The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-12-24

'thra oOStpu W lu5utlQ, Ru CA-biONiOCt VI tuS
City council Of Richmond, tells good story
OF the time when he stood sentinel around
Libby: I,
$50, the old prison is sold, IS il ?''he
said. "Wcll, gentlemen, | never so by that
place without laughing, now. j cant help
thiuking of tho cute trick played by a lot
of Yankees therc. The fact is it was 30
good that. although had been ordered to
shoot in among them, disobeycd orders
1t was about 'G3, and tho Libby building
was>so crowded that it wouldn't hold any
more prisoners, So they put largo lot Of
thcm in the second story Of the building
across the street. Soon after these prison
ers came the prison officials got II large lot
of sweet potatoes Irregular yams) from
North Carolina, aud stored them on the first
floor Of the building in which those prison.
crs were confined. Big sweet potatoes
were luxurics in those days, aud Turner and
those fellows kept a strict watch over the
building, | can tell you. The third day
after they had been slowed away it was no.
ticed that they were disappearing at the
rate Of about a bushe day. At first it
was thought that the rats took them, but n
second thought showed that the idea was
absurd. Sentneis were posted all around
the building with orders to shoot any man
they caught stealing those yams, but they
didn't see anybody to shoot, aud although
they were posted there day and night, and
no one was allowed to enter tho room in
which the potatoes were kept, they contin-
ucd to disappear at tho rate of bushel
day. The Confcdcrates saw their yams
disappearing in this way, and were furious.
The thing was an unaccountablc mystery
The doors and widows of the room were
sealed and private marks were put on the
wax, so chat if any one of them was opened
it would be known. The next morning the
officers went into the room. The wax was
all right but another bushcl of potatoes
had vanished. Well, sir, it was the mad
dcSt crowd you ever saw. They came to
me and ordered me to take my stand in the
room. They locked me in, and lighted
candle was put at each cud OF the room SO
that [ could see. was ordered to shoot
on sight anybody saw stealing those yams.
1t was terribly lonesome in that ROOM
Just as fast as would light one candle and
go to the other end Of the room to light the
o,her, the rats would cut the first one
down. They were regular Confederate
rats, and candle was 4 godscnd to
them. After a lot of worry L got the
rats out of the way, and sat down near
the door waiting for developments. There
stayed till II o'clock bu; though kept
my eyes on the potatoes all the time, l
couldn't sec any Of them going. Shortly
alter II heard Il crcaking, grating SQUAD,
which seemed TO be all over the room at
once. | cooked my gun and held my breath,
but still | couldn't see any sign Of life cX-
ccpt the rats creeping about the floor. by
George! | thought, this darned place is
haunted, if there is any such thing as Il
plac. being hauntcd.' The sound stopped,
but about ten minutes after it began again.
| looked at the pile Of potatoes, and pres.
emily saw something shoot from the ceiling
aud fall on them | saw it was brick, and
ii:',o "r"!s. ~ ,o" ,o t,o ocu ~ so. ~ .t
thing, but before l could examine it, it was
drawn slowly up, and there was about peek
of yams sticking to it. 1t went up through
hole which had been cut in the fOJr above
and presently came down again with q
thump right among the potatoes. 1t Was
the most artful arrangement you ever saw.
The brick had about fifty holes drilled in it,
and through each hole sharpcncd tcn.pcn-
ny nail hal been run, so that when the brick
fell among the yam5, these nails stuck into
every one they fell on. l co.ldn't help
laughing at the smart dodge those Yankees
had taken TO get at the yams. gen ly put
my hand forward, and caught hold Of the
rope. Pretty soon they began 10 draw on
it, and when it did not move, | heard one
fellow say: Steady, boys the bricks
hung in something. Pull her steadily, with
out jerking They did pull steadily, and
fairly lifted me from the floor. NO jerk,
easy, boys, easy the director said, and they
tugged away. got pretty rcd in the face,
holding to the rope. | was afraid to let 90,
because | thought some Of those spiked
nails might strike me in passing. Thought
Of my pockct,knite, and hauled it out just
as they were putting all their weight on the
other end Of the rope. | cut it in two, and
the end shot back through the hole in the
ceiling, and | could hear a rolling and tum-
bling on the floor above, showing that the
sudden giving away Of the rope had Il dis.
astrous effect. | heard another voice say
There, now, told you SO. You've broken
the rope. We've lost our brick, and to.
morrow well BE- found out Then another
voice called out !: Cant you sec it We
might hook it up Next saw long neck
pccring down. Then called QUO: Iryou
trouble amy more Of those potatoes I'll
shoot That fellows head shot back
through that hole just like n tcrrapin, and
it was as still as death up there hated to
tell on them, because it was such a Sharp
scheme Of iuraging on the cncmy, but |
had to. When the Ciliccrs went up next
morning to examine the room it took Il long