The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-02-22
A STEEL-NERVED SCOUT.

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Now and then a man is found who may
claim that each nerve in his body is "as
hardy as the Nemean lions nerve" He
knows no fear. 1t is a quality he does
not possess. Such n man was James
Hancock. scout attached to Grants
army. He was captured as spy, and
sent to Castle Thunder, Richmond, Vs.,
and his exploits are told by the Detroit
Free Press. Hancock was jolly, rolick-
ing fellow, having wonderful facial ex-
preston and great powers of milnicry.
One evening, while singing song for
the benefit of his fellow prisoners, he
suddenly stopped, threw up his hands,
staggered, and then fell to the floor like a
lag of sand.
There was great confusion among the
men, and as some of them inspected the
body and pronounced it without life. the
guards were notified of what had oc-
CURED.
The post-surgeon was called in to say
whether it was a faint ora case of sud-
den death. 1t happened that he had just
come in from a long, cold ride, and he was
tired, and in hurry to get to his quar-
tiers, so his examination was hardly more
than look at the man.
"Deadr' he said, as he rose up, and in
the course of twenty minutes the body
was deposited in a wagon to be sent to the
hospital, and there laid in cheap coffin
and forwarded to the burying place.
When the driver reached the end of his
Journey the body was gone!
There was no tail board to his vehicle,
and thinking he might have jolted the
body out ON the way, he drove back and
made inquiry of several persons if they
had seen lost corpse anywhere.
Hancock's Sudden death" was part of
his plan to make an attempt to escape.
While he had great nerve and an iron
will. his being so quickly passed by the
surgeon was a surprise to him, for he
knew he could hardly have passed. under
less favorable circumstances.
On the way to the hospital he had
dropped out of the wagon and joined the
pedestrians on the walk. When the
story, detail of men was sent out to cap
ture the tricky prisoner, and the alarm
was given.
TO leave the city was to he picked up
by the patrol; to remain in it was to be
hunted down. Hancock had money sewed
in the lining Of his vest, and he walked
straight to the best hotel, registered him
self as from Georgia, and took good
nights sleep.
In the morning he procured change
OF clothing, and sauntered around the city
with the greatest unconcern, carrying the
idea to some that he was in Richmond on
a Government contract, and to others
that he was in the secret service of the
Confederacy.
Shortly after dinner heswas arrested on
Main street by a squad Of provost troops,
who had his description to a dot. But no
sooner had they put hands on him than
the prisoner was seen to be cross-eyed
and to have his mouth drawn to one side.
The men were bewildered, and Han
cock was feeling for "letters to prove his
identity" when the hotel-clerk happened
TO pass and at once secured his liberty.
-Four days after his escape from the
Castle the scout found himself out of
money, and while in the corridor of the
postoffice he was again arrested.
This time he drew his mouth TO the
right, brought a squirt to his left eye,
and pretended to I've very deaf. He was,
however, taken to the Castle, and there a
wonderful thing occurred.
Guards who knew Hancock's face per-
fectly well were so confused by his squint
that no man dared give certain answer.
Prisoners who had been with him for
four months were equally at fault, and it
was finally decided to lock him up and in
vestigate his references.
For seven long days the scout kept his
mouth skewed around and his eve on the
squint, and then he got tired of it and re-
suined his accustomed phiz.
The minute he did this he was recog-
nized by everybody, and the Confederates
admired his nerve and perseverance fully
as much as did his fellow-prisoners.
The close of the war gave him his lib
erty with the rest, but ten days longer
would have seen him shot as spy.