Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1885-02-26

impression that he had just escaped
from the prison, called to him to
stop. At that instant his legs APP
peared to part clean up to his neck,
and he literally few over those stones.
| followed, but did not succeed in
capturing him.
Returning to the prison in quite an
unpleasant mood, | made things very
lively around that locality because Of
the supposed escape. This was during
the time Mr.. Carpenter was incarcer-
ated in the Old Capitol Prison, and
he, with others, was rather enjoying
my annoyance. The officer of the
keys not being near at the time, and
no one seeming to know where he was,
i commenced to read the riot act to
all hands, when Dummy himself
shouted from his room What in
the hi are you making all that noise
about, believing around here and dis
. turbing the repose of the patrons of
this establishment, Ifyou don't hush
up pretty d-n quick | will leave the
premises in the morning without set
ting my bill" Theprisoners laughed
loud and long at the blank look Of
surprise depicted on my countenanoe,
for to put it mildly l was greatly as
tonished to find 'Dumpy in the prs-
on, when but moment before | felt
perfectly sure that he had escaped.
AN EXPLANATION.
About this time the negro slaves OF
Washington regarded me as a great
friend. | had done all in my power
to aid in their liberation, and they
often called upon me for advice or to
make complaints against those who
they supposed were attempting to
wrong them.
The next day after my race to cap
ture 'Dumpy,' the blockader, an
Americanized African, well known in
Washington, who occasionally sold
oysters and who was shaped like
'Dumpy, but not quite so tall, came
to me with complaint about as fol-
lows:
Colonel Wood, have had terri
BILE time. Some of these copper-head
secesh doctors got after me last night,
and you can believe just got up and
Y did git over lot of dc Capitol stones;
! fairly few, and it was de power Of
de Lord and my legs that saved me
from being boiled into castor oil be-
store this.
! IT was 4 superstition Of the contra
kaHds that castor oil was made by
boiling negroes, and the fat was the
simon phre oil. 1t is unnecessary ia
state that my chase was after the i'm
agiaary, and not the real 'Dumpy,
installing the tin horn oyster vend-
ing negro for the Confederate blockade
runner.
ANOTHER DETERMINED BLOCKADE RUM
NER.
Another of these blockade runners
who was continually crossing the Po-
tomac was Marylander known as
Charles Howell. 1t will be recollec-
ted that in a former paper | stated |
was cognizant of Mrs. Mccarthy 5
employment AZ the Confederate post
mistress, at Port Tobacco, Charles
county, Md, through whom | was
permitted to inspect the mail that
came from Richmond. BY this means
/ obtained information of the Confed
crate movements, as we'll as knowl-
edge Of all the principal mail carriers.
Howell was one Of the most incorri-
gible characters engaged in blockade
running. He was smart, daring,
determined young man. He fire.
quently called at the residence Of Mrs.
Surratt, who was then living in
Washington, on II street, near the
corner Of Sixth. 1t was in her house
that many Of the schemes for the fur
therance of Confederate designs were
planned.
A NOTORIOUS scoUNDREL.
A villainous wretch, named WEIGH
man, who held clerks position in
the Office of Colonel Hoffman, the
Union Commissioner for the exchange
of prisoners, was boarder at Mrs.
Surratts. He was continually pur-
Joining statistics from that depart
ment for the purpose Of supplying the
information thus obtained 70 the au-
thorities at Richmond. After the col
lapse Of the Confederacy, Howell,
who was looked upon as a trustworthy
agent to make successful mission,
was delegated bearer of dispatches
from Richmond. | had received in
formation that Howell would shortly
arrive in Washington with these dis
patches, which | was DESTROYS of in
tercepting, and 50 instructed two Of
my employees to capture him when he
arrived. He was accordingly arrested,
and while no letters or dispatches
were found upon his person, yet he
was placed in the old Capitol Prison
chiefly as ruse to discover what per-
sons would interest themselves in his
liberation, and thereby enable a con-
lecture of the character and destina-
ton Of the dispatches which had been
brought from Richmond by Howell.
ANOTHER NOTORIOUS CHARACTER.
When the Confederate capital was
in its last throes of dissolution, and
deserters were becoming frequent from
the Confederate army who bore the
impress of Southern gentlemen" one
of this class was a prisoner in the