New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-04
STRANGER thar Fiction.

when CrOnon, dissatisfied with the account
be gave Of himself, insisted on his being
shot Smith, cool, bold and astute,
confronted the council with the air of an
ipiured man, pointed to his shattered arm,
and asked: "Was it thus that spies ex-
eouted the behests of their employers
Was it usual with spies to bear the brunt
of battle9 Was it thus that Lee expected
the Confederate wounded to be treated "
Colonel Cronan retorted by observing that
spies not subsequently mingled in battle to
avoid suspicion; that the accused had been
detected in making inquiries respecting the
movements of commanders, which, ct the
least. were calculated to arouse suspicion,
and that finally his explanation OF these
suspicious circumstances was doubtful and
unsatisfactory. At last vote was taken
"a to his guilt, which resulted in his acqutt-
tai, CrOnan casting his ballot for condemna-
ton.
THE fortune of war" changed, the stars
of the Union were in the ascendant, and
the Confederates were pressed on all sides
BY Grant, and it befell Cronan to taste the
bitter life of war. He was captured and
sent with eight others to Florida, where
thew were guarded BY colored soldiers. The
prisoners, relieved from the toll of war.
occupied themselves with plotting to effect
their escape. Tho colored women around
the prison, strange - it may appear, we're
the most devoted friends. They procured
for them all the comforts they could COM
msnd, gave them all the intelligence they
could obtain, and in short, were the con-
fidants, advisers and secret messen-
gers Of the prisoners. Constantly plot
ting, maneuvering. and DISTINGUISHING, the
prisoners occupied themselves for two
months, when one night, at . signal
from their female friends, they resolved to
try fortune. It was midnight, and black a.
Erebus. Rain poured down in deluge,
the thunder crashed, the angry and inces-
SAINT lightning rent the sky. illuminating the
heavens with Q momentary glow OF lurid
light, and then abysmal darkness enveloped
the earth. 1t was one of those awful nights
when nature covers. and the bravesr e1-
perience an underlined sentiment of fear.
The African race is naturally superstitiOue,
and it was no wonder that the colored
guards became derelict and took to cover.
This was the moment for the captives.
Frustrating themselves on the ground, they
vripgled, snake like, by slow and silent
movement toward the guards with bated
breath and glazing eyes. Through the
thick darkness they could barely see
them scattered here and there in the
shelter of trees and other objects which
afforded security from the remOrseless
storm. Noiselessly they crept on. When
thew were within three feet of the sentinels
thew paused to concert simultaneous action,
and then with b sudden bound they sprang
on them, disarmed and gagged them. and
then held Q council a. to their next pro.
cedure. 1t was Q fearful crisis in despe-
rate adventure. Some cOunseled tying the
guards to trees to prevent them from
spreading the alarm; others to put them to
death az q more efficscious means of insur-
ing their eilence; while CrOnan, with char
acteristic originality, proposed to seize the
guards as fugitive slaves, who were beyond
the pale of law and protection, and to carry
them of to Cuba. This was exactly the
kind of plan to secure the concurrence
of his desperate companions. They caught
the idea at once, and marched the
tied and gagged colcred soldiers down to
the seaside, seized schooner in the harbor,
and by daylight were sailing for Havana
with their late guards tied down in the YES
Havana they sold the schooner and their
seven "slsves" for $27OO, which sum, being
evenly divided, Cronan with bis share Of
the spoil came back to the South, got mar
| ried. and went into business with q partner
At New Orleans. Nemesis pursues the evil
| doer, and CrOnan, instead OF attending to
his business, took to gambling as more
rapid as we'll as more easy way OF re-
| cruiting his shattered fortunes. Losing IN
play he drew surreptitiously from the iundi
| of the firm, hoping by . turn OF luck in cards
to be able to restore the distracted money
| and thus save his honor.
But Nemesis would not have it thus. The
revengeful goddess decreed that he should
drain the cup of bitterness to the dregs.
When the guilty man saw detection al
hand, rather than abide his fate or seeh
refuge in suicide, he left his wife and friend
and business and took flight. arriving il
San Francisco in 1866.
CrOnan was in every way an extraOrdi
nary map--tall of soldierly bearing and Of
fine presence, he was withal highly accom-.
plished. A brilliant coLversatiOnalist and
fine linguist, he could converse in French
Spani ID, Italian and German, as we'll as IL
English and Celtic. He was also mathe
matlcian, could steer q ship, construct q for
on the most approved principles OF en-
cheering; was an architect, machin'st
excelled in chirography, was q first elias
book keeper, musician, q singer, and
skillful fencer-in short, he was in man.
respects q second Admiral Crichton. 81
arrived in San Francisco without dollar
and was glad to get job at shovelinf
sand. With his other natural qualities AM
qualifications he was gifted with cheerful
hopeful disposition, which nothing cOul
disturb. He did very well at sand shovel
ing, and, though ambitious, was content
| When he had been ABOUT CnTeo mOnLnS
the CITY he began to make acquaintance
not among the hoodlum classes, but wit
respectable merchants, who, it is needles
to say, admired his versatile powers. an
resolved to help him when opportunity o
fered. He was initiated into organization
and clubs in the city, which widened til
circle of his acquaintance, and Cronsn VI
derstOOd the tact and art OF making til
| most he could of the circumstance. An a.
vertisement appeared in one of the mornin
papers from the Anatomical Museum, Q
Montgomery street. calling for person
translate irto English the French inscrl
lions ON specimens just delivered at Il
museum, such translations to be made in
good, legible hand. Cronan applied for Il
job and got it. He was paid $40 day Il
the work, and gave the utmost sstisfactit
to his employer. It would be supposir
something beyond human nature to thiI
that he was in hurry to get through wi
the job. Whenever he completed doz'
q translations or 90 his fertile imaginatiC
would suggest some improvement in Il
work. His employer, who knew very We
!. he could make the public pay for it .
when his museum Vas opened, readi
adopted every suggestion, and Crona
. in the receipt of his 80 . day, was recuPt
atlng fast. In fact, he thought Nemesis b
forgotten Ill about him. But she was
his tracks stiil. One morning he IVES stro
1 m AnntrnsnAeva <poot i'm U1iNu hin Un