Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-22
BETRAYED BY 4 WOMAN.

BETRAYED BY Il WOM4N.
A DeIavarean,s Adycnturc-EIOw n
Deserter from the Army was APP
pretended.
New YorkiTimes OF Sunday.
The IL o'clock boat from the Battery to
Governors Island yesterday had among its
passengers addressed and rather pre-
possessing young man, whose disconsolate
appearance and suspicious proximity to
police officer and sergeant of the First
United States Artillery indicated that he
was in danger of court martial and
sentence 10 hard labor for year or two,
such being the standard penalty for deser-
ton in piping times of peace.' Upon
the arrival of the trio at h -adquarters, the
prisoner, WHO gave his name as Norris g.
Pass, was taken before Capt Ward, of
Gen. Hancock's staff, who, after brief
examination, caused him to be committed
to cell in Castle William. When cross
questioned by Capt. Ward. the prisoner
made no attempt to deny his identity nor
conceal the fact that he was deserter
from Battery NJ of the Second Artillery,
having escaped from Fort McHenry, Balti-
more, where his battery was stationed, on
the night of November 10th, 1873, and
successfully eluded capture for nearly two
years, although most of the time resident
in this city or its immediate vicinity.
The official part of the story, as gathered
from the record of the case, is that Norris
@. Pass, aged "a, native of Delaware,
enlisted in the military service of the
United States on July 3, 1873, for term
of five years, and was transferred to Bat
terry NJ, Second Artillery, from which he
deserted after serving four months. Being
of good address, intelligent, and pleasant
in his manners, the deserter readily
obtained employment upon his arrival in
this city as q clerk in the freight depart
ment of the Erie Railway, in which
capacity he gave perfect satisfaction to
the company and won the confidence and
good will of his fellow-clerks in the Office.
He had been successful iu eluiing the
vigilance of the military authorities until
August, 1879, when his hidipg-place was
betrayed by a woman signing her name as
Mrs. Pass, WHO addressed letter to Gen.
eral Hancock at Governors Isl md, stating
that her husband, Norris O. Pass. was
deserter from the service of the United
States, and begging that measures should
be instituted to take him into custody.
| The writer assigned as her reason FOR
this step that Pass treated her with such
brutality that she was in constant terror of
bodily harm, aud often feared for her life.
She implored the General to send strong
force to arrest the cuiprit, intimatiug that
he was desperate man, aud would resist
to the last extremity. The letter was
referred TO the commandant Of tine garrison
with instructions to investigate the case,
aud if it appeared that the man was a
deserteT, to take measures to effect his
arrest. Upon inquiry the womnn's state
ment was verified Some friend warned
Pass of his peril, and he escaped 10 Phila-
delphia. Subsequently, Gen. Hancock re-
ceived letter from Mrs Pass, advising
him that her husband had left the city /;
but the pursuit was not prosecuted, aud in
a few weeks the culprit returned to New
York and resumed his work nj the desk,
taking up his residence in AN obscure
quarter in East Fourteenth street
The trouble with Mrs, Pass was evil
IDENTIFY arranged to the lady's satisfaction,
and no more letters were received from
her at headquarters, nor any measures
taken to communicates with the military
authorities until Il few days ago, when an
officer connected with one of the courts in
this city wrote TO Gpn Hancock that a
woman IN Jersey City had applit d 10 him
to assist her il c6usi' 6 the arrest of her
husband as a destrter. The woman stated
that Pass treated her cEuelly, ard il would
be mercy to her il he were taken into
custody and tried, and sentenced for
his desertion from Battery M, Second
Artillery, in which he had formerly served.
The letter was referred to Capt Ward, the
commandant Of the post, who, having
verified the story, and established the
identity Of the culpri., had him arrested
yesterday.
His story it that he is unmarried, but
has been paying attention for some time
to the woman who caused his grresr. A
few days ago t.ey hid bitter quarrel,
and she Threatened to betray him 10 the
miitary authorities unless he aeaeded to
her demand to marry her forthwith. To
this he demurrei, aud, in revenge for his
refusal, she executed the threat Although
not relishing the prospect Of yesr or two
at hard labor thus suddenly sprung upon
him, the d>serter was not particularly
reticent in regard to the affair with his
fellow soldiers yesterday Afternoon, and it
was the gossip of the garrison that the
'lady" had offered to use her infuenc c
with the General to secure his release, il
he would consent to immediate marriage.
"But he told her. said a grim old soldier,
"that he would see her in - first, and
soshell have to stand a courtmartia,."
Pass, who has a wife in this city, wGs
arrested 10 Nsw York some two years ago
for attempting to sell his own child
Robert Lee Pass, for S5uO. The chilc
was recovered and returned TO the mother
On May 9th, 1879, Pass came to this city
and attempted to abdpui the child, but tn,
, attempt was frustrated, AID he wai
arrested. While in the City Hall cells {
J warrant was served by Marshal McNullet
, for his arrest as dtserter. Ha was de
tanned several days by the Marshal bu
at length released as the commandsut a
Fort McHonry did not seem 10 waut hin
very badly. The Mrs, Pass, who caused
his recent arres;, ev,derFly has Lu iega
cain to that title.-Ep L Z