Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-25
aOAPFAlN" OONSFOOK AGAIN.
Return of the "Captain'' 70 Madison,
WiScODsfn-He is without DOabt
KObber and Desertpr, aud a Fit =
subject for a Gun-SpeciaI
Agent BunneII's Statement.

Some time since we mentioned the fact
that Provost Marshal Barber arrested in this
city man who claimed to be Captain c. C.
Comstock, of the 5Oth Wisconsin Infantry,
on suspicion of being deserter and rob-
Der. He was locked up in the Crest" sew
eral days, while Captain Barber was in cor
respondence with Wisconsin military au-
thorities. From them he received informa-
tion which made it morally certain almost,
that this "Captain" was a deserter and
one of party who robbed several recruits
of $4,000; and Special Agent Bunnell was
accordingly sent in charge Of the criminal
to Madison.
Mr.. Bunnell has just returned, and gives
a statement of the facts in the case thus
far elected, which is as follows:
This "Captain" Comstnck, who, with -
McCarty, had been recently pardoned out
of the Wisconsin Penitentiary, took into al
lance another worthy, named Charles
Duffy, and all three enlisted as privetes in
the 5Oth Wisconsin Infantry. Just previ-
Gus to their enlistment, however, they en-
ticed q number of new recruits who had
lust received their entire bounty, (for in
Wisconsin no part ofthe bounty is reserved, /,
but all paid down to the recruit st the start)
to accompany them to a far outlying dog
gerry snd house of ill-fame, where several
of the flush young men in blue got intOxi-
Gated and were robbed by "Captain" Com
stock and his comrades. A few of the re-
cruits who did not get beside themselves
with drink, were summarily knocked down
and had their pockets rifed.
This amiable trio enlisted Immediately,
and had been in camp four days when the
HCaptain" missed his carpet bag, contain
ing, as he said, some valuables which he
had bought for his wife. McCarty and
Duffy having just deserted, the Captain
charged them with the theft, and spilled 10
the commandant of the post for permission
to hunt the fugitives. The officer at last
reluctantly gave him liberty to go to Mi
ton Junction, forty miles distant, where IT
wss thought the deserters had most likely
gone, but with imperative orders to return
Immediately, whether successful or not, in
finding the accused parties.
He accordingly sailed forth, but had no
sooner arrived at Milton junction, than
his disappointment and zeal fred him on to
Rockport, thence to Harvard, thence, in
turn, to Crystal Lake, Chicago, Toledo, and
Cleveland. His enthusiasm in the laud-
able work of catching the miserable thieves
and deserters mounted to higher and still
higher degrees as he advanced, and had
the effect to make him totally oblivions Of
the commandant's orders.
There is no doubt that it was a concert
ed affair, and that the " Captain " met his
comrades in arms AID plundsr somewhere
on the road, ard shared with them the
soldiers bou1ty money. By the time he
had reached this city, private COmstock
had deaked himself out in a Captains uni
forrl, and put up big as life at the Weddell
Ebuse, we were informed, where he shared
I room with woman who, as he gave out,
was his wife. The city detectives, who had
been put on his track, observed him
carefully, and he is known to have met sew
eral times at the New England Hotel two
young men who were stopping there with
their wives" and who were no doubt his
brother cut-throats.
COmstock persisted go stoutly in assuming
and, indeed, declaring himself to be a Cap
tain from beginning to end of his journey as
military prisoner to Madison. that Special
Agent Bunnell quite naturally came to al
low the " Captains claim some force, and
was somewhat surprised at the upshot of
the interview the commandant of the post
had with Comstock.
"What, you Captain" the officer en-
quired of the prisoner, 'iyou Captain who
left This camp private, and deserted ?'' In
this way he cstechized the Captain" until
he was utterly crest-falIen and ready to eel.
lapse.
"Captain "Ch arles c. .Comstock was thrown
into the lookup, to await the further inves-
tigation of his case. The evidence against
him is so clear and Overwhelming, that
volley of United States bullets, it would
seem certain, must end his Infamous career.