Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-07-17

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mil ght be observed in leaving the island,
and his object suspected by some one Of his
friends, he determined to remain until the
shades of night should screen his retreat, as it
had his approach Fatal determination =
j The delay cost him his life. It so happen
ed that while he was wandering about on
the island he was met by man named Cor
nelius Hetfeld, one of those cold-blooded
Williams who have no regard for any of those
principles which even govern the most bar
barious warfare, but fought for plumber,
and was governed only by the bloody in
stincts of his brutal nature. This man had
command of party of six renegades of a
similar stamp whose names were Job Het-
field, James Hetfeld, ST., James Hetfeld,
jr, Elias Man, Samuel Man, and Job
Smith. All of these were former residents
of Elizabethtown, except Smith, who was
from Bergen. The leader, Cornelius Het-
field, recognized Ball, and knowing his re-
bel proclivities, arrested him under pretence
of his being a spy, Notwithstanding his as
servations that his object was a peaceful one
They stripped and searched him, and find
ing the money which he had received for
his beef upon him, they quickly relieved
him of it, and appropriated it among them
selves, and then carried their prisoner be-
fore Gen. Patterson for trial as spy
This officer explained to them the object Of
Balls visit to the camp, and directed them
to let him go. This did not suit their pur-
poses, as in that case they would have to
restore him his money and they made an
other effort to rid themselves of this incum-
brance by taking him to General Skinner,
who refused to try him by court-martial,
and pretended to shudder at the idea of try
ing and executing man who had brought
them provisions. Foiled in this attempt, the
determined refugees made up their minds to
try him themselves, and a mock court-mar-
tial was instituted on the spot. The YER
dict may readily be imagined, and the SEN
tence was that he should be chung by the
neck until he be dead!'' In vain he pleaded
the proclamation inviting visits such as his;
in vain he begged that his case be heard by
the proper authorities his judges were in
exorable, and he was told that he must pre-
pare to die. They well knew that the course
/ they were about to pursue would not be
sanctioned by the British commandant, and
to screen themselves from observation, they
determined to take their prisoner to the OPP
posite shore, where there could be none to
interfere with their hcllish object, and where
they would be undisturbed in it's consuma-
tion. For this purpose, they placed him on
board Of his own boat, and rowed across to
the old Tide-Mill, on Bergent Point They
found a small persimmon tree near the beach
which answered for a gibbet, and beneath
its branches they all gathered with their
prisoner except one, who was left in charge
Of the boat The unfortunate man looked
in vain in the countcnances of his cxecu-
TONERS for the smallest sign of commissera-
ton, but over the faces of all was spread an
expression ofhatred, or of perfect Indifference
to his fate. Finding that they were bent on
putting him to death, and that there was no
hope of their relenting in their deadly purpose
he begged to be allowed time to prepare for the
great change from life to eternity. But even
this boon was denied him by his captors, who
told him with an oath, that he had but ten
minues to live. He was also told that if he
wanted any one to pray for him, one of their
number would oiliciatc; and one Of the i'm
pious wretches ventured to commence a
prayer The words choked his utterance,
however, and he was obliged to give over
the attempt, amid the brutal cheers and
laughter Of his associates. A barrel was
procured, and, at the expiration of the al
lotted time, the wretches in whose hearts
beat no responsive feeling of pity for their
unfortunate victim, ordered him to mount
! thereupon. Even after he had done so, and
one of their number had tied the hangman's s
knot under his ear, after throwing the other
end OF the rope over limb of the tree, he
!, entertained the hope that the Tories only
intended to frighten him, for he could not
entertain the thought that they would mur-
der him so coolly and deliberately but he
was doomed to be mistaken. Just before
he swung off, James lIetfeld stepped for
ward, and drawing his knife from his belt,
placed it IN the hand of the prisoner, de-
claring that he should not 60 into the other
world unarmed. The signal was now Civ
en-, and while those who held the rope pull
ed the prisoner off his feet, the barrel was
kicked away from under him, and Stephen
Ball was launched into eternity.
After he had hung until they were salts
fled that he was dead, the rope was cut, and
the body fell into a shallow grave which
they had dug at the foot of the tree. They
then leaped into their boat and returned to
the opposite shore. A day or two after
ward, the father of the unfortunate man,
hearing of the tragical death of his son, OBJ
tanned flag for the purpose of bringing off
his corpse; but this privilege was denied
him, and it was not until after the war that
his body was disinterrcd and placed in the
burrying- ground at Newark When the
British evacuated the island, npon the de
claration OF peace, m ost of the ruffians on
gagged in this diaholical act fed to Nova