The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-09-05
81 Ed By A SECOND,
How One of Lincoln's Reprieves Was De-
layed by Break in the Wires

: e.
layed by Break in the Wires
From the Pittsbu-g Dispatch
The most impressive sight | ever
saw, think, was at Harper's Ferry in
90" said Detective c. W. McElroy
yesterday afternoon. The detective
Is member OF Perkins Agency. and
was at one time sheriff OF Oswego
County, y. \. The conversation was
brought about by a remark upon the
lmpresslveness Of the funeral services
over Gen. Grant.
The sight OF man going on his
own funeral, with the band playing a
dead march, is calculated to impress
one" he continued. THAT is the
case, you know, with a man con-
demned to death by court t-martiaL
The case OF which / spoke happened in
January, 1865, and the wonderful es-
cape OF the ecOndemned parties is some
thing | shall never forget. Two Irish
men John Shea and Michael Doane.
had been sentenced to be shot for de
sertlon. There was considerable feel
ing IN favor OF the men. 1t was in the
time Ofbig bounties, and the two young
men had enlisted for something like
81 900 a piece. In a few days they
were both missing, and werenou caught
for two or three weeks. They were
drunk, and their money was gone.
The truth OF the matter was that it
was no case of willful desertion. The
men had got on a drunk, and had
never sobered up enough to realize
their position. They were badly
frightened, and were attended bv two
priests. l can remember the place
well. They were marched up on lit
tie hill on level plateau, and the
soldiers thrown into three sides OF a
hollow square. The two men, accom-
panied by their priests, and preceded
by the band playing the dead march,
were marched around the inside of
this square and stopped nearly in the
center, by the side OF their open cOffins.
The priests were in earnest COnversa-
tion with them, and theminutes rolled
by till they grew into an hour. Twelve
O'Clock came, and Gen. Stevenson gave
orders for the priests to leave the
men. Very reluctantly they did So
prOlonging their leave-takingupon one
pretext and another as long as they
could. Everything was at last made
ready, and it was only a matter OF sec
Onds between the men and eternity,
when the generals orderly rode up,
swinging his hat and yelling at the top
OF his voice. II was a reprieve from
Lincoln.
1T seems that the priests had tele-
graphed the president thenight before,
asking for a reprieve, and stating that
there were mitigating circumstances.
Lincoln, who was always looking for
an excuse to save a mans life, re-
prieved them. Gen. StevensOn's head
quarters were nearly a mile from
where We were, and the telegraph
office was at his headquarters. He
had LETT a mounted orderly there with
instruction to rush through any dis
patch that came. Nothing came until
few minutes before -, and the or
derly dashed away. He had to 90 up
a steep hill, nearly half a mile long
When he reached the top his horse
was badly winded, and could hardly
go. He met a citizen on good horse,
and without any ceremony, pulled the
gentleman down and mounted the
fresh animal Half a minutes delay
would have been the last OF Messrs.
Doane and Shea.
"a strange part Of the story is yet
to come. Some three years afterward
l met an old telegraph operator in
Oswego. He was IN Washington in
the winter OF "a and 80 We got to
talking over war matters, and | found
that he remembered the case | have
told you about. He was in charge OF
the wire leading to Harper's Ferry.
He had heard OF the two men to be
executed there, through the operator
They had discussed the matter over
the wires. Consequently he remem-
bered the case well. Upon the morn
ing OF the execution, at 10 O'Clock, the
dispatch reprieving the man was
handed him to send out. He turned
to his desk, and what was his horror
to find that he couldn't work the wire.
A storm was in progress, or something
else was the matter. At any rate the
wire would not work. There was no
other way of reaching Harper's Ferry.
The dispatch he didn't get off until
just before II, but, as it happened, in
good time; but he told me it was an
experience he would never forget. Al
together, 1t was a pretty close shave
for the two Irishmen, and ] don't be
lieve they ever forgot the accident
either"