The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-17
ROMANTIC BlSTORY OF A NOTED DES
PERADO.


PERADO.
~~~~~>~~oo~o-~~~~.>eoo>
The Nashville Banner has the following interest.
Ing sKetcn OF the career OF Martin Coee horse thief
burglar, roboer, house burner, convict, quack ex-
horter ana soldier by turns one OF the most ac-
complished desperadoes that picked pocket or
scaled prison WALL
Martin CofYee bold and desperate convict, who
mysteriously escaped from the pententary on the
sth or November, 1861 recaptured in the south
ern part OF Kentucky on the 2Ith of last month bv
Coffee had stolen horse, was brought down to NASH
vile Friday night by Mr.. John Chumbley, warden OF
sns me ar The sop e a to don the
this irrepressible reprobatc have been by no means
commonplace. lie was born in the southern portion
OF Kentucky and received Q good education. He
family.
entered the Fifth Kentucky Union) cavalry, in
which he displayed considerable daring coupled with
ON one occasion he was sent out on foraging ex-
petition and returned day or two after the arrival
Of the wagons with bag full Of silverware. After
ms discharge from the army he came to Nashville
with some intention OF taking up his residence
among us. He states that during his stay here he
IN the city. He associated generally with desperate
characters among whom he was leading spirit
represented to Cofee ana Captain C0lyer that his
sister residing near the southern boundary OF the
about the house. and proposed to rob her OF
It. They accordingly concocted q plan and carried
It out. They went early one morning, thrust the
woman out OF the dwelling, found the money set the
house on fire and burned It to the ground Page aud
Colyer made their escape, but Coffee was caught,
tried In the criminal court OF this county, and was
~ March, 1857, sentenced to the penitentiary for If
teen years.
while one Of tho walls was being Rebuilt he conceived
the idea that by 2 general and Well planned revolt
cred by the convicts as their leader and was bold
ana fearless enough TO undertake any enterprise,
| however dangerous
on the appointed day, and just after all the con-
victs had sat down to dinner, he suddenly arose at
one end OF the table, and with flourish Of his knife.
cried out, "Al you that love liberty follow me.n All
the prisoners Immediately sprang up and were about
| TO carry out the desperate pian when one OF the
| . mace, which felled him TO the EARTH The other
| guards Drew and cooked their revolvers and order
was restored by the convicts again resumlng their
| seats.
Coffee succeeded, however, on the sth OF Novcm-
Der, 1857 In making his escape from the Penitentary
| In very mysterious manner. He had only served
eight months No locks or bolts had been broken,
no walls scaled. II was clear enough that some one
connected with the prison had c0nnived at his
escape. Even Governor Brownlow thought the
AFFAIR looked very Suspicious and sent brief mes-
Cofree states that after his escape he went ont to
| place known as ''Spupn (McWhrtersville, on the
ne n ryer es
Carthage and finally struck into Kentucky, twenty
i've or thirty miles from Elizabethtown. lie re-
manned there for several months and "traded" cat
tie, hogs and stock Of all kinds under an assumed
| name. Finding he had become too well known In
tion nearer to Elizabethtown. Here he assumed the
highsounding title OF CDR. Blum,n hung out his
Single and had several hundred neat business
cards printed. He promised to cure almost every
Imaginable disease and actually acquired large and
lucrative practice. He states that he gained much
reputation among old women, who were possessed
OF the belief that his prescriptions lnfallible-
Not content with hts success IN this direction he
also became jealous member OF the Baptist church.
| within twenty miles OF ElzabethtOwn. During his
| stay there Rev. Mr.. Johnson came down from
meeting. Coree assisted and Wed with him In ex !.
horting sinners TO repentance At the close OF the
baptize the converts who were forty-two IN number
Coffee was accordingly dcputized, and administered
the right Of baptism IN manner that eiicted the
While not engaged, however IN his medical or re.
igous duties he made occasional raids those who
lived within reaching distance. He rode into Lex
ington. with one OF the finest horses supposed TO
have been stolen, that Kentucky could Afford Ar
met Colonel Zeb. Ward, one OF the lessees Of the
Dcniteltiary face to face and was very glad to OBJ
serve taat he was not recognized . while there he
inquiring glance he avoided BY pulling his hat over
his face and increasing his speed On looking around
he met the gaze OF the guard, who had also turned
to look back Coffee then took to his heels and es-
| capped
| he stole horse from Mr.. T. 4. Bradshaw. lie was
| pursued by NJ. Bradshaw and two young men for
near the Tennessee line. lie had just stepped
into small house, had seen the pursuers ap-
preaching and had taken up SevenshootinR
| gun with the purpose OF making a defence H5
knew, however, that Bradshaw, in tho Fifth Ken
| lucky (white cavalry. proved himself q brave and
| intrepid soldier. He was taken prisoner and was
| beng escorted to u jail In an adjoining county,
| when Bradshaw aud his party were set upon by
| three or C0hees clan, who had pursued them for
| the purpose OF re5cung Cofee. All drew pistols
| and desperate fight seemed Imminent. The three
i desperadoes demanded the prisoner and were per-
i emptory Ieiaeed. The new corners finally withdrew.
Mr.. Bradshaw, fearing that he would be overtaken
| by a reinforcement rom the gang hurried to the
| first JAIL whore he stopped for the night and
from which ne departed early In the morning for
| u small village nea: ElizabetAtoHn. Here Coffeo
was lodged In log jail. As Mr. Bradshaw was
cognzant OF Conee's escape from tho peniten-
tiary, he telegraphed his capture TO Warden
ChuIlbey who Immediately obtained q requisi-
tl0n, and, IN company with Mr.. H. ~ Sloan, guard,
10 IDENTITY Coffee went after him Tuesday night.
As they approached the jail Coffee recognized Sloan
before he got within two hundred yards and for the
purpose OF delaying them, in the hope that his
fisl,ls would rescue him, no put nail tnto the lock
la such an lng enlous way that tho door could be
opened except by cutting ont the castings Tho
prisoner was handcufed and brought To this CITY,
NASHVILLE, Dec. 8, 1853.
penteni,ary bird named Martin Coffee, who had
arrested IN Ezabethtown, KY, yesterday, and re-
turned &c The pententiary to-day, where he has vet
70 serve fifteen years When naobef yesterday no
IN the midst of religious revival, aud last week
had baptized ~ immersion forty persons In one
day. When going into his old quarters to-day he re-
evangelist like himself should be cut short In his
revival operations. The crimes which brought him
10 the pententiary In the nrst place were numerous
and henOgs.