Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-03-09
Johnson's Island approached him, saying

Captain Of what ?' he asked, with laugh,
'tCertainly no man will accuse me Of being a
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"
"Oh, that's all right" Cole answered, al
though he felt that it was all up with him.
Sergeant, search him I" ordered the officer.
The sergeant began his work, and almost
the first thing he found was commission
from the Confederate Government. That was
enough. Cole was put under arrest and close
ly guarded
A Col. johnson, Of Kentucky, had betrayed
him. He dropped a paper containing the III
formation 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
marshal at Detroit. He telegraphed to the
officers of the steamer Michigan, but the dis
patch was by accident delivered to the COM
manding officer on Johnsons Island. 1t was
merely by chance that 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: lie
named twelve Of the most prominent citizens
of Sandusky as his co-conspirators, knowing
that they would be at once arrested. He felt
assured 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 mis-
taken. The first man arrested was Mr.. West,
who kept the hotel where he stopped. Annie
Davis knew he had failed the moment it oc-
CURED. Quickly slipping from the hotel. she
took small boat, rowed and gave the alarm
to the men in the fishing boats, and they to
the Parson and Queen. Beale scuttled the
Queen and sunk her in sight of the Michiya1a,
and running the Parsons 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 Confeder-
ate Government that they would hold two
officers as a ransom for Cole, and would exc
cute them if he was dealt with in any other
way than as Confederate soldier engaged IN
legitimate warfare.
johnson cut his throat at the barracks III
Cincinnati while being held as witness for
the Federal Government against Cole.
After Coles arrest he was confined on the
Micbiqan until after Gems. Dix, Heintzelman
and Hitchcock visited the vessel to make an
investigation. They came on board OH
bright September day. 1t was thought that
the knights of the Golden Circle were III the
plot, and they were in search Of evidence
They asked for Cole.
Cole says that he was quietly smoking ci-
gar when the officer came below to escort him
on deck. In going forward he knew that he had
to pass directly over the magazine. He pull
ed vigorously at his cigar to get it we'll light
ed, then taking it from his mouth he held it
by his side, and in passing dropped it into the
little air-hole which opened into the magazine.
He, therefore, reached the deck, expecting
that every moment the powder would explode
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 Heintzelman, on learning OF the
trick played on the twelve citizens of Sandus-
ky, thundered out, "Capt. Carter, why In
thunder didn't you hang that man to the
yard-arm ?''
The records of the War Department show
that he was tried in Cincinnati by military
court, of which Gen. Heintzelman was presi-
dent, and convicted of the charge OF piracy and
of being spy. He was sentenced to be hung
on the 10th of February, 1865, on Johnson's
Island, the point against which he had direct
ed his best efforts as Confederate officer
He made two desperate attempts to escape
while confined on Johnson's Island, and it was
finally decided to remove him to Fort LaFay-
ette 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 Columbus Delano, and the
daughter of Gen. NJ. D. Leggett, since COM
missioner of patents, softened the public feel
inc. The two ladies named were passengers
on the Island Queen, when Cole captured her,
and were not only protected but shown perfect
courtesy by him and his officers. These influ.
ences combined, with the appeal of powerful
friends of the officers held in Richmond as
hostages for him, secured a Communication OF
his sentence to Imprisonment for life at the
Dry Tortugas.
Before this, however, Cole was removed to
Fort LaFayette. John Y. Beale endeavored
to rescue him while on the way to the fort.
They tried to wreck the train which he had
taken on the Lake Shore Road, but they wreck
ed the wrong train. Beale was captured, tried:
sentenced to be hanged, and suffered the death
penalty on Governors Island while, as the Sc
ouel shows his friend, first sentenced to death,
and for whom he gave his life, escaped all pun
iShment.
It is claimed by those who profess to know,
that the execution of Beale caused the assassi-
nation of Abraham Lincoln. j. Y. Beale was
from Jefferson county, West Virg ginia, but a
short distance above Washington, where many
of his relatives now live. He was an intimate
friend of John Wilkes Booth. When Beale
was sentenced to death, Booth made power
full attempt to save his life. he enlisted AL
the eminent men he possibly could to aid him
in his efforts, but there seemed no hope of sue
cess As a last resort, he begged his intiuen-
tial friends to secure him al audience with
President Lincoln. Quite number OF them
consented to do so, among whom was the late
Colonel John w. Forney. The audience was
granted short time before Beale was to be
hung and Booth made a plea for his life which
moved Mr.. Lincoln to tears. The good-heart-
ed President would, doubtless have committed
Beales sentence after the occurrence OF that
night, but Secretary Stanton said '"Ihere
has been too much leniency in dealing with
these fellows. Coles sentence has been COM
muted. The law ought to take its course on
Beale's case" 1t did, and Beale was hung
Booths failure to save the life of his friend Is
said to have 50 preyed upon his mind that 1t
gradually worked him up to the point Of assas-
slnating the President
Cole remained in prison at Fort Lafayette,
and after making one Intellectual attempt to
escape, was, on the 10th day of February, 1865,
brought out of prison OH writ OF haDeaS cor
pus, issued by the District Court of New York,
at the instance of Jake Thompson and other
Confederate leaders. He escaped to Canada
and thence to Mexico, where he led life OF
adventure under Maximilian lie was finally
hardened by the President, and returned to the
United States with several prominent Cohfed-
crates who were in Mexico for time after the
war, waiting Executive clemency. He is now
a citizen of Texas, largely interested in the de-
velopmcnt of the railroad system in that State.