Omaha daily bee., 1884-01-07
SERGEANT s
He Tells an Interesting Story of His
Return to betty and the
Baby"


Philadelphia Press, January I'd.
A slender, sinewy man, dressed in
plain citizens clothes, a SLOUGH hat and
square-toed, old-fashioned boots, with
long, dark hair and keen blue eyes,
walked, unnoticed, up to the desk at the
Continental hotel last evening, and wrote
his name on the register, in large, bold
characters, "John A Mason" Sergeant
Mason, for it was none other than he,
then leisurly proceeded to the elevator
and was conveyed to his room, Oh the third
floor, where they were waiting to receive
him, MI. Perley and Mr.. Hagar, of the
dime museum, where the sergeant will
We on exhibition during the coming two
weeks. The news of his arrival spread
quickly through the hotel, and in ten
minutes a crowd had collected about the
register anxious to catch a glimpee of his
name.
The sergeant looks well, and all traces
of his confinement have disappeared. His
hair, as black as the ravens wing, has
grown long and hangs in locks around
his forehead. His manner is confident,
though modest, and he is every whit
the self-same bold, dashing soldier, who,
animated by what he believed to be an
inspiration, sped the swift bullet on its
way; 80 near the heart of the assassin
Guiteau.
He tells a thrilling story of his meeting
with BETTY and the Baby" after he wal
pardoned. The moment the document
of executive clemency was put in his
trembling hands, eager with the hope oil
| tn,ntyn hin uifn aud nhtlI h. c,.bol -
the depot and boarded a fast train for
home. Fate was with him, for he made
every possible connection in New York,
Philadelphia and Washington, and the
evening of that same day he jumped
from the cars at the little town of Fred.
ericksburg, Va, only twenty-four miles
from his home. He ran, 30 great was hi
haste, to the nearest livery stable, and
said: ~ want a horse right away. My
name is Sergeant Mason; Pm on my way
to Betty and the Baby" "What, are
you Sergeant Mason2' cried all around
in amazement, as a horse was saddled fol
his use.
Not stopping to talk to his delighted
friends the Sergeant mounted the horse
and dashed away across the hills ant
through the woods towards the village Of
Locust Grove, where Betty, with tn,
baby, was awaiting his coming with al
anxious heart. 1t was nearly nightfal
when he reached the home of his child
hood. He had expected to return to hi
loved ones in the same log cabin in which
he had left them, and great was his sur
prise to find standing in its place a sub
~stantial ~framehouse. Dismounting, h
advanced to the gate, where he stopped
and cried out, "Does Sergeant Mason liv
hereT' There was a cry of joy in response
and in an instant he was clasped in hi
} wife's arms.
That night the country folks gathere'
, at the house from miles around and tenG
cred him a rousing welcome. He say
! he is not going to exhibit himself an
, longer than is necessary to enable him t
/ save enough money with which to start
=. stock farm. 1t is expected that ''Bett
and the Baby" will reach the city in
few days, when they will also be on Q,
hibition at the museum. The sergeaI
will wear the soldiers suit in which i
shot at Guiteau. i