Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-12-19
A TALE OF MONTEREY.

siderable military force stationed at Fort
Leavenworth, young officer, whose talents
Il integrity had securedthe unbounded con-
hdence of the Government and his superior
officers, so as to obtain for him the office of
Commissary and Paymaster at the station,
appeared before the Commander of the
garrison with the complaint that he had
been robbed. He declared that his pocket
book had been taken and chest had been
broken open, and large amount Of his
own and of the Government funds taken
therefrom. When asked whom he suspec.
ted, he said that his LIST Sergeant had dis
appeared, and as he had placed great con-
fdence in him, and allowed him free access
to his room, he strongly suspected that he
was the thief.
The Colonel Immediately ordered several
officers and men TO take different routes and
pursue and arrest the fugitive Sergeant
They were soon on his track, though from
the start the deserter had of them, there
was but little hope of his arrest. The Lieu
tenant who had been robbed also volunteer
ed to pursue the thief, and mounting his
horse took different route from the other
pursuers. After long and severe ride, the
Sergeant was at last overtaken, in the road
on foot, his horse having foundered. He
was Immediately arrested and searched,
and on his person was found the sum of
two hundred dollars, which fact gave strong,
if not conclusive proofof his guilt. When
he was taken back to the Fort, private
was sent to inform Lieutenant T of the
capture. The private met the Lieutenant
returning, few miles from the Fort, when
he informed him that the thief had been ar
rested. The Lieutenant exhibited some
little confusion at the announcement, but
expressed his qualification at the arrest
As he felt greatly relieved by the informa-
ton communicated, he remarked TO the
private that he would take by-pa,h and
ride over TO grocery in the ncighborhood
to buy some presents for the men. In the
meantime he ordered the soldier to return
Immediately to the Fort. Accordingly they
parted, taking opposite courses. Lieu,
tenant 7 never returned TO the Fort,
nor was he ever afterwards seen in the
United States. His relatives and friends
all believed him TO have been killed, either
by his own hand or by that Of some of the
desperate characters who hang upon our
frontier.
The Sergeant was brought up for exami-
nation. The damning proofs were exhibit
ed to him; the money, his flight, &C., his
only reply was, "where is my accuser-
bring him before me and you shall see which
is the thief" But Lieutenant 7. could not
be found. The Sergeant then confessed
that he had been bribed by Lieutenant T.
to desert and take upon himself the infamy
| h,nl, hale tln / In,rtn m
himself, who was defaulter to the Gov
eminent, and wished 10 cover his crime by
the alleged robbery of the Sergeant Tha
he had given him two hundred dollar
and horse, 10 fly from the Fort, which
after severe conflict with conscience, he
at last consented to do, but that before he
had gone many miles his horse broke down
and he was thus overtaken and arrested.
There were few persons who would be
lieve this ingenious story of the Sergeant
and the fact that he had committed serious
crime, though perhaps not the one he wa:
charged WITH prevented the few who be
lieved his story from interfering in his be
half. He was accordingly delivered ovel
to the officers of justice, and after fail
trial was found guilty and sent to the Penl
Tertiary for seven years, where he now Is
On the first of October last, as the frs
division of the Mexican army was march
ing out of the city, the force of Gen
Worth was drawn up in line to salute them
One of the officers of the - infantry
who was standing in front of his company
observed, as he thought, familiar face il
the Mexican ranks-it was that of colone
of one of their regiments. As the Mex
can force halted for the rear TO come uT
the American officer left his post, and hav
ing looked up an old brother officer, bot
approached the Mexican officer, and closet
observed him. AS soon as the Mexican
eye fell upon the faces of the two Amer
cans, he was observed to grow deadly pal
and to pull his cap over his eyes and tur
away. But the Americans had seen enoug
to satisfy them that the Mexican Colon
was no other than the renegade Lieutel
ant =, for whose crime a poor ms
now suffers the infamy of Imprisonment
the penitentiary of Missouri. An inspe
ton of the Mexican military roll and i
g qury among the Mexican officers, confrr
, ed the truth of the personal observation
; our officers.
We understand that this evidence W
be laid before the Executive for the purpo
h of obtaining a Communication of the punis
b ment of the unfortunate Sergeant, the "
= tim of the infamous treachery and villai
: of this base officer, who, to the crime
}. having disgraced his countrys uniform a
|, betrayed its confidence, adds the eternal
d fanny of the parricide and the traitor.