--According to adjournment from last Tuesday, the preliminary examination of
Mrs. Patterson Allan, who stands, charged with treasonable correspondence with the enemy in the month of June last, was commenced before
Commissioner Wm. F. Walson yesterday morning.
At 1 o'clock the parties entered the court room.
Mrs. Allan was accompanied by her husband, and during the progress of the trial remained with her features entirely obscured behind a thick brown veil.
P. H. Aylett,
Esq.,
C. S. Attorney, appeared for the
Government, and
the Hon. James Lyons and
Gen. George W. Randolph acted as her counsel.
The names of the witnesses were then called over, all of whom answered to their names.
Dr. Erasmus Powell was first examined, and testified that he had been acquainted with
Mrs. Allan for five or six years; knew her intimately, and, having corresponded frequently with her, could identify her handwriting.
[Several of the intercepted letters were here produced, some of which he identified.] He had received, sometime about the 10th of June, a note from
Mrs. Allan covering two letters directed to some persons at the
North, with the request that he would have them forwarded.
He took them to a gentleman who he knew had been in the habit of sending off letters by blockade runners and thought no more of the matter. --He did not read the letters himself, and therefore could not have known what were their contents.
The person in whose hands he placed the letters had been in the habit of running them through to the
North.
Miss. Hoge, daughter of
Rev. Moses D. Hoge, of this city, was intimately acquainted with
Mrs. Allan.
Never heard her mention
the Rev. Morgan Dix's name [the individual at the
North to whom the letter purporting to contain treasonable language was directed] till after her arrest.
Was informed that
Dix was an Episcopal Minister, living in New York city, and the son of
Gen. Dix. --
Mrs. Allan was an inmate of her father's family; was looked upon as one of them, and was regarded by all with the greatest esteem and friendship.
During an intimate acquaintance of three years, the most of which time they were together,
Mrs. Allan manifested the kindest feelings towards every member of her father's family.
She had never heard her express any other than the most loyal sentiments towards the
South.
While on a visit to
Mrs. Allan's country seat in
Goochland, some time in June last, and while her father was in
Europe, she (
Miss Hoge) had several conversations with the accused on the subject of our difficulties, and she could confidently assert that none other than the warmest interest in our final success was shown by
Mrs. A. She was well acquainted with
Mrs. Allan's writing, and did not see the slightest resemblance between the chirography of the letter containing the treasonable matter and that of any other writing which she had seen of
Mrs. A.'s. Could not believe that she wrote the letter in question.
Mrs. Hoge testified that
Mrs. Allan was at her house but twice during the absence of her husband (
Mr. Hoge) in
Europe.
On the first occasion she came in the morning and left again in the afternoon; the second time was the day on which she was arrested.
She came that morning before breakfast, and about ten o'clock in the day
Gen. Winder had her arrested.
Nothing had ever occurred before or since her arrest to weaken her confidence in
Mrs. Allan; her conduct had always been kind and affectionate to every member of the family, more especially
Mr. Hoge.
Had known
Mrs. Allan six or seven years, and during that time had not observed anything which induced her to doubt her loyalty to the
South or her friendship for the family.
Gen. Winder showed her (
Mrs. Hoge) the letter which caused
Mrs. Allan's arrest, and the writing was not at all like any former writing of hers which she had seen.
She could not believe that
Mrs. A. ever wrote such a letter.
[It will be recollected that this letter contained all about the movements of
Dr. Hoge, when he was expected home,&c]
Mrs. Allan had always been so kind to
Mr. Hoge that she could not think she wrote the letter in question.
Believed her friendship was entirely disinterested, as nothing in the world could be gained by dissembling and playing the hypocrite.
Another witness, and the one who had been entrusted with the letters to be sent
North, testified that he had received through the hands of
Dr. Powell, some time about the 1st or 10th of June a letter to be sent
North.
It had been his practice to forward through the hands of different blockade runners letters from persons in the
South to their friends at the
North.
He had also been in the habit of reading over every one placed in his hands, before delivering them to the blockade-runner — did so because he felt it his duty.
The day before he thought of sending the letter given him by
Dr. Powell, he broke the seal to it, and finding that it contained disloyal matter took it to
Judge Ould, who advised him to show it to
Dr. P. He did so, and was told by the doctor that the letter had been sent to him by
Mrs. Allan; then took it again to
Judge Ould, who took it from him and said he would lay the matter before the proper authorities.
Had never opened any other letter of
Mrs. Allan's.
When called upon by the prisoner's counsel to give the name of the blockade runner who was to take
Mrs. Allan's letter through the lines, this witness refused to do so, unless compelled by the
Government, as he (the blockade runner) was an agent for the
Confederate States, and it might be to the disadvantage of the
Government for his name to be made public.
Mr. Lyons made an earnest appeal to the
Commissioner to make the witness answer his question, as it was material to the defence to know who he was. He thought it an outrage, when a lady's liberty, and perhaps life, was at stake, that a gambler could come into Court and in the course of his testimony refuse to surrender the name of the party to whom was to be intrusted letters which were to be taken
North.
It was a proceeding which, if adhered to by the
Commissioner, would be a novelty in his legal experience, and he insisted upon his right to an answer from the witness.
Mr. Aylett, for the prosecution made a brief reply to the remarks of
Mr. L., after which he was followed by
Gen. Randolph.
The
Commissioner then decided that the counsel were entitled to the name which they demanded to know of the witness, and so directed him to answer the question.
At this stage of the proceedings a subpœna was directed to be served upon the blockade runner; when, at about four o'clock, the
Court adjourned the further examination of witnesses until this morning at 11 o'clock.
Mrs. Allan was then delivered over to the custody of the
Marshal, who conducted her back to
St. Francis de Sales Asylum, the place from whence she had been taken.
