WEDNESDAY, February 26,
1862.
The court met pursuant to adjournment, all the members
present.
EDWARD REYNOLDS, a witness for the prosecution, being duly
sworn testified as follows:
By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:
Question. What is your age, place of residence and
occupation?
Answer. I am nineteen years old; reside in Columbia; I am a
printer by trade.
Question. Are you acquainted with the accused, Edmund J.
Ellis? If yes, state how long you have known the said Ellis and what is his
occupation or business.
Answer. I know the accused. Have known him about ten months.
He (Ellis) is a printer by trade and has been ever since I have known him the
editor of The Boone County Standard.
(Here the witness was handed copies of the newspaper styled
The Boone County Standard for the following dates, respectively, viz: Friday,
November 15, 1861; Friday, November 22, 1861; Friday, November 29, 1861;
Friday, December 6, 1861; Friday, December 13, 1861; Friday, January 3, 1862;
Friday, February 7, 1862.)
Question. Examine the papers shown to you and state whether
or not they are copies of the paper you have just referred to and whatever you
know with regard to their publication with your means of knowledge.
Answer. These are copies of The Boone County Standard that I
have worked upon for the last nine months. Mr. Ellis, the accused, was the only
editor I ever knew for the paper.
(The papers thus referred to were then offered in evidence
and no objection being made accepted, and are hereto attached, marked
respectively exhibits B, C, D, E, F, G and H and made part of the testimony for
the prosecution in this case.)
Question. Examine the articles styled “Letter from our Army”
and “To the Civil Officers of Boone County” in the paper now shown you and
state what if anything you know of their authorship.
(Here the witness was handed newspaper marked Exhibit B.)
Answer. Both articles are communications. I do not know who
wrote them. The first I know to be communication; the other I believe to be.
Question. Examine the paper now shown to you and state what
if anything you know of the authorship of the article entitled “The U. S. Flag —
Rebellion.”
(Here the witness was handed newspaper marked Exhibit F.)
Answer. I do not recollect the author of that if I know him.
I suppose it to be editorial.
Question. Examine the paper now shown to you and state what
if anything you know of the authorship of the article entitled “Carrier's
Address.”
(Here the witness was handed newspaper marked Exhibit G.)
Answer. I believe the man's name who wrote it was Dysen.
Question. Examine the pamphlet now shown to you and state
what if anything you know of its publication; where it was printed, by whom,
how many copies were printed, by whom circulated, by whom written. State all
you know connected with it.
(Here the witness was handed pamphlet “To the Patriot Army
of Missouri.”)
Answer. It was printed in The Boone County Standard office.
I think 300 copies were printed. Don't know who wrote it. Don't know who
circulated it. Don't know who it was printed for.
The pamphlet was here offered in evidence and no objection
having been made accepted, and is hereto attached, marked Exhibit A and made
part of the testimony for the prosecution in this case.
By a MEMBER:
Question. What became of the copies of the pamphlet marked A
of which you say some 300 copies were printed
Answer. They were taken from the office. Don't know who by
or where.
The prosecution here rested and the prisoner produced the
following evidence:
EDWARD REYNOLDS, a witness for the defense having been duly
sworn testified as follows:
By the PRISONER:
Question. Do you know of any copies of said pamphlet having
been circulated by Edmund J. Ellis, or by anyone else at his instance?
Answer. I do not.
Question. Was your position as an employé such that you had
a good opportunity of knowing whether it was so circulated?
Answer. Yes.
The defense here rested, and the prisoner declining to make
any statement or address submitted the case to the court.
The court was then cleared and after mature deliberation
upon the testimony adduced find the prisoner, Edmund J. Ellis, as follows, viz:
Of the first specification of the first charge, guilty.
Of the second specification of the first charge, guilty.
Of the third specification of the first charge, guilty.
Of the fourth specification of the first charge, guilty.
Of the fifth specification of the first charge, guilty.
Of the sixth specification of the first charge, guilty.
Of the first charge, guilty.
Of the first specification of the second charge, guilty.
Of the second specification of the second charge, guilty.
Of the third specification of second charge, guilty.
Of the second charge, guilty.
And the commission does therefore sentence him, the said
Edmund J. Ellis, to be placed and kept outside the lines of the State of
Missouri during the war and that the press, types, furniture and material of
the printing office of The Boone County Standard be confiscated and sold for
the use of the United States.
LEWIS MERRILL,
Colonel Regiment
Merrill's Horse, President Military Commission.
ROBERT A. HOWARD,
First Lieutenant,
Merrill's Horse, Recorder Military Commission.
Finding and sentence approved. The press, types, furniture
and material of the printing office of The Boone County Standard will remain in
charge of the quartermaster's department till further orders. The proper commanding
officer will see that the prisoner, Edmund J. Ellis, is placed outside of the
State of Missouri. Should he return within the lines of this State during the
war without proper permission he will be arrested and placed in close
confinement in the Alton military prison.
H. W. HALLECK,
Major-General.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of
the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series II, Volume
1 (Serial No. 114), p. 455-7
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