The "Secret organization to assassinate the President and Overthrew the Government."
--Some two weeks since considerable sensation was created in this city by the report that two foreigners, had been arrested on the charge of leading an organization which existed in this city, whose object it was to assassinate President Davis, liberate the Yankee prisoners, and overturn the Government generally. The two men arrested and committed to Castle Thunder were named Moses Friedland and A. Heintz. At the time of their arrest it was promised that in a few days developments would be made which would "startle the natives," and which would lead to the arrest of hundreds of our citizens who were members of the incendiary association. In due time the parties were taken before Gen. Winder; but that functionary, from some cause or other, concluded that it was not in his power to dispose of the matter, and therefore turned the prisoners over to His Honor, the Mayor of this city. It having been made known through the public prints of this city that Heintz and Friedland would undergo an examination on Saturday last, the Mayor's Court was crowded with spectators, all curious to know how far this diabolical plot had progressed. In a short while, however, after the opening of the case, the large assemblage present, finding that a mountain had been made of a mole hill, began to disperse, and by the time the Mayor had concluded his investigation very few but those who had business there remained in the Court-room. The following is the evidence which was given:John L. Weatherford, C. S. Detective, sworn.--Having reason to suspect that certain parties in this city were running persons through to the Yankee lines, I was directed by Capt. McCubbin, Chief of Police, to ferret the matter out. Heintz's house was pointed out as the most probable place at which I could obtain all the information desired. Accordingly I went there, and found Heintz behind the counter and two soldiers on the other side, one of whom was too drunk to say or know anything, while the other, though far from being sober, was sufficiently rational to stand up and know what he was talking about. While waiting for Friedland, (who had been designated as the man to make my inquiries of,) I overheard Heintz say to the soldiers that a project was on foot among the old women of Richmond to mob President Davis; but that they were not the proper persons to do it.--In his (Heintz's) opinion, the soldiers should be the ones to do it, and if they would the rebellion would soon blow up. Heintz also remarked that he had understood the prisoners here had by some means obtained possession of arms, and in a short time they would break out, when there would be great confusion. While this conversation was going on Friedland came into the store and assented by nods of his head and occasionally saying "Yes" to what was said. He inquired of Friedland as to the person who could pilot him to the North, and as certained that it was Dr. Wm. Maclure. He then left and informed Gen. Winder about what he had heard, when he (Winder) ordered the arrest of the two prisoners.
Messrs. Reese and Mitchell, Confederate Detectives, knew nothing of the affair, except that they had, under General Winder's orders, arrested Heintz and Friedland.
In addition to this evidence several printed notices of meetings, similar to those which are used by the Odd Fellows, Masons, and all other secret societies, which were found at the house of the accused, were gobbled up and brought into Court. It turned out, however, that Heitse is a prominent member of an order known as the "Red Men,"and the words "meet at your grove," which had probably been construed as announcing a meeting to be held in some secluded private woods, simply meant the assembling at their lodge room.
Messrs. Daniel Ratcliffe and Jos. M. Carrington, counsel for the prisoners, called up a number of witnesses for their clients, all of whom testified that there were no more loyal persons in the city. They had known them for years, and hesitated not to say that for gentlemanly demeanor and patriotic feelings their character was unimpeachable.
At the conclusion of the testimony His Honor frankly confessed that he had failed to discover the slightest ground upon which he could remand the parties. There had been no distinct charge made before him against them, and as Gen. Winder, who had first had the matter under consideration, had thought proper to turn them over to him, (the May or,) he took it for granted that that officer had failed to discover any offence which they had committed against the laws of the Confederacy. He was opposed to the arrest of citizens upon mere rumor, and wished his officers distinctly to understand that they were not to go about taking up private citizens upon mere hearsay; they were only to make arrests when distinct charges were made, and even then the testimony must be of a responsible character. The Mayor had no idea that either the President or the Government had anything to apprehend from the two men before him, and he should consider the matter no farther. They were thereupon discharged.
