Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-02-20
4 STARTLING EPISODE OF THE

: by girl proved to be Master Mason ant
q saved her brothers life, as he was about t.
be shot 1t appears that party of gncrril
u las who had been infesting the country, and
: = who had numbered murder among Their
other crimes, had a portion of their band
captured, and among them boy about. six
! q teen years old. They were confined in the
~ guard house, but during the night all but
NJ the boy contrivcd to escape. The corrcspor.
Of dent then writes as follows:
70 The boy, however, was still prisoner,
ps and all were determined that he should be
J (, made an example Of Accordingly, about
!, eight o'clock he was brought out, to be con.
Quoted to the place of execution, Upon
seeing the soldiers drawn up to receive him,
q he commenced wringing his hands, crying,
:, and calling to the captain, saying, "Oh,
!, Captain, Lam not guilty. Do not let them
"kill me. Don't, Captain, you can save me:
wIwill give you my watch-my sister VIII
u give you money. Oh, God! On, HOLY
!. Mother! Oh, Captain, speak to them quick.
they are taking me away {" With soldier
upon each side of him, he was now led by
the arms to the place Of execution, still call
d ing upon the Captain to save him. When
he discovered the coffin and grave that had
been prepared for him, he gave wild frantic
scream, and then for the first time seemed
to realize that in a few minutes he would be
no more among the living; for in moment
. after, he became calm, when turning to the
officer of the guard, he requested him to ask
the Captain If he would give him time to
write to his mother in Ireland The Cap
tain who was standing upon one side OF the
hollow square of the soldiers that surrounded
the prisoner, hearing his request, immedi,
atcly answered: "yes let him have wli
ting materials" which were Immediately
brought, when he kneeled down, placing the
paper upon the coffin lid, and as his pen
dashed of the words, "Dear Mother tears
fell upon the paper, which, in brushing away
with his coat sleeve, CT ased the words he
had written when, springing to his feet, he
commenced wringing his hands, saying, "
cannot write oh, soldier, will you write for
mey" addressing the corporal of the guard.
AT that moment, there arose upon the still
ness Of the scene, The wild piercing screams
of a female, as she burst through the ranks
of the soldiers, and swept out upon the hol-
low square, in the direction of the prisoner.
1t was an Irish girl, apparently about eigh-
teen years old, without bonnet or shoes, her
dress bespotted with mud, and her long
dark hair streaming in the wind, as she
rushed forward with wild heartrending
scream, saying, he is my brother he is
my brother T" In moment she had cross
ed the square, and clasping her hrother in
her arms, she continued with an agonizing
scream, g Oh soldiers, oh, holy mother
gentlemen! for the love Of Jesus do not kill
him, He is innocent. he is my brother =
Invver wish to look upon a scene like that
again; and many hardy hunter from lowa's
border while gazing on it felt the involunta-
nv tear course down his manly cheek But
we were surrounded by murderers and assas
sins. The hand that had received pay from
the soldier for draught Of water, had been
known to strike him in the back with dag
gor as he turned away and our officers had
determined to make an example Of the first
murderer that fell into our hands. The gir
at length was ordered to he removed, When
two soldiers advanced and Embossed hel
grasp upon her brother, her screams, her ap.
pcals Cor mercy were terrible. They had
dragged her but a short distance from him
when looking back and seeing black hand
kerchicf already tied over his eyes, with one
wild frantic scream, she flung the soldiers
from her, and bounding back to her brother
tore the handkerchief from his eyes, and
again embodied him in her arms. AS the sol
dlers were again removing her, the coat
sleeve of one Of them was torn during he,
struggles, and her eye fell upon breast pin
that he had fastened upon his shirt sleeve
perhaps for conccalment and safety. In an
instant all her physical powers were relaxed
and in calm, subdued, and confident tone
Of voice, she observed, as she pointed to the
min, Soldiers, let me make one more effort
Tor nv BROTHER The soldiers, startled al
the strangeness of her manner, Embossed
their grasp upon her, and in a moment she
bounded away to her brother, shielding his
body again with her person at the very mo.
ment the guns were descending to receive
the word "fire" Turning her back to her
brother, and facing the file Of soldiers, she
stood forth stately woman There was no
scream, no tear, no agOnizing expression,
but calm and erect, she swept the field with
he. eye, and then advancing three steps, she
gave the grand hailing signal Of the Master
Mason. None but Masons among those sol.
diers observed it, an there were many oil
them in that command, who now stood mute
with establishment at the strange and mys.
terious spectacle before them. There was a
grouping of the officers for few minutes
when the Captain came forward, and in q
loud voice said, " that owing to the distress
and interference of the young woman, the
execution would be postponed until nine
o'clock the next day." The guard was then
ordered to be doubled, and strict watch
ordered to be kept over the prisoner during
the night. ra
Notwithstanding this precaution, it was
discovered in the morning that both the boy
aud his sister had made their escape; in wha,
way they accomplished it, has been mys
terry to the company from that time to this
During the early part Of the evening, there
was meeting Of the Masonic members OF
the company at the Captains quarters,
where the girl was examined, ard found to
have passed all the degrees in Masonry, to
that of a Master Mason. Where or how she
had acquired these degrees, she declined to
say. She and her brother had been in the
United States but about ten weeks, having
come from Ireland for the purpose of pur.
chasing farm, intending when they had
done so, to send for their mother and young
CT brother. The boy did not know that his
sister was Mason, and only knew that his
father, when living, was Master of lodge in
their native town in Ireland.