Case of William F. Getty.

W. F. Getty was arrested in washington October 1, 1861, by order of Brigadier General R. B. Marcy and comitted to the Thirteenth Street Prison and from thence transferred October 30, 1861, to the Old Capitol. e was charged with being a spy and with having in violation of the President's proclamation crossed thelines of the Federal forces and visited Richmond. The report of the provost-marshal of Washington by his agent, Major Allen, dated October 29, 1861, shows that Getty endeavored some time during the last of september to obtain a situation as a secret agent of the United States Government, pretending that he knew many secessionists in Baltimore who could not be known to the police of that city. Having een sent to General Dix with a letter from Colonel Marcy, he was referred by the former to Marshal Dodge, of Baltimore, and reeiving no encouragement returned to washington. On the 30th of September Colonel Marcy telegraphed to General Dix making inquiries about Getty and received a reply stating that the police report that-

Mr. Getty is a very bad man and is aspy of the Confederates. We arrested his paramour, a notorious courtesan, and read his letter to her. We know him well.

The following extract from the letter above referred to indicates that Mr. Getty was or had been engaged in practices inimical to the United States Government:

FREDERICK, MD., Wednesday Night.

DEAR BECKIE: Jennie was arrested on her way up, but I guess she has been released by this time. Even if not nothing can be done with her. If it had been my case I should have fared differently. * * * I was sorry that she was detained, but it was far better for her to have been arrested than for me. * * *

FRANK.

Jennie Smith, the person referred to in the above letter, was arrested in June, 1861, at the Relay House, and on searching her under garments a quantity of percussion caps and military buttons were found. She is represented to have been a violent secessionist and as having visited the rebel camps in Virginia. The said William F. Getty remained in custody at the Old Capitol February 15, 1862, when in conformity with the order of the War Department of the preceding day he was transferred to the charge of that Department. - From Record Book, State Department, "Arrests for Disloyalty. "

HDQRS. CITY GUARD, PROVOST-MARSHAL'S OFFICE,
Washington, D. C., October 29, 1861.

Brigadier General A. PORTER, Provost-Marshal.

DEAR SIR: I have the honor to report that a man named William F. Getty arrived here about the 21st of september last from the South; that he was on the following day brought by Mr. Hanscomb, of the New York Herald reporting force, to the residence of General McClellan. Getty represented that he was originally from Baltimore but had been in Virginia, and was there employed by General Johnston, of the rebel army, in writing army orders, &c. Getty made some disclosures to General McClellan calculated in his estimation to give General McClellan a favorable impression of his adaption to enter the secret service. Soon after he (Getty) made application to Colonel Marcy, chief of staff, for a situation in the secret service of the United States Government under General McClellan, and was at that time referred to me.