The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-04-13

Captain of what?' he asked with
laugh. Certainly no man will accuse
me of being soldier"
"No," replied the officer, ''but here is
a telegram saying you are Confederate
spy, and are In conspiracy to capture
Johnson's Island. 1t orders your arrest.
We must at least take you into custody"
sob, that's all right" Cole answered,
although he felt that it was all up with
him.
Sergeant search him!' ordered the
officer.
The sergeant began his work and al
most the first thing he found was a COM
mission from the Confederate Govern
ment. That was enough. Cole was put
under arrest and closely guarded. A
Colonel johnson, of Kentucky, had be-
tanning the information of his purposes
upon the wharf just as they were leaving
Maiden on the morning of the 10Th of
September 1t was picked up and the
facts communicated to the Provost Mar
shall at Detroit. He telegraphed to the
officers of the steamer Michigan, but the
dispatch was by accident delivered to
the commanding officer on Johnson's
lSluuu. LII was lAClCAy W ShohSS oh'o
the message reached the boat in time to
save her from capture and to upset Coles
plans. On his arrest Cole was asked who
were his accomplices. There they were
all around the vessel, and still unknown.
Quick as flash he devised plan to
save them. He named twelve of the
most prominent citizens of Sandusky as
his co-conspirators, knowing that they
l. ~ orroctaI He fa1t
sured that his female accomplice in the
city, who was Watching the bay for the
signal of success, would be warned of his
capture and alarm the men in the boats.
He was not mistaken. The first man ar
rested was Mr.. West, who kept the hotel
where he stopped. Annie Davis knew he
had failed the moment it occurred.
Quickly slipping from the hotel, she
took small boat, rowed out and gave
the alarm to the men in the fishing
boats, and they to the Parsons and
Queen. Beale scuttled the Queen and
sunk her in sight of the Michigan, and
running the Parson over to the Canada
shore, sunk her, too. Every man but
Cole escaped. Annie Davis also got
away, but she was captured day or two
after, when she came back to bring
notice from the Confederate Government
that they would hold two officers as
ransom for Cole, and would execute
them if he was dealt with in any other
way than as q Confederate soldier en-
gagged in legitimate warfare.
JOHNSON CUT HIS THROAT
At the barracks in Cincinnati while be-
ing held as q witness for the Federal Gov
eminent against Cole. After Coles ar
rest he was confined on the Michigan I'M
til after Generals Dix, Heintzelman and
Hitchcock visited the vessel to make an
investigation. They came on hoard on a
bright September day. 1t was thought
that the knights of the Golden Circle
were in the plot, and they we're in search
of evidence. They asked for Cole. Cole
says that he was quietly smoking cigar
when the officer came below to escort him
on deck. In going forward he knew that
he had to pass directly over the maya
zine. He pulled vigorously at his
cigar to get it we'll lighted, then taking
it from his mouth he held it by his side,
and in passing dropped it into the little
airhole which opened into the magazine.
He therefore reached the deck expecting
that every moment the powder would ex-
plode, and that the ship and all on board
would be scattered to the four winds.
The fire in the cigar, however, died away
without reaching the powder. The three
Generals heard his story, and Heintzel-
man, on learning OF the trick played on
the twelve citizens of Sandusky, thun-
dered out: Captain Carter, why in
thunder didn't you hang that man to the
yardarm?"
The records of the War Department
show that he was tried in Cincinnati by
military court, of which General
Heintzelman was President, and con-
victed of the charge of piracy and OF be-
ing spy. He was sentenced to be
hanged on the 10th of February, 1865, on
Johnson's Island, the point against
which he had directed his best efforts as
q Confederate officer. He made two des-
perate attempts to escape while confined
on Johnson's Island, and it was finally
decided to remove him to Fort Lafayette.
Legal proceedings had delayed his exc
cution, and petition gotten up by the
ladies of Northern Ohio, among whom
were the niece Of ex-Secretary Colum-
bus Delano and the daughter of General
NJ. d. Leggett, since Commissioners OF
Patents, softened the public feeling.
The two ladies named we're passengers
on the Island Queen when Cole cap
tured her, and were not only protected
but shown perfect courtesy by him and
his officers. These influences, combined
with the appeal of the powerful friends OF