The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1884-03-13

amidst q most oppressive silence.
The evidence against the prisoner
was conclusive. In vain Lieut. St
Clair tried 20 gain time for his client,
but the necessities Of war were i'm
peratiye and the time could not be
granted. Then be tried to give q
rose-eolored meaning 70 the dispatch,
which was displayed In the Court, BY
10 be understood by the lady who re
celVed u. Then be WaEed eloquent.
He described her wOmanly qualities,
her lnal affection, her love OF home.
and even went 50 Ear as 20 slip IN q
few eOmpliments shout her beanty.
And 20 cap the clin1n,g Of The wordsf-
FOL defense. BE- ended biz speech by
entering fof hIs client pIes % In
sanity His address had a telling ef-
feet.
As soon Is he had flushed speaking
Miss Alice rose 20 her feet and IN
ringing tones exclaimed $40, mol
Gentlsmen, I viii stand no such non
sense. / am not and never have been
insane. What ! haze done 4 have
done knowingly and puFposely. and
I am not afraid % say 90. Eater the
plea Of guilt II you want, and do your
worst When you hrst arrested
me, With Ceptain Laiimer, told you
that we both belonged 70 the Confed-
crate service. meant what / said,
and am no spy. II you doubted my
word a a no fault Of mine, for i
frankly told you what you now kncW
20 be true. But 70 show yCu nov
little I care for your decision, I viii
say that the carrier-plgeon vas es-
pecially trained ~ Capt. Latimer and
me for the work which Il las SO sue
cessfully done. Nov you know why
you have been defeated 90 many times
now you know Why the noble Con-
federates have nlWaya been ready for
your attacEs-noW yea know Why
they have been able q XIII 60 many Of
your men, and now yol can see how
much q Wcman-of-Ear can do when
she has enough resolution % bear her
up and spuF her on. / am proud OF
my work, and to the end I shall be
proud OF Il still. l hate your cause !
hate the sight Of you, and despise
any offer Of mercy you can give.
There are more honest, nOble-hearted
men over yonder Ia that Confederate
fort than In all the armies Of the blue
coats put together. I AIn COnfeder-
ate woman, and / want no pity from
any ofyOu. Nov. enc this farce Of
trial as soon as you can and pass the
sentence Of guilty, I am ready to hear
t."
Her speech was listened 10 with In
describable intentness. Never before
had men heard q woman 30 audaciOus
20 brave and yet 90 eloquent; but It
was the eloquence that condemned
not the eloquence that saved. To the
Court no other course was possible
than a verdict Of guilty. Thus they
decided, and she was sentenced TO be
shot as q spy.
The execution was fixed at o. clock
the next morning. The tent in which
the cOurt-mArtial had been held was
given up entirely to the prisoner.
Until "GOod-nightn was sounded
Mrs. Batheley and Miss Blanche were
to visit the condemned and
Jffer her whatever consolation lay
within their power. Miss Alice was
still calm, and she answered the tears
lf her mother and sister with words
lf love, sOlaee and encouragement.
When the bedtime hour came, at
; O'Clock, the two ladies retired TO
heir own quarters and left Miss Alice
alone. Sympathy for her became uni
rersal. Even the officers who passed
he dreadful sentence, were
moved 70 pity when they
the fate Of a woman so
pure and beautiful. The verdict was
hOught TO be too severe Her sex
eemed to deserve more lenient con-
liberation. She should have been
ent q prisoner 20 Fort Warren or
Fort Lafayette. But sympathy was
lseless, for the sentence was passed.
That night the guard was doubled /
hound the prisOuer'e tent, 20 as to /
make all escape impossible. The 1
men comprising Il did NOT anticipate |
heir task with any evidence of pleas
ire, but duty rs soldiers compelled !
hem to accept the responsibility. |
hey began the watch with u sadness I
bat was deepened rs the minutes
lew by. The thought Of n yOurg life
D near its doom made the night more
lOomy than il really was. No Won
er then, long after the minutes had
Tipped Into hours-no wonder the
stopped suddenly "a they
Ieard the murmuIings of a sweet,
.laintive voice, uttering the supplica-
ions Of q brave heart An, how
weetly she prayed How earnestly
low touchinglyI
She called upon the God Of the de-
snseless to look down in his great
lercy upon her. She thanded him
n the strength He had given her TO
ice death for her country and her
eOple She had not sought glory or
'OFldly fame, but IN serving 1er
Duntry she deemed herself TO lie
srving Him. Bless our cause, she
and comfort the bruised
nd bleeding hearts throughout the .
reat land. pray thy sper,ial grace
" those nearest and dearest 10 me.
70 With them IN the hour of affection
I'd heip them 10 bear the burdens
lat Thou hath seen flt 10 lay upon
ZEN. Be mel eiful 20 him who was
} have been my husband carry him
nharmed though this terrible cOn-
ict, and grant that we may meet 10
lat better land beyond the tomb.
nd these things | ask IN Thy sons
anne Amen.
A prayer so sweet would have
luohed q rOugher heart than a sol
ier's. The guardsmen's eyes, wet
18th tears, tOld Of its power more elO-
nently than words. II had gone
.raight 10 their souls.
That night 3 most violent storm
rose. II lasted until the dawn Of
ay; but BY sunrise it disappeared as
iddenly as it had come.
The next morning the brigade as
.mbled for the execution. The band
layed q solemn funeral dirge. The
,ldlers formed in three sides Of a
luare. At one end was q eofhn. OPP
oaite was the firing party Of II men.
lx guns were loaded; six guns we're
npty. These were distributed pro-
liscuously among the men, 50 that
OF one Of them could tell whether or
OF be had fired q fatal shot.
The oficer Of the guard raised the
% Of the tent and saw tue prisoner
ting by the table with her face bur
d in Der arms. In g solemn voice
E read the order Of the day and the
ecision Of the court martial which
Der % Be ahUs 81 s o'clock.
he chaplain then gave her Wcfie 81
lnsolsliOn, bat in Is Gliehe remained
Questions were put TO her,
1t there were no responses. Was she
Fad AppTehending the fearful
nth, the oliUsr approached and
luched her upon the shoulder. She
ID not move. BE tried 10 raise her
esd. AS be did 30 the figure tum-