Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-07-14

prison yarn. but frOfn that evening L
was closely conhned aud guarded un.
til The next Saturday AZ midnight
when ! was again taken 10 the once
70 zee adetcctive, who said :--"Come,
Spaugler I've sonic jcwelry for you" |"
Hc handcufied mo With my arms be.
hind my back, and guarding me 10 q
hack was placed IN II and driven 10
the Navy Yard, where my legs we're
manacled and n pair Of Lille hsndsuffs
placed on my wrists | was put in q
boat and rcwed toa monitor whore /
was taken on board and thrown into
small dirty room, between two water
closets, aud on 10 q bed Of filthy life
prescrvers and blankets, with two SOL
diers guarding the door | was kept
there for three days. Ihad been thus
confined three days on tho vessel whom
Captain Monroe came to me and said:
"Spangler, I've something that must
be told, but you must not be fright
ended. We have orders from The
Secretary OF War, who must be obeyed
70 pat Dag on your head" Then
two men came and tied up my head So
securely that | could not see daylight.
| had plenty of food, but could not eat
with my face so mufficd up. True,
there was small hole in the bag near
my mouth, but ! could not reach that.
as my hands wore wedged down bv
tho iron. At least, two kind-heartsd
soldiers took compassion on me. and
while one watched the other fed me
On Saturday night a man came 10 me
and, after drawing the bag 50 tight ~
to nearly sufioczte me, said TO the
guard, "Don't let him 20 to sleep, as
we will carry him out TO hang him
directly" | heard them 10 IN on
deck, when there was a great rattling,
Of chains aud other noises; and while
l was trying 10 imagine what was
going on, and what they intended to
do, l was dragged out By two men.
who both pulled me at times in oppo-
site directions. We however reached
boat, in which / was placed, and
were rowed a short distance. could
not say then where we stoppod. for
my face was still covered. Alter leav-
ing the boat, | was forced 10 walk
some distance, with the heavy irons
still on my legs. Twas then suddenly
stopped, and made 10 ascend three or
tour flights Of stairs; And as stood
Al the top waiting, some one struck
me severe blow on the top of the
head, which stunned and halt threw
me over, when was pushed into
small room, where | remained in an
unconscious condition for several
hours. The next morning some ono
came with bread and coffee. re-
mained here several days, suffering
torture from tho bag or padded hood
over my face. IL was on Sunday
when ~ was removed and | was shaw.
en-. 1t was thon replaced. Some
hours after General Hartranff came
and road TO mo several charges that
| was engaged in plot TO assassinate
the President, and the day following |
was carried into a military court and
still hooded before all it's members. l
but short time, when was
returned 70 my cell for another night
and day and then again presented in
this court. Mr.. Bingham, Assistant
udge Advocate, read the charges
against me, aud asked ii | had any OBJ
lection to the court, and replied Mo-
and made my plea Of mot guiiry.s
They q, then nv, WISHED Y skaQgldttd adefGsa
lively, Gen. Hunter, the president of
the court, insisted that l should not
oc allowed counsel. He was, however.
but it was several days be.
tore l was permitted legal aid, the 3
court In the meanwhile taken evidences
with closed doors. On every adjourn
ncnt OF the court, ii only Tor an hour,
was returned TO my cell and the
closely fitted hood placed over nay
head. This continued till June 10,
1860, when l was relieved from the
torture Of the bag, but my hands aud
limbs remained heavily manacled
On one Sunday, while | was con-
ined at this place (the Washington
Arsenal), 1 was visited by a gentleman
Dt middle stature, rather stout, with
iull beard and gold.framed spectaclcss
lie noticed my manacles and padded
head. | afterwards learned thai 10
was Mr.. Stanton, the Secretary Of
War. 1t is proper 10 state that when
Lhe hood was placed on me, Captain
Monroe said il was by order of the
Secretary Of War. Ny first thought
was that l was to be hung without
trial, and the hood was preparatory 10
hat act
The first time | ever saw Mrs. Sur.
ratt was in the Carroll Prison yard, on
Capitol Hill. l did not see her again
until We were taken into court the
irst day at the arsenal. Ny cell was
On the same corridor with hers, and l
had to pass it every time l was taken
into court. ! frequently looked into
her cell, a small room about four feet
wide by seven feet long. The only
things in her cellw an old mattress
laid on the bricks and an army blank
ct. l could see the irons on her feet,
rs she was generally lying on the mat
Iress, and was the last one brought in
10 court. She occupied seat in court
near the prison door. The seat was
twelve inches high, aAd the chains
between the irons on her feet were so
short that she always had to DO Assis-
ted to her seat. She was 30 sick at
one time that the court was compelled
to adjourn.
On the 18th of July, about midnight
was conveyed TO steamboat, and
arrived the next day at Fortress Mon
roe, and was thence taken TO the gun
boa. Florida The irons on my arms
were. temporarily removed, but Cap
tain'Dutton, IN charge of the guard,
ordered heavy Lille irons TO be placed
on me, when General Dodd, chief Off
Ger in charge, more humanely coun-
termanded bis order aud had the irons
again removed from my arms. Twas
placed tor security in the lower hold
of the vessel, and compelled to descend
"a IL hv a ladder The rounds wara