The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-09-14
IN LIBBY PRISON.
How Traitor Was Court NfartsaiLsd
by His Fellow-Prisoners.

How Traitor Was Court MartialIasd
by His Fellow.Prisoners.
A Washington letter to the Philada Y
phia Record says: OF the six oficers,c q I
the regular army who found themselyea
in Libby prison in 1864 one was q fine.
looking colonel from Indiana IA birs
bodied, big-brained, big-hearted fellow fellow.
chockfull of energy. He.worked like -
steam-engine until he got out of Libby,s
Once he found his tunnel too small for
his burly form, once he was checked az.
the other end Of it by two or three
armed confederate soldiers, who had
been quietly waiting for him; again, i
clever ruse was detected just as he cot
to the middle Of the gate, and 60 it went ]
until he had made half a dozen attempts, 4
But he never gave up ,and finally got ont, !
and is now prospecting citizen Of Indi.
annapolis, a triao stouter than when he !,
was va in Libby and good deal richer; but
says, the colonel's !" min was allus wuksF,
king" After two OF three Of his at-e-
tempts to get out of Libby had failed he
began to suspect that his fall I
ures were caused by treachery
in the prisoners camp. Exchange
like kissing went by favor. The colonel
after thinking each failure over, came
to the conclusion that some poor devil
was selling his manhood for mess Of
pottage-currying favor which would
ing the plans Of bis 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
other five regular army officers: aMeei
me at such spot at midnight. have
found a traitor. We will court-martial
him tonight Al midnight the six
naen met in o dark corner and in vhis-
pering voices organized drum-head
court-martial. The colonel presented
proofs. In the ballot that followed each
Of the six voted guilty. .Now,n =, said
the colonel, ''this not q farce. We must
vote a sentence, and then we must ex-
ecute it." every well,n said the next
man. "Well" said the colored colonel,
II vote Tor death. The wretch deserves
it." $50 do /, said the next, and 80 on
down to the sixtha Pennsylvania ma
jor.. He knew the culprit, Pennsyl-
rest. He knew that he was quite ca
nable Of 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: "l3ut YOU know we
are not illegal court-martial. We have
no authority to act-certainly no author.
| ity to kill. We may slit the evidence
presented against man for our own
much less kill him. The most ne can
| do is to prefer charges against him in
| the war department.. We can't kill him.
Suddenly interrupting himself, he
said; Colonel, what's that in your
hana2" The rope" said the colonel
grimly; I've been plating it as we
talked" and he passed it around. He
had taken an old shirt. torn into mar
row strips, and woven il into something
that h 1a!s looked , like :: q rope : Now, major, s,
| him, ..What you M have said ID Is ali yery ~
| we'll. 1t does credit to your hearts well
as to your head, but you're out-yoted;
the majority is against you. The sen.
tence of the coult is that the sconnd.el u
shall die, and die he will this minute,
for I'll kill him myself. eCome, cap: (
:ain," he said to the brawny
tTs1an ta tba rnssa nssa ea ,aa vdss wa sss
strangle him in his sleep, would you3o
askeu asi tne Lnalor, aiso on hls leetl as lne
! otners moveo eoWard t,s !ne sieeplne lorm
o. the traitor; Certa,nly; Wl.!spered
the colonel,, why nou He. cant pray,
anu we ,.;san SanI ~ nave y. any nolse. ou
never W!ll, sa!u .ne. malor, n nIrmIy, get.s
.inR III 11 lr1nf ol the eoioneI;L W2hlAe;tts e
youlyou ~ nave 70 NH me nrs.---i Won
s.ana py ana see you sIa1h your nonest
nands Wltl I'M n1s qlsnonest olood in.slcn
murder. aon would be nurdersTsl
Won't permlt ~. 9ndlng soI.ly before
inc resi-, ne reacned tne Sleeping man.
ana an q. ~. i. dowa pes.ue ms mead. aneIe ns
/ sat lili the gray mi,foInIng came stesHng in