The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-10-06
In Libby Prison.

low, choke full of energy. lie worked
like steam engine until he got OUT
of Libby. Once he found his tunnel
too small for his burly form; once he
was checked at the outer end OF 1t by
two or three Confederate soldiers VINO
had been quietly waiting for him f;
again a clever ruse was detected just
as he got to the middle of the gate,
and so it went, until after he had
made half a dozen attempts. But he
never gave up, and finally got out,
and now is a prospering citizen OF
indianapolis, a trife stouter than
when he was in Libby, and good.
deal richer; but otherwise uncliang-
ed. AS Uncle Remus says, the colon
els "min wuz allus wukking." After
two or three attempts to get out of
Libby had failed, he began to suspect
that his failures were the result of
treachery in the prisoners camp.
Exchange, like kissing wentby favor.
The Colonel, after thinking each fail
ure over, came to the conclusion that
some poor devil was selling his man.
hood for a mess of pottage-currying
the favor which would Exchange"
him to his home by betraying the
plans of his companions in arms to
the enemy. He looked about him
for the man. Cautious inquiries at
length gave him such information as
prompted him to say to each of the
five regular army officers: "Meet me
at such spot at midnight. 1 have
found the traitor. We will court
martial him tonight"
AT midnight the six men met in a
dark corner and in whispering voices
organized drum head court-martial.
The Colonel presented the name of
the suspect, and then his proof. In the
ballot that followed each of the six
voted "guilty." "Now," said the
Colonel, "this is no farce. We must
vote a sentence, and then execute it,
every WE'LL" said the next man.
"Well," said the Colonel, 81 vote for
death. The wretch deserves it," $50
do l." said the next, and so on down
to the sixth-a Pennsylvania major.
He knew the culprit, Pennsylva-
nian like himself, better than the rest.
He knew that he was quite capable oi
the crime charged against him. He
had no doubt of his guilt. He want
ed to see him punished. He said all
this to the other members of the court,
and then he added: "But you know
we are not legal court-martial. We
have no authority to acu-certainly
no authority to kill. We may sift
the evidence presented against man
for our satisfaction, but we cannot
sentence, much less kill him. The
most we can do is to prefer charges
against him to the War Department.
We can't kill him" Suddenly in
terrupting himself, he said: "Col-
onel, what's that in your hand ?''
"The rope" said the Colonel, grim
Iy;"I have been plating it as we
talked" and he passed it around. He
had taken an old shirt, torn it into
narrow strips and woven it into
something that looked like rope.
"Now, Major" he said, when ii
was handed back to him, "what you
have said is all very well. 1t does
credit to your heart as well as to your
head. But you're outvoted the ma.
jority is against you. The sentence
of the court is that the soundrel shall
die, and die he will this minute, for
I'll kill him myself. Come. Captain" +"
he said to the brawny Irishman next
him, "you and 1 will settle the ras-
CAL" "Why, you wouldn't strangle
him in his sleep, would you ?" asked
the Major, also on his feet as the
others started toward the sleeping
form of the traitor. "Certainly,"
whispered the Colonel "why not
He can't pray, and we can't have any
noise" "You never WILL" said the
Major firmly, getting in front of the
Colonel; ); II won't let you you will
have to kill me first. 1 won't stand
by and see you stain your honest
hands with his dishonest blood in
such way as that. Why, man, il
would be murder. You would be a
murderer. won't permit it." Glid-
ing softly before the rest, he reached
the sleeping man and sat down beside
his head. There he sat till the gray
morning came stealing in through
the chilly atmosphere.
Long before that time the Colonel
and his companions. baffied and dis.
gusted, had stolen away to their sleep
ing places, carrying the plated rope
with them. AS soon as the Major
: could see the traitors face in the dim
light of the dawn he walked him and
told him all that had occurred. Nov
sir" he said sternly, II saved your