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

libby:
so, the old prison is sold, Is it p he
said "Wcll, gcntlcmcn, I never go by that
place without laughing now | can't help
thinking Of the cute trick played by lot
Of Yankees there. The fact is, it was 50
good that. although had been ordered to
shoot in among them, dsoocycd orders.
1t was about 'G3. and the Libby building
was so crowded that it wouldn't hold any
more prisoners, 81 they put large lot OF
thom in the second story of the building
across thc street. Soon after these prison.
crs came the prison officials got II large lot
or sweet potatoes Irregular yamS) from
North Carolina, and 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 aud
those feli)ws kept a strict watch over the
building, | can tell you. The third day
after they hnd been slowed away it was no
ticcd that they were disappearing at the
rate OF about bushcl a day. At first it
was thought that the rats took them but a
second thought showed that the idea WAS
absurd. Scntinois were posted all around
the building with orders to shoot any mam
they caught stealing those yams, but they
didn't sec anybody to shoot, aud although
they were posted there day and night, and
no one was allowed 10 enter the room in
which the potato IS were kept they contn-
ucd to disappear ut the rate of bushll a
day. The Confcdcratcs saw their vans
disappearing in this way, and were furious
The thing was m unaccountablc mystcry-
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
1t would be known The next morning the
officers went into the room. The wax was
all right, but another bushcl of potrtocs
had vanished. Well, sir, it WAS the mad
dc>t 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 oi the room 50
that | could see. | was ordered to shoot
on sight anybody saw stealing those yams.
It 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,hcr, the rats would cut the first one
down. They were regular Confederate
rats, and candle was 4 godscnd to
them. After 4 lot of worry [ got the
rats cut OF the way, and sot down near
the door waiting for developments. There
stayed till II o'clock bu; though | kept
my eyes on the potatoes all the time,
couldn't sec any Of them going. Shortly
alter II | heard Il creaking, grating sound.
which seemed TO be all over the room at
once. | cooked my gun and held my breath.
but sill | couldn't sec any sign Of life cx-
ccpt the rats creeping about the floor. BY
George" | thought this darncd place is
haunted, if thcrc is any such thing as Il
plac. being hauntcl.' The sound stopped,
but about ten minutes after it began again.
looked at the pile Of potatocs, and pres.
emily saw something shoot from the ceiling
and fall on them / saw it WAS a brick, and
so%!d !5 5d'saslnsns1 81 rope tied to i: lereP,
thing, but before | could examine it, it was
drawn slowly up, and there was about peel!
Of yams sticking to it. it went up through
a hole which had been cut in the tiolr abovc
and presently came down again with 4
thump right among the potatoes. 1t was
the most arttnl arrangement you ever saw.
The brick had about fifty holes drilled in it,
and through each hole sharpcncd tcn.pcn
ny nail had been run, so that when the brick
fell among the yam5, these nails stuck into
every one they fell on. | 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 TO draw on
it, and when it did not move | heard one
fellow say Steady, boys the bricks
hung i'll 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 20,
because | thought some Of those spiked
nails might strike me in passing. Thought
Of my pockctknfc, and hauled it out Just
as they were putting all their weight on the
other end Of the rnpc. | cut it in two, and
the end shot back through the hole in the
ceiling, and | could hear rolling and um-
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
protruding through the hole and fellow
pccring down. Then called out: Iryou
trouble any more Of those potatoes III
shoot That fellows head shot back
through thar hole just like a tcrrapin, and
it was as still as death up there. | hated to
tell on them, because it was such sharp
scheme Of forasing on the enemy, but !
lad to. When the Cfliccrs went up next
morning to examine the room it took Il long
time to find the hole. Those Yankees had
cut hole about a foot square through tic
floor, and it was done so neatly that it took
good eyes to discover it, That was where