Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-06-24
a Ei,eUuercG Career J

Waller, With many aliases, new lying DANCE
rou,ly III in one Of the lower cells G! the county
| Jail. Tho nature Of bis disease IS tralu trouble,
| his skull having been Fractured IS he says, by
| shell during the war. Waller Was suffering
so much pain We retained from couvctslpg
much with him that evening, although he wa
very anxious to talk while his reason lasted, 81
he lad been ,lclirious fl; most Of tht time for
several days previous.
| Dur:ur Tho coovcrsatiuu We mcntiontd inc
uamc of Special Constable Thornton, Of War.
rertoll. who brought him here. At the men
| ton of Thornton s DAME the PROSTATE man be-
came so excited that we determined to defer
| The Interview until his physical cundluon mi
proved. Promising TO all agaln, wc lriC flnl
suffering almost uobcarable torment. HIS head
| had been shaved and biistered, leaving The
fractures of the skull plaioIy visible. Ga The
! rollDwing day We received Il letter from Waller,
Of which the following Is copy verbatim ct
lileratim -
| TO the editor of tie Commonwealth In ri-
gard 10 Frank Walters arrest on suspicion Of
horse stealing at Warrenton junction and now
hc WAS treated. you can call on Mc:srs Colder,
Shumate and Mann Taylor, H?so James Z. Scolt,
Attorney whose varrssety cannot be dcuolen-
|
out saying eny thing Of my own people, ca'l On
DIR. Nj ohalnr Ellie Pirkey, Bob Hanchburgnr
William Patterson. Thes gents will 1T oneo prove
to you that Mr. II. Coliman and tho apecal
constable that gave his nalno I. L.. Ihorhton
alias r. l.. Thornton, have Wlfully Lied on me-
AS Thornton swore that lie arrested mo in II
negroes house. Ho stated that twice in Wnrrin-
ton which arc recorded against him thorn, and
he stated the same in your Courts hoar. And
Mr. f. Con'man will have to swallow whist no
Il I 4 r f,Fn norn nDHn
TO the penitenory soon3 years ago. and broke
my rito foot and mcny other Comply
montry remarks upon mo uncallcd Tor, but II l
have no money on my person, hHVo FrIcnas
and relations who will cause him to rame his
Arme deeper than he has over beforo thon no
will Ncvor want to BY mo with - Dollars and u
little Brandy. FRANK WALLER
| GA Tuesday last We again visited Waller,
whose trial was set for this week, but, OF course,
impossible now on account OF his condition.
We found him asleep, and, looking much thin
nor and weaker than when VIC had seen HIM
last, lie has little or 20 appetite, about The
only nourishmcnt he takes being a little tod.
dy'' or milk punch. Onc Of the latter being
given him he recognized US and seemed de-
lighted that We had come to sec him again.
We told him We wanted to get his history for
publication, with which he seemed pleased, land
commenced at once torclatc his experiences and
} travels, going into all the particulars in man.
ner leaving no doubt OF the entire correctness
of his statements.
b. frank Waller is 81 years o.! age, feet
9 inches in height, and when 10 health averages
about ITO pounds in weight. lie is one Of tic
most powerful looking men We ever saw, meas.
uring as or 4G inches around the chest, and
before the wasting effects OF illness and conhne.
mcnt, had muscles like iron. His head is well
shapcd, countenance intelligent; quick, keen
eyes, and rcsoluc mouth and general express
sion. lie talks like a man whose intercourse
with various localities had Invested his speech
of any particular local CHARACTERISTIC, being
little of East Virginia, West Virginia, Mary
land and Eastern Shore all mixed up. lie was
born and raised in Spotsylvania county, served
an apprenticeship to the carpenters trade under
Can't Peter Bowler; worked Ia Alexandria,
WASHINGTON, Richmond, and Trenton: n. j.
90 the breaking out Of the war he iolucd Mai.
Auderson's battalion at Richmond; was in Ma
pruder's command when Federal battery was
charged and captured Oh the York river, six
miles below Richmond. 1t was 10 this charge
that his foot was injured, (which, said Wal.
' Ter, "somc of these - have said was re.
ceivcd by me in Jumping out of car window
while in notion 10 July '62. he was cap
turcd al Salem Church, near Frederick stutg,
where he was sick at his sisters house. lie
was taken to Alexandria,; remained there four
mouths; escaped toto Maryland; joined Stone
wall JacksoD's command near Stauuton in '63,
and was some time after rtcap ured along with
Fred aud James Morrison. The Latter now
kccps livery stable III Richmond. He was
again taklu to Alexandria; 'emali!ad savan
weeks; paid wagon master SllO to hire hitn,
Wheh ynabicd him 20 get Out ed escape. IL
the fiji Of 'G3 b. lined Alos5y's clunind
s55u. Fa!:!ax L. L.; w.s agaiI captured ~ltn
John COX aud tl=Gry Simpson, Of AleSacur!a,
and, witl Duuhcr Of uhrrS. wa sCnTco&e1
20 h. Eurg, lut Mostly ihraacoeI re;stiali:a
ou Federal rfic:T5 sh"u il. Ills bands and th;}
se.trucs Waa not carried Gut. This Was aprul
the time that Mostly autographed from Burk 5
Station 70 the Fcdcrals at Alexandria thanking
them for the twenty wagons they had sent cut,
and RI uuestiog that the other four be forwarded
Immediately, showing his perfect familiarity
With the Yankee movements aud supply or
wagons. From AleXandria he WAS scnt to City
Point aud cou6uud IN the bull rrn fer live days
without food or attention, and had lI not been
for the KIDD Intervention Of Mr. Martlo, OF
Automatic, be would have starved to death.
Returning to Alexandria he was SEM to Camp
Distribution where ne lay With Intermittent
fever for several months lie was then sent
to Fort Independence, III Boston liarpor, Wnctc'
after five mouths confinement, he made his
escape in q small boat under cover OF dark
ness.
Waller then obtained yankee uniform, went
to Block Island. and with 700 Federal soldiers
went to City Point where Generals Grant and
Meade were stationed. From City Point be
worked bis way to Petersburg, got through the
lines, was recaptured by the Federals but made
his escape in time to engage 10 the hand to
band cavalry fight at Burk's Station, where his
horse was shot under him. When the surren,
der came be was at Farmville. The war being
over, Waller went to Fredericksburg, and two
years later, 1867, married Laura Toombs, then
but IA Years old. lie helped to build all the
bridges from Hawks Nest to Huntington in
1869. He worked for o. 7. Wilson aud James
Baker, Ct St. Adams, Kanawha county, W.
Va, for four years. Sometime 10 1872 ne had
difficulty with bullying rough named Henry
Bailey, or Hell Buck Bailey as be was generally
called. Waller struck him in the neck with