The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1880-03-25
Made out on WhoIe CIoth.

The Chicago Inter Ocean las a correspondent
at West Sonora, Preble County, Ohio, whose
sole ambition seems to be to relate wonderful
things that have no spark Of truth in them
The following is one of bis latest effusions:-
A PEDDLER WITH HIsroEr-cHcKERED CAREER OF
| CONFEDERATE sPr-A RIVAL OF THE IMMORTAL
| J.
notice appeared in the papers a few days ago. an
nouncing the death of James Davis at the Insane
Asylum at Dayton: He was probably so years old
at the time Of his DEATH being hopeless inebriate
and otherwise diseased. He was an eccentric though
harmless fellow, IN the "Immortal j. n" sphere of
humanity, and was as familiar to the people of Ohio
| and Indiana as that national celebrity. Known 40
the ''onelegged peddler," he travelled the val
ley States rail and on foot with a scanty assort
ment of penknives, toothpieks, and handkerchief
{ packed in dimiDutiye ebony box, which he never
allowed TO leave his side for a moment. He man
aged to visit this neighbOrhood semiannually with
the and of wooden peg and crutches, having lost
leg at the battle of Gettysburg. while on duty as
sharpshooter. Up TO this period be had been in the
employ of Lees army as scout, spy, detective and,
doubt, did good service in this capacity. After
losing his limb he assumed the popular Disguise of
an itinerant peddler, and made visits to the Union
armies at various periods in the interest of the Con-
federates. At the close OF the war he came North,
and though always an ayowed disunionist and i'm
placabe foe to loyalty he remained in his old role
of peddler till his demise. He outspoken in his
enmity Of the Northern people, but, reg garded a
harmless and not uninteresting character little at
tention was given to his radical utterances and he
was ever welcome guest at the family circle. He
always carried one or more deadly Arkansas tooth
picks" in the lining Of his coat, and was a professed
adept in knife practice. His nien at occasions was
affected, and he frequently asserted that he was
relative of Jefferson Davis whom he regarded
greater in principle and patriotism than Wash
ington He had an utter disdan for the Soldiers
Home at Dayton and Soldiers and Sailors Orphans
Home at Xenia, and was boisterous in his infamma-
tory denuneiations Of such fool Yankee institu-
tons He frequently exhibited. with inordinate
PRIDE letters of counsel and direction from Generals
Lee IOuggtreet. Hill, and others: in
both Northern and Southern lines. 1t one of
his favorite boasts how often he ''tricked" the
'fanks, and obtained valuable information for Lee
through their duplicity lie arrested three times
a spy-at Spottsyvania, by Meade, at Petersburg
and in Nashville. He easily sustained his identity
Oh the first and last occasions but the second time
WAS recognized and denounced by rebel deserter
He was tried and sentenced to be shot, but during
the night intervening between the days of trial and
execution, the informant, who had been in Davis
own company, and had known him well, repentins
Of his meanness, aided him escape, and even pass,
ed him safely beyond the remotest picket lines. He
then made his way to Lees headquarters, where he
deposited his ideas concerning the intentions the
Union commander, and. as was subsequently, demon
strated, his views were entirely correct He never
again heard of his tickle benefactor. Shortly after
the close of the the exspy peddler shot and
brutally beaten in a saloon at Martnsburg, w. Va.
for his ayowed sympathy with the lost cause" and
he barely escaped with his life He sometimes told
how he and three guerrillas, having captured two
fugitive slaves, tied them trees and shot them to
death with rifles In such acts he apparently glori-
ed, gloating their recital. When Lees army
retreating the Rapidan he fell too far in
the rear, and wrs apprehended by the advance of
Meades troops. He was pursued by several cavalry
men, and had it not been for the aid of his aded nag
he would again have been taken. As it was, the
chase was given up after one or two miles, and Da
Wis escaped with a minnie ball in his right arm and
the loss of his peddlers outfit During the siege of
Richmond, he was "eOoped up with Lee. but on the
night prior to the surrender he made his escape in
safety He has relatives in the country. unless in
the South, which is probable. His remains were in
TERED near this town, last week.
Now, this is a matter that will not interest
many of the readers of the Chief; but it will
serve as an illustration of the manner in which
romances of the rebellion, and sensations in gen.
eral, are manufactured for the newspapers of the
day. We therefore devote little space to it.
1t happens that we knew this man Davis from
our earliest boyhood, and know that there is
not particle of truth in the above story, except
that he was one-legged peddler. He may also
have possessed the peddler accomplishment of
lying and related some of the above thrilling
incidents for the edifcation of his customers.
But he SO well known all through that
country, that his yarns ought not to have de-
ceived the most credulous. He was not in the
rebel or any other army, never acted as a spy,
and never had leg shot off Good reason had
he for holding the Soldiers Home in contempt,
for he could not have got there. We think he
was born in the vicinity of West Alexandria
Preble County, Ohio-at lelst, h h II live thers
from early childhood; and 50 far from having NJ
living relatives he has brother and sister, and,
we think. a mother, living in Preble County, or
the adjoining County of Darke. He lost his leg
about the year lS5O--eleveu years before the be-
ginning of the Rebellion-having had it crushed
mi fall lin, it
ing. Therefore, he could not have had it shot
of in the Rebellion. He afterwards took to ped
ding, for living. The people of the commu-
nifty, as act of charity, raised several hundred
dollars by subscription, and bought him a cork |
leg with all the latest improvements. He CON-
menced wearing it, but soon realized that his |
having two legs materially lessened public sy m
pathy, and caused an alarming falling off of his |
peddling profits. He therefore made the excuse |
that the leg gave him pain, and that he could |
not wear it, 1t was returned to the manufac- |
turers, who refunded the money, which the con-
tributors placed at interest, for his benefit. He
finally became so disgusting, and great nuis-
ance, that nobody would harbor him, and he at
last hauled up in an insane asylum. But we do
not think that be was a hopeless inebriate, or
even drunkard of any degree-perhaps seldom
d rinking anything stronger than beer. He did
not carry a revolver, and had not enough intel
ect to invent the stories above related. That he
was Rebel in principle, we have no doubt, as he
was a wooden headed Democrat, and was the
same as all other Democrats in that part of the
country, who acknowledged Yailaudigham as
their God. His age was about 81 years. This
is is all there was of the thrilling and romantic
career of Jim Davis.
GONE MAD.-The Topeka Commonwealth is near
8 wild on Ingal lsism. 1t seems determined to