The Red Cloud chief., 1880-11-18
The Andre Centennial The Capture
OF the DISTINGUISHED Spy.

never been over-estim3ted- AFnoau.
who probably began his treasonaoie
plots IN Connecticut, in the spring and
summer Of 1850, declined the charge OF
the left wing Of the Continental Army.
and on August 5 was assigned 70 the
command Of West Point, fixing his
headauarters at Beverly. the county
seat IL Colonel Beverly Johnson. \ firm
~loyalist. He began his reasonable cor
respondence with SIR Henry Clinton.
and the plot for the surrender OF West
Point advanced SO far that a personal
interview was necessary. Andre. EN-
barking on the British sloop Vulture.
was brought in a BOAT to a point about
six miles below Stony Point. where he
met Arnold. and, the interview being
prolonged until daylight. Andre was
induced 70 90 TO the house OF Joshua
Hill Smith, 4 loyalist. Then the Vul-
ture. alarmed at the guns Of Colonel
Living ston's shore battery. dropped
down the river, and Andre. abandoned.
hid in the Smith house until sunset OF
the 22d.
With Arnold's pass. ia the name OF
John Anderson, and with the papers
describing the works and troops at
West Point hidden in his stocking. An
Dire started out with Smith about sun
set. Stopped by an American patriot.
they spent the night at Andreas Miller's
cottage. The next morning Smith left
Andre near Pine Bridge, assuring him
that he was safe from scouting parties,
but advising him to take the White
Plains road. Andre, however, had been
informed that there were British partl-
sans on the lower road. and he there
fore went by the old Sleepy Hollow
Church, across the bridge, and then up
a little to a small brook that crossedthe
road. 1t was down this stream that the
three SINNERS" Paulding, Van
Wart and Williams, came on the morn
ing Of September %, 1880, leaving their
companions on the top Of h hall now
called Mount Andre. Hiding in the
bushes in order to watch the road-now
Broadway-for "Cow-boys." the three
rustics lounged comfortably. chatting
in low tones and playing cards. while
Williams leisurely hung his stockings.
wet with dew, upon a bnsh to dry.
Suddenly the tramp of a horse was
heard, and a figure appeared at the turn
of the road. ..Hush!' and everything
was still as death within the bushes. as
the unconscious horseman rode slowly
down t o the brook and paused. where
it widened into a pool on crossing the
road, TO allow his horse to drink. But
the quiet Of the scene was suddenly
interrupted. Paulding sprang from the
bushes and seized the horse by the bril-
die. Paulding, lately imprisoned in
British tails and robbed of his clothing,
had been given a Hessian yager's coat,
and when Andres eyes fell upon it he
smiled.
.Ha, you belong to our party"
"What party is that?" was ~Paulding's
exclamation.
1.-The party below"
Yes"
..Don't detain me, then, I'm on i'm
portant business" and the unfortunate
Young officer betrayed himself SO fatal
ly that he was unable to recover HIM
self when Paulding announced that he
belonged to the Continentals. Then.
after a little parley, Andre was led from
the spot where the monument now
stands to a large rock which occupied
the base of which is now visible in the
cellar. The search that followed, the
discovery of Arnold's reasonable cor
respondence in Andres boot, and An
dre's futile attempts ut bribery, are all
familiar. He was met with Paulding's
stern answer: mo. we won't let YOU
90 if you offer us ten thousand gum
cas-" And the handsome young officer
bitterly exclaimed: 81 had better have
blown out my brains than fallen into
YOUR hands," Refusing to noun his
horse, Andre was led through the BUSH
es to the summit of the hill, not far
from the spot where the pavillions now
stand.
Mrs. See, an old woman living on the
Bedford road. about two miles from the
Tarrytown depot, tells a picturesque
tale of succeeding events rs it was told
her by the participants. Mrs. See
Qamiliarly called .'Aunt Betsy") says
that a party of "Skinners." with their
prisoner, went directly to Mug Tav-
ern," neal White Plains-a hostelry
presided over by Aunt Polly Reed.
Strange to say-considering her sex
Aunt Polly was notorious for her Curl
osity and inability to keep a secret.
While ham and eggs were sizzling in
INC pau loT tuc uulSty ChlHutfS,
Aunt Polly was struggling to ascertain
the identity of the melancholy stranger
who was so handsomely clothed in a
blue o%vercoat, c~laret-cOlored coat and
nankeen waistcoat and breeches. FL
nally Paulding seized her by the wrist
and drew her close to him.
"Can you keep a secret?"
Yes" stammered the old woman,
with hardly suppressed eagerness.
We've got a British spy"
In three minutes the old woman had
intrusted household cares to her girl,
saddled her white horse and was gal
Looping off to the mex house, in a place
then called "Twitchings." But the
fences and brush proved an obstacle,
and Aunt Polly was forced to make a
long detour by the road. The "Skin-
nerS" finished their meal and depart
ed. making a straight cut across the
country toward "Twitchings." As
they approached the house they caught
sight of Aunt Polly flying up the road
on her white horse, daylight showing
between herself and the saddle at every
leap. Her hair streamed out behind.
In one hand she swung her huge poke
bonnet by the strings, while she
shrieked in a shrill, quavering voice:
They've got the spy! They've got
the spy"
There are several persons in larry
town who knew Andres captors. On
Broadway is a quaint, whitewashed
stone house, half hidden amid vines
and trees. 1t is the old Van Tassel
mansion, where trim and %coquettish
Katrina flirted with Brom Bones and
Ichabod Crane. MIR. Mott. the owner,
when a boy, heard Van Wart tell the
story of Andres capture substantially
as given above, except that Van Wart
declared that the captors were not
PLAYING cards when Andre appeared.
Esquire Capron, who in his youth
sang in the choir of the old G%reenburg
Church with Van Wart, never heard
him mention the capture. Both de-
scribe him as q strongly-built, highly
respectable farmer. living upon the
land presented to him by the Govern
ment, and enjoying the esteem of his