The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-06-12


the bay, now talking with his prisoner
the captain, and now urging his mel
to dare all and make the attack alone
But the men, . disorderly rabble gath
cred together In Canada, refused to en-
ter the bay; and at last, disappointes
and disheartened, Beall gave the sig
nal to turn the boat, and abandoned
the attempt. Back went the Parsons
with her pirate crew, past Kelley
Island, where the alarmed inhabitant
were burying their valuables, an.
looking for the flames Of burning San
dusky; past Middle Bass, where tn.
unfortunate passengers, watching or
the beach shortly after midnight, saw
her fly by, the Are pouring out Of hel
smoke stacks, and making for tn,
Detroit River like scared pickerel. ;
The csptain and those Of the crew WHIT
had been retained to manage the boat
were put ashore upon an uninhabited
island, and after reaching the Canadi.
IN shore, and scuttling the steamer
the pirates disbanded, aud Beall, tha
master spirit, was left to brood aver /
failure which had the additional bit
terness Of possible success.
In less than four months Beall was
captured near the Suspension Bridge
and taken to New York. An attempt
to bribe the turnkey with three thou.
sand dollars In gold having been dis
covered, the authorities sent him t
Fort Lafayette, and while there hs
made an appeal to the bar Of New
York to undertake his defense. For Z
time no one responded, but at length
Mr.. James T. Brady offered his servi.
ces, and the trial began before . militia.
ry court. Beail was charged with the
seizure Of the steamer Phiio Parsons,
at Kelley's Island, Lake Erie; with
the seisure of the steamer Island
Queen at Middle Bass Leland, Lake
Erie; with being rebel spy In Ohio
and New York; and with an attempt
to throw the express car of the track
between Buffalo aud Dunkirk, for the
purpose of robbing the express compa-
ny's safe. The officers of the captured
steamers came from the West to iden-
tify him, and IL is said that Beall
frankly confirmed their testimony,
remarking that a. regarded the Lake
affair the trial lad been fair aud i'm
partial. In the defense manifesto
from Jefferson Davis was offered, as
serting that these acts upon the border
were committed by his authority, aud
should be recognised n the acts OF
lawful belligerents. Bat the court
pronounced the verdict Of Guilty"
and General Dix approved the finding,
ordering the prisoner to be hung on
Governors Island, Saturday, the 18th
Of February. In reviewing the testi-
mony, General Dix said: "The accus.
ed is shown to be man of education
aud refinement, and il is difficult to
account for his agency In transactions
so abhorrent to the moral sense and 40
inconsistent with all the rules Of HON
orable warfare" I'm tt1is opinion al
just minded persons viii agree. And
yet. as an example Of Judgment, mis-
taxed. but equally sincere, IN exam
pie of perverted mental vision, take
the farewell letter Of Beall to bis
brother, written on the eve Of the day
appointed for his executions:
......Remember me kindly to my
friends. Say to them that 1 am not
a rare Of committing any crime against
society. l die for my country. No
thirst for blood or lucre animated me
in my course. bands are clean
Of blood, unless spilled in conflict, and
not q cent enriched my pocket......
Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord,
and I will repay. Therefore do not
show unkindbess to the prisoners;
they are helpless.
John YATES BEALL."
A short respite was Afterwards
granted by President Lincoln to ena-
ble the mother to see her son; but on
the afternoon Of the oath of February
the execution took place, upon Cover
nor's Island, New York Harbor, the
prisoner responding to the prayers Of
the Episcopal service for the dingy,
but otherwise remaining apparently
One item in the newspaper
accounts of the day is worthy Of note.
During the whole of the long proceed
Ings before the execution the young
man kept his eyes steadfastly fixed
upon the southern horizon, as il look
Ing toward the very heart Of the coun-
try for which he was giving up his
life.
Beall was finely formed, about five
feet eight inches in height. with hazel
eyes. brown hair and beard. and q
firmly compressed mouth. He was
years old at the time of his
death.-Harper's Magazine for July.
How North Iowa Fruit Trees
Stood the Winter.
We have received reports from sew
eral sections Of our county which in
dicate that the orchards have suffered
severely the past winter. Mr.. s. W..
Rich, Of Fremont township, tells US
that OF his orchard of between 200 and
300 trees, some Of which were planted
as long ago Ms 1857. fully sixty per