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The Sentence.A .pecial dispatch from Indianapolis j A Military Vxc^jtioat Indian.to the Cincinnati Enquirer states that the Military Commission, or Court, convened j 5 by General Hovey for the trial of political prisoners, has given its verdict andIt stated that Messrs. Milli-adjourned.gan, Bowles and Horsey have been sentenced to be shot to death by musketry. Andrew Humphreys is sentenced to imprisonment during the war. These find-1Last Friday, three deserters or bounty-jumpers were shot at Indianapolis. Their names were John. Murray, John Hanra-, . • lt;-j » •han, and Chas. Billingsly. Another named John Doyle or John Lemon was to have been executed at the dame time,but owing to the intercession bf his brother he was reprieved, by .the .President for ten‘days. None of the eohdemned'were na-tigs have been approved by Hovey, and : tivey of tt;8 gta{6j excejJt Billingsly, whonow only await the signature of the President to be carried into execution.This verdict wilj certainly strike our readers with tstonishment. Not that *was born at Gfeencastle.From the account of the execution inbody unknown to the law* should assume to pass upon the life and liberty of their fellow-men, because we have seenso much disregard of law and so many violations of the Constitution within thepast four years as to be prepared for that. But any one who has watched the prog-fress ol the trial, and read the testimony, cannot fail to be astonished at the finding. *the Sentinel, we take these paragraphs:Everything being in readiness, a Sergeant who had been selected for that dutyapproached John Maloney, or Murray,and led him to coffin No. 2. Here his feet© * ... __ » '\ *were tied, his coat taken off, and he Was# * iforced to sit upon the foot of the receptacle in which his flesh will return to thedust from whence it sprang. Hanraban was placed in like position upon coffin No.3, and Billingsly upon No. 4. Their capswere then taken off, a white bandage wasc rT . _ placed over their eyes, and three doomedso far as Mr. Humphreys is concerned, i mor£als had seen their last of sunshine onThe only circumstance alleged against him was that he was present at the time of the excitement over the impressment of horses by a company of soldiers in Cass township. The man Cowgill, who testified against him in that regard, got up on that occasion and publicly endorsed the advice Andy had just given the excited populace. The universal opinion has been that he would be acquitted. Ifthis side of the grave !As the last bandage was securely fastened, Major Gazzam retired to the left of the Holy Father, and, addressing Lieut. George Wagner, Acting Post Adjutant, in a firm, clear voice gave the order, “All is ready ” Lieut. Wagner then promptly gave the exciting command, “Ready, aim, fire!” and the loud report of that volleyof musketry announced to the assembled*multitude that the bloody deed was done.As the bullets sped on to their deslina-lie was guilty of treason, he should suf-j tion, and pierced the bodies of the unfor-fer death; if not he ought to be restored lunate men, not a groan was heard to to liberty. escape from their lips. They fell backIn this connection the Cincinnati En-cape irom meir up like logs of wood, and hardly a muscle was seen to quiver, except in (he case of quirer indulges in the following remarks: j Billingsly. Hanraban fell upon his coffin,The hearts of the people of this coun-j and remained there. The two others fell try will be ^hocked at the rumored result j first upon their coffins, and then rolledof the lateIncti vUeJJUita^y Com mission', sitting at} off upon the ground, pons, wherein Messrs. Milligan, Surgeon Charles J. Kipp, in charge ofjanapoBowles and Horsey have been found guil-tbe prison hospital at Camp Morton,ty of treason and sentenced to be shot to whose duly it was to examine the bodiesdeath. Great God, have we come to this; has our Constitution been entirely trodden under foot; has the genius of Liberty forsaken this once happy land; are we really in the cold and dismal despotism of Russia, where the lives of our people are but stakes in the hands of military despots, who play them for advancement and for power? We can hardly believe that the Administration of Abraham Lincoln, with all its outrages perpetrated in the past, will dare to carry this sentence into execution—a sentence that will be looked *upon by every lover of liberty in this country and in Europe, as the most cruel, diabolical and vindictive outrage that has ever disgraced humanity. This is what the people may now begin to look for, since despotism has got an extended lease of power. The lovers of liberty will wait to eee what Abraham Lincoln will do.We did at first indulge the hope that this painful news was merely sensational, and that it would prove to be unfounded. We understand, however, that a gentleman of this place yesterday received aletter from Mr. Humphreys requesting him to send a messenger to his wife in Greene county, that she come immediately to Indianapolis, and be certain to reachthere this evening. From this, we presume that Andy has received official no-tifica on of the sentence; that he will besent off in a day or t.w.o, and as he has not seen his wife since his arrest, we presume he desires an interview before his long imprisonment, probably in one of the hastiles on the seaboard.Lafter the execution gave it as his opinion that Billingsly would not die within ten or fifteen minutes. Under these trying circumstances Major Gazzam, as an act of humanity, ordered forward a platoon of four men, one of whom was commanded to place the muzzle of his gun at the breast of the dying man, and fire ! Repugnant as was the duty, be had no other alternative than To obey; the deed was done, and the struggling soul was freed from its earthly tenement. Let no man consider this other than a deed of mercy. It was dreadful, it was appalling; but it was an imperative necessity suggested alike by the promptings of humanity and a stern sense of duty.The bodies, alter the execution, were placed in the plain brown coffins, and in a brief space of time were conveyed from the camp in a covered lumber wagon. They were taken in charge by Father Bessonies, and will be interred according to the usages and under the auspices of the Catholic church.The only feature of monstrosity witnessed by our reporter was the presence] of quite a number of women, who seemed eager to gaze upbn every horrid feature of the dreadful occurrence. These women were a libel upon their sex. They deservethe scorn and execration of all Christen-r % ►dom.The rebel prisoners confined at Camp Morton were all marched out, under strong guard, to witness the execution.They were comfortably dressed withthick brown blankets, and attracted considerable attention frqm ther attending citizens.
Newspaper Details
Sullivan Democrat
Sullivan, Indiana, US
Thu, Dec 29, 1864
Page 2
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USA 11 Jul 2020
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