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Story
November 15, 1854
Clearfield Republican
Clearfield, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania
What is this article about?
In a Massachusetts court trial, three Know-Nothing members testified to oaths against voting for foreigners or Catholics, but refused to reveal other secrets like member names, citing fear of personal injury, seen as a threat to citizens' rights.
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OCR Quality
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Full Text
THE KNOW-NOTHINGS IN COURT.
A new phase of Know-Nothings is exhibited in a recent criminal trial in one of the courts of Massachusetts. Three witnesses were examined, members of that order, who confessed to membership, and to such facts as went clearly to show that the accounts of the proscriptive character of the obligations enforced by the order, as frequently published to the world, are mainly correct. They all positively declare that the members were sworn not to vote for any foreigner as a candidate for any political office, and for no Catholic, whether foreign or native born.
But this is not all. When asked certain other secrets of the order, such as the names of its members, &c., so as to give the jury light upon the case then before them, and upon which they were sworn to decide "according to the law and the evidence," they each positively declined, saying that "to do so would be to render themselves subject to personal injury."
Further comment is unnecessary.
Who cannot see that this is a bold stroke at the dearest rights of every citizen, and endangers their property and lives.
A new phase of Know-Nothings is exhibited in a recent criminal trial in one of the courts of Massachusetts. Three witnesses were examined, members of that order, who confessed to membership, and to such facts as went clearly to show that the accounts of the proscriptive character of the obligations enforced by the order, as frequently published to the world, are mainly correct. They all positively declare that the members were sworn not to vote for any foreigner as a candidate for any political office, and for no Catholic, whether foreign or native born.
But this is not all. When asked certain other secrets of the order, such as the names of its members, &c., so as to give the jury light upon the case then before them, and upon which they were sworn to decide "according to the law and the evidence," they each positively declined, saying that "to do so would be to render themselves subject to personal injury."
Further comment is unnecessary.
Who cannot see that this is a bold stroke at the dearest rights of every citizen, and endangers their property and lives.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
Crime Story
What themes does it cover?
Justice
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Know Nothings
Criminal Trial
Secret Oaths
Anti Foreigner
Anti Catholic
Witness Refusal
Where did it happen?
One Of The Courts Of Massachusetts
Story Details
Location
One Of The Courts Of Massachusetts
Story Details
Three Know-Nothing witnesses in a Massachusetts criminal trial confessed to oaths prohibiting votes for foreigners or Catholics but refused to disclose other secrets like member names due to fear of injury, viewed as an attack on citizens' rights.