called a physician, and had Mr. Wood carried to his home—where, without speaking, he died about 3 o’clock p. m. A post mortem examination showed that he had received about a dozen se vere blows, one of which severely frac tured his skull. As the matter is now undergoing a legal investion, we retrain ' from further particulars.— Rome Cour. It is said that only one white face vo ted the Radical ticket in D.sota county, ; Mississippi, and that he has since picked I up his carpet bag and put for Arkansas TO COLORED MEN. The following letter, addressed to the | colored rneif ot Tennessee, is equally ap- i plicable to the colored men of Georgia and Alabama. The editor of the Mem phis Avalanche, to whom the note re questing its publication,’ is addressed, says the author of the letter is one of the most intelligent colored men of Mem phis, and until recently, has been a leading member of the Radical party in that city. We commend the letter ol Harris to the collored people within the bounds of our circulation, and- especial ly to those of Radical proclivities in Co lumbus : Col. M. C. Galloway—l have been working faithfully for sometime with the Republican party in this city, but have become convinced that the white men of that party among us are not the true friends of my race—that they only wish to set us against the Southern men to gain power for themselves, aud then leave us to suffer the consequences of having foolishly made enemies of the men who are our true friends, lo try to turn mv people from a course 1 fear will lead to their ruin, I have written a letter, which please print in the Ava- J lanebe, so they all may see it, and you will do us a great good, ior which x >'"i’'“"l' , Si F HARRIS. Memphis, July 8, 1868. My Dear Colored Friends : The j destitution and suffering among us have set mo thinking of the causes that ! have brought about ibis unhappy con dition. The colored man is worse off in this part oi the State than he has S been at any time since his freedom, and j why is it so ? It is because you cannot | get work. \ou know two years ago you commenced voting with the Repub i iican party, and .you have been true to that party. At that time you were getting all the woik-you could do, and were well paid lor it. Now the men | who gave you work and paid you for it say you are voting to deny them the I right to vote, anil they are not willing jto give you work. aVud can you blame ; them, after voting to deny them the ! rights you claim for yourselves ? ! The Republican party has had the ■ rule here, and managed everything their own way for nearly ihree years, ! and yet things have got worse and j worse, and taxes higher and higher, ! till nearly all the money and Ihe enter prise of the country has been driven away, and business of all sorts nearly dead. You have sense enough to kuow tnat strangers don’t care whether you do well or not. What care they about your getting work or anything else, just so they iu power, through you. And when tbe so called Republican party goes out of power, the men who have been urging you to work against the Southern white man—not ior your good aud theirs, but for their own self ish purposes alone, will leave Ibis coun try. Then what will you do? Now, I say, if you intend to make this your home, stop working against the men of this country. The very idea of ihe men who pay the taxes not being able to vote, or have anything to do with making the laws under which t bey live, is shameful to he* said of a free aud in dependent people. I, for one, will never take part in keeping any man from tho right to vote. It seems so very foolish to talk about the time not come to allow the Southern white man the light to vote. It is a right that should never have been denied them. The builders of the Republican party say it is a right that all men should have. I shall contend for that right for all men, and shall never rest contented till the men who pay the taxes are allowed all the rights that you and I have under the laws of the United States. To say nothing of the light, just look at the unmanliness and unfairness of your wishing to deny to the educated men of the country, who pay nearly all the taxes, a privilege which you, who are ! not educated, freely enjoy. I tell you, ! my suffering friends, it takes education j to know how to use the ballot box prop ] erly. You must strive to become edu cated, and think and act for yourselves j like men. I believe that the only thing that will make peace in this country is universal suffrage and universal utnnee ty. I can say tor one, as I have been a slave for thirty years—yes, a slave as late as July, 1865, anu am not ashamed ot it—that it is hard to be denied the rights of man. Our race has beeu ae nied these rights lor near two hundred aud fifty years, aud you should ho no party to anything oi that kind toward \ your fellow man. I hope to live to see j you farmers and mechanics and mer j chants, and to have taints and work shops of your owu, aud I believe by a proper course on your part toward the men of this country you will make them your friends, anJ they will cut up their I large farms into small tracts, and sell, lease aud t ent to you, and that you will be perfectly sate on them ; and then, with industry and soberness, you will be able to earn a comfortable living, and school your children, aud lay up something for old age. You may think me wrong now, but you will learn that I am right, and many of you will tell me so. If lam wrong, then Greeley, Wilson aud Stevens are wrong. Now let us notice the amendment to the Constitution. Article 1 says: “Con gress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or the right ot the people peaceably to assemble and peti tion for the redress of grievances.” These people have sent up petition after petition, and they have been an swered only with wrongs. Take into consideration the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution ofthe United States, and I say denying any man the right to vote is a violation of the Constitution. Ten of these amend meats were the sen timents of the American people in 1789, when they knew no North, no East, no West, no South, but the Union, the Constitution, and the enforcement of the laws. Come down to 1865, when the 13th amendment was passed, which says ; “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in the United States, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” Well, now, will any one pretend that these people have been duly convicted of any crime ? Aud yet they are punished by reducing them to slavery, to a certain extern, and depriving them of a right they had under the Constitution. These men, whom wo have been working to keep from voting, acknowledge all these amendmedts as binding, and these se cure you in all your rights What more do you want of them ? Some men try to persuade you that the Southern men would make slaves of you all again, Do not listen to such men. The South ern people would not,if they could, and could not if they would, reduce you to slavery. The men who tell you so, and promise to do so much for you, only want power,and want you to help them to it, and then they care no more for you till next election time comes, for some of them in this very city have been known to say, “damn the negro, let him go lo bell; what do I care for him ndw ?” At the proper time I will call names. I shall at all times confine myself to facts, and fear no man, for I advocate truth and justice to all men, and know they will win in spite of what corrupt politicians may say and do. If you want land, you must work for it; if you want shops, you must work for them and make them your own, and then nobody can take them from you. Do not think that controlling local elections in favor of strangers will se cure you these things or do you any good. If you do, you will find to your cost in the end that you are wrong. Yoiir friend, John F. Harris. The scallawag D. H. < ht, killed in a difficulty with the editor of the Hands boro Democrat last week, is supposed to he a brother, or near relative of Gov. Orr, of South Carolina. He was a member of the Mississippi scallawag piebald— so called — Stale Convention The poor editor will be hunted to the ends of the earth, no doubt, if be at tempted lo escape. It is terrible fora white man to kill a scallawag, but no harm for a scallawag to kill a white man. As evidence of this, we cite the case of Morse and Thomas. The Milledgeville Recorder of Tues day says the drought still continues iu part of Georgia, and that every thing is parching up. Only one Jight j rain in eight weeks. REPORT OP THE PRESIDENT of tho Navnnuah and Memphis Kallrnail. i To the Directors and Stockholders of the ! Savannah and Memphis Railroad : The time for the annual election ol j Directors arid Officers of this Company i has again arrived without any material change having been made in the condi tion of this great enterprise. Our polit- ; ical difficulties, not yet adjusted, and tho monied interest ot the country still I depressed and deranged, we have been , unable to make any monied arrange- . meuts, either to commence operations | or to complete the survey from Tuseum- j bia to Opelika. Hut there are some hopeful indications ot a reaction in the affairs ot the Company. Many excel lent, enterprising citizens are setting in aud near Opelika, which will give to the enterprise more energy and power. Our political troubles are likely to be adjusted within the next twelve months, which will open new avenues to capital trom abroad, aud restore confidence at home in the enter rise. Aud again, wo learn from tho news papers, that the Georgia Central Rail Road has made arrangements to control all of the railroads Horn Savannah to Columbus, and design making arrange ments by a cheap tariff ot through freights, to draw cotton, ami control return freights to Meridian, Miss., over this line via Savannah to New Yotk, and to Europe, and having her gulf Hues nearly completed Southwest, with Savannah’s great lines ot steamers to New York and to Liverpool, will only need our link running Northwest via Tuscttmbia to Memphis, to -control ti large amount of cotton and trade tn the middle and upper Mississippi and its tributaries, to Savannah, and make it the greatest shipping port on the South ern Atlantic. The shortness of this Railroad line from Memphis to Havan nail, with the directness, expedition, and light insurance freight bills upon this route could be so arranged as to defy competition. It is proposed that we make our first effort to build from Opelika to the Ala bania and Tennessee Rivers Railroad.— We sent a committee along this line to Childersburg in 1859 to ascertain how much cotton would likely he drawn over it to our South-eastern markets, if this road was built to that point. The Com mittee reported then about 60,000 hales per annum. 1 have no means ol knott ing now,but as the country is a healthy, extensive woodland, and asa majority ol the labor then, as now, is white, I sup pose that the-falling off would not he more than one third. This much of the Road being complet ed would pass through the gold and copper veins of Tallapoosa and Coosa, and the Marble, Slate, Iron and Coal mines of Talladega, and would indirect ly connect with the Coosa and Cahaba coal and iron, and would be a very im portant road to Opelika and Columbus. The latter would soon became the Lo well of the South,-on account of her foundries, shops and factories, and greatly increase her commercial impor. tttnee. These considerations, with others now maintained, should so stimulate the friends of this great enterprise as to in sure success when the times become so quieted as to restore confidence to the country. Our able engineer, rOol. Hal'lde, proposed that if Columbus would subscribe §500,000. Opelika $50,- 000, Lee county SIOO,OOO, Tallapoosa, $200,000, in twenty year bonds to be sold in European or Northern markets, that the Company, with the aid it would receive by the endorsee.eht of the State to procure iron and rolling stock, would be quite sufficient to insure the road to tire Alabama & Tennessee Rivers Rail road, a distance of 82 miles. This ac complished, it could be built through to Tuscumbia at no very distant day. The proposition for Tallapoosa to subscribe $200,000 of her bonds was laid beiore tho Commissionere Court last fall and an ordinance passed to lay it. before the voters of the county, but tho Judgo of Probate concluded on the unsettled j condition oi the country, to postpone the election until this crop was develop ed. The proposition was favorably re ceived by the intelligent portion of our people, aud doubtless will be sustained if the people have a fair opportunity of voting on it. I refer you to tbe report of our Treas urer and Secretary fora statement of the financial condition of the Company as stated in a former report to a former board. I was unexpectedly called to preside over its board of directors, and have been ready to retire when tbe interest of tbe Company demand it. The mistor tunes of the war with increasing years, seems now to demand that I should re tire. It will be the duty and the interest of the friends of the" enterprise to cast around and secure the services of one to till my place, aud hoping that he may he able to fill it with much more abili y and success than I have done, is the humble prayer and wish ofyour humble servant. .T. R. Slaughter, President tiongresu Armliia: the S inthKrn !Ve- Itrues.—“Let ns Have Peace.” What Geu. Grant meant when he said “lbt us have peace,” has been explained by the action of his friends in Congress. He meant that all the powers and re sources of the country are to he employ ed to sustain military usurpations, and ! to enforce submission to negro suprem | aC y. We take the following from the j Congressional Globe of July 4: 1 Mr. Paine, from the Committee on | Reconstruction, by unanimous consent, \ reported a bill to provide for the issue | of arms for the use of the militia, which | was read a first aud second time. | The bill, which was read, authorizes | and requires the Secretary ot War to | deliver to the Governor of each Stale I and Territory represented in the Con i gress of the United States, at the seat of | goverment of such State or Teritory for the use of the militia thereof, as many I serviceable Springfield rifle muskets, ot I calibre fifty-eight, with accoutrements I and equipments, and serviceable field pieces’ with carriages, caissons, equip -1 ments, and implements, as the Gover ! nor of such State or Territory shall re quire for the use of the loyal militia ! therein, not exceeding two thousand rifled muskets, with equipments and I accoutrements, and two field pieces,with j carriages, caisons, equipments and im plements,for each Congressional District ! and Territory so represented, upon the I certificate ofthe Governor showing to ! tne satisfaction of the General of the ! army that the regiments and companies ! for which such ordnance and ordnance j stores are required are duly organized I of loyal citizens of such Stato or Terri- I tory under tho laws thereof; and the l ordnance and ordnance stores shall re : main the property of the United States, ! subject to the control of Congress. ! Mr. Paine—l demand the previous question. The previous question was seconded and the mam question ordered. The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and, being on grossed, it was accordingly read a third time and passed. Mr. Paine then moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed, and also moved that the motion to re consider be laid on the table. The latter motion was agreed to. Charles B. Lewis, a local editor of Lansing, Mich., was blown up on the Magnolia, near Cincinnati. He lias published his experience, which is not at all pleasant. He winds up as fol lows : “Getting home—my friends had been looking to see me come in a coffin—my wounds had all filled up with ‘proud flesh.’ This of course had to be burned out —driving mo crazy for a night and a day—and compelling me to use a so ! lution of blue vtriol twice a day lor for ty days. Bo you can form a slight idea of the pain and suffering, and how much ‘ye local' can endure without becoming 'dead matter.’ “Now, after a lapse of almost one hundrty.l days, 1 fiud myself once more about, but condemned to wear the sav age marks of the steam-fiend to my grave. A balu spot where the iron missile crushed my skull, a ‘ piebald ’ eye, a face that resembles a beet, and over my arms, body and limbs are sears that resemble great slices of fresh beef laid upon the skin. But after all, I am yet alive and getting ready to once more pursue the ‘itemizing’ business, which you know is vastly better than being fished out of the Ohio some torpid day, with no Coroner handy for an in i quest.” Letter from president j o i„. Reply to a Democratlc.t'o,,,,'"" '» New York, July 6.—a nun) citizens of New York, on the 2j ' June, addressed a letter to p t ' Johnson asking permission name be presented to the D en ' Convention as a candidate for cy. Mr. Johnson replied , w foi:' 1 " Washington, July 6, iggo '' r „ s tlemen : To youi friendly IT, whether, if deemed desirable i ' preservation aud unity of the eon' tive interests of the country I permit my name to be prescnti Democratic Convention ns « ( . for the office of President of tin l ' States, I would respectfully rt . B | v ul; ' lam uot ambitious of further ser a' I may say, indeed, of further endm-!!'' in that elevated position unU-.,!" call so general and unequivocal' t| ' would be an indorsement by tin- n!*, ' of my endeavors to defend the p union and the reserved rights 1/ several Commonwealths conn, what was once In fact the p, Union. Cf sucli approval, in tin cut temper of parties, I can, i,,.,-' ! have no reasonable expectation , history proves that men, who j„ t j cial position, oppose for any reason | cherished schemes devised by tai l j to acquire power, usually find mi,-, ! terminud assailants than open aud LT I est defenders; hence, in resistingu,, ures which, although sustained hyp I gress, I honest ly believe to he unerna | meuts upon the Constitution, mv'. ! has been made arduous and stouiiu, ; ungracious, by an opposition fully well organized, and posseMii ! controlling influence in the halls of j ! islatiou unprecedented in the history i the country, been compelled lo Uy, 1 my entire* timo to the issues tluuk been forced upon me, and to ront ; - aguinst a majority represented hyp thirds of each house ol Cougres. have been unable, while striving to - tect and maintain the liberties of ti, people, to check tne extravagant cxHq (liturea for objects not contemplated the Constitution, and to lighten t, - burden of taxations, which now rest; oppressively upon the nation. In the midst of these tnibarraseon:. 1 have not been discouraged. \\ from the public prints, or from 5... j unusually frank and outspoken Irk 1 have heard that I have no party, ti. suggestion has only served to rem me of a memorable remaik, uttc when faction ruled high in Home, 1 I Ctesar had a party, and Pompeysi, Cressus each had a party, hut that | Commonwealth had one aiming n. ] as the representatives of the peopk,■ - stand by the lights of llm Conn , | wealth. May I not pointedly nuk , h | application to my own case ? Conemit ed, in occupying my position as ! Federal Executive, to abide in si! | with the wrong aud encroachment! i the most insidious as well us du-i- . i characters, or sometimes when they a j incapable of arresting them, and pt: ' mitted only to employ the futile pr iests, aud compelled with only Ik privilege of remonstrance, or the ten ; hie alternative of counter revolmit. to resist the revolutionary projects a: obliged to stand in the attitude ot. mere spectator, whilst the iuvalual time of the nation has been wust j in careless assaults upon myself an. ! office for the benefit of a party I cannot complain of the peop while witnessing I have uot bet: able to make my cause thorough ly their own, the defense of tit Constitution aud laws their on: battle until, however, the people at. representatives will recognize non plainly tho imperative needs ol Ik country, by lightening tho burdwA a\ and onerous taxation as. preventing oppressive imports upon same article, beginning with its era : state and following it through the so cessive stages of manufacture to Hu: use aud cost, the people being tbs | made to pay extortionate accumulate tax. Till tho time appropriated iu Cot gross to partisan schemes is devolt more to legislating for the people wants, the nation will have to lie cot tent with the more delusive hope of be! ter times. Since mere parly politic will continue to be considered of mor moment than the study and practice! political ecoiVbnty, the reduction of IK ill's and making a precedent of mot consequence than tho domination of a national indebtedness, and a retutn I sound currency and specie payment with the people, there must rest It correction of whatever is wrong iu it respect indicated; and if their pub!: servants fiud them careless of their t: sponsibility; if tho people will not 4 their duty iu seeing that their repmet tatives perform theirs, no Executiv will ever have any power lo successful ly defend their rights, and few wiliest to hear the apology consequent upc: j the attempt. lam now, however, at have ever been, in the hands of tit. people and at their disposal. My sirs: I gle for the Union aud the integrity o | the Government began long years w I Conscious of having honestly discing ed my duties, and satisfied that tit ! contest in which I have been compcllt I to engage, will in the end, at least, it ure to the benefit, aud, indeed, to •' safety of constitutional liberty and lit j man rights, I can well afford, 1 thin; { to look calmly on the present and tvs patiently the verdict of the luture.- : Whilst 1 know that the struggle tm tl rights of the people and the defense the Constitution is not yet over, y believing that the late palpable faile: to do violence to that great iiistrunu: and the executive office, the worst th faction can do for the present has he; accomplished. I would only in conc’.tt ding this brief statement of my viev and feelings, express the hope that: the selection by the convention ot candidate for the Presidency, wlni; duty it will be if elected, to present protect and defend the Constitution,at to execute the laws made in pursuat | of its provisions, the public good, as | leading well defended principles, v ; not be sacrificed to the meagre purpe of party ascendency. Iu conclusion, gentlemen, permit i to thank you most earnestly for t kind expression of your abiding co: dence in me as a public servant, t sure you that the approval ot the pie is all that is requisite to tmil; feel that the efforts that 1 have i to restore the Union ou the basis of >; lice and conciliation have not beet s together in vain. Leaving myselt « my course in their hands, should '- continuance and conclusion of the ce: test to vindicate and preserve const:- tional government bo confided hy t» ! to abler and more worthy haitts, shall cordially acquiesce, as has my habit, in the decision of the At® cun people. I have the honor to be, gentlei® very respectfully yours, Andrew Johns®*' Under a mortgage executed in 1“ by the North East and South Alabama Rail Road Company, State of Alabama, Gov. Patton 8 J tises for sale, ou the 10th day ®J ? ; tember, 1868, at public auction, ni j city of Montgomery, “all the said.', East and South West Alabama j Road, without distinction Os stciie together with all and singular th ' purtenances and franchises; the - - ing and local work, the rolling every description including loconnt' J all warehouses, workshops, aml'i - houses, together with all fixture whatsoever nature, belonging t 0 !1 road.” This road was commenced to ® 1 structed before the war, from Men ■ Miss., to Chattanooga, via Livinp Eutaw and Tuscaloosa. Most ot ‘ grading from Meridicn to Tusca >’ has been done, and 18 miles ot the at the Western terminus, is n° w ! used by the Selma and Moiidicu r ‘■ We learn from the Claiborne Eagle, ol the Bth, that a Mr. I’ 1 ’"' 1 , Nettles had a personal difficult) 1 days previous, at Bell’s Landing) Alabama river, in which the shot and instantly killed. difficulty is not stated. i Free.—Gentlemen from „ state that Bennett and Wad® appear to he at liberty to move a please around Atlanta. Norestu ' are placed upon them. Most too Good. —Informal! 1 ’ 11 * very direct that James dj , hm\ U s pip 0 : been removed from the , ...giiiij l ; the port of Savannah. Un ,, L “ c4 u th* we aro glad of it. We can j name of tho new appointed.
