Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-04-27

ciates, and | could not de ceive them. They
stepped into the house near by, and soon |
was surrounded by Confederate soldiers,
who ordered me to surrender, and did not
do anything else and they seemed well
pleased that they had a yankee spy in their
power.
was very soon locked in prison, and
in cell 81 feet long, 81 high, and % wide,
where | remained three months, and saw
no light during the time. | was fed with
bread and water twice day, and being
quite tall, as you see, could not straight
en- my limbs during the time
At the same time l30 Union men were
brought out and one of their number was
to be burned alive. They cast lots, and
the lot fell on an old man whose locks had
been whitened by the frosts of more than
seventy winters, and were as white as the
driven snow, and fell gracefully down over
his collar.
Before being taken to the stake, pray
er was offered, and oh ! what "a prayer
meeting that was. Such earnest sincere,
heartfelt, agonizing prayer, very seldom
ascends from mortals.
"Prayer over, the old man was led out,
and black man with him. Then they
were bound back TO back to the stake,
their hands stretched out and small chain
was wound around them from their feet to
their hands. Then brush was piled around
them, oil poured on the brush, and then the
fatal, Internal match was applied, with
! worse than Internal hands, and the flames
instantly ascend in awfully majestic col
umns, and their fierce and Iurid contortions
they seized the victims, and oh . what hor-
rid shrieks rent the air. A few moments
more and all was over with them
To the remaining 1919 was given the
chance to take the oath of allegiance or
die, and the instantaneous, unanimous re-
ply was, we can never own allegiance to a
government which will tolerate such hor-
rid crimes as that. We love the Union,
and dear old flag, and then one by one they
marched out and were shot
" was then placed on the scafold the |
rope adjusted about my neck, and the cap
drawn over my eyes, and that was the |
happiest moment of my life. thought in
a few minutes | shall see mother, whom |
loved as did myself, and | shall see my
Saviour, too, whom love a great deal bet
ter than | do my mother or myself and |
then all sin and sorrow, pain and anguish,
will never mar the happiness which felt
confident | should forever enjoy. But thark .
Who are those riding in such haste List
en- ! Says one of them 9" believe that
is Joshua" They came a little nearer and
Gen. Joe Johnson ordered the cap removed
and | confronted my father face to face
1t was an interesting moment. | was then
sent back to the prison, but soon was put
in an iron cage and exhibited as the Yam
kee spy who escaped hanging
" But the officers who expected to hang
me were not pleased with the idea of be-
ing deprived of the privilege of seeing a
Yankee dance on nothing.
After being exhibited till they were
satisfied, | was allowed to go out of the
prison, and was sent to the outskirts of the
city, on some pretended errand, which
always faithfully performed and immcdi-
ately returned. One evening | came in
and my keeper said to me Wood, why
don't you go away from here ~ Said |,
That would be forfeiting my word, and
consider my word when given, worth more
than my neck" Said he, "If you will
leave tomorrow we will not consider it any
violation of plghted faith" The morrow
came, and left the prison forever | wan
dered through the country and escaped de-
lection until was safely within our lines,
and under the Stars and Stripes.
al have told you this incident, my com
rade soldiers, to show You how God can
protect those who put their trust in Him.
Come, put your trust in Him and you are
safe" Yours truly,
April 8, 1865. Z. P. CoBURN.
Why JEWS ARE BEArTIFUL-C -Chatcaubriand
gives a fanciful but agreeable reason for
the fact that the Jewish women are so much |
handsomer than the men of their nation
He says Jewesses have escaped the curse
which alighted upon their fathers, husbands
and sons. Not a Jewess was to be seen
among the crowd of priests and rabble who
insulted the Son of God, scourged him,
crowned him with thorns, and subjected
him to infamy and the agony of the cross.
The woman of Judea believed in the
Saviour, and assisted in soothing him under
affliction A woman of Bethany poured on
his head precious ointment which she kept |
in a vessel of aIabastcr. The sinner anoint-
ed his feet with perfumed oil, and wiped
them with her hair Christ on his part,
extended mercy to the Jewess. He raised
from the dead the son of the widow of Main,
and Martha's brother Lazarus. He cured
Simons mother-in-law, and the woman who
touched the hem of his garment. To the
Samaritan woman he was a spring ofliving
waters, and compassionate judge of the
woman in adultery. The daughters Of Je-
rusalem wept over him the holy woman
accompanied him to Calvary, brought him
balm and spices, and weeping, sought him