The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-01-28

drcds of Confederate camps since the war,
There was absolutely no evidence against
him, and he would have been set at liber-
ty had not entreated the officer to give
me until next day to look up something
to confirm my suspicious.
] at once mounted my horse and rode
through all the adjacent camps and l
found that the man had visited every one
of them. He had certainly taken in
whole corps in his round, and was heard
of among infantry, artillery, cavalry and
even the hospitals. As peddler he
would have done this, but as spy he
would have done the same thing. All
the evidence could get was that he had
appeared, played his fiddle, sung his
song and sold his notions, claiming to
some to be selling on commission for
sutler, and to others that he was in bust
ness for himself.
returned to headquarters clean done
up and mad at myself for having made
such mess of it. The man was all right
and l was all wrong. Iwent to the
guard house to ask him a few questions,
and it seemed to me that my sudden en-
trance rather confused him. While |
questioned l also watched, and presently
l observed that he seemed to have very
large quid of tobacco in his check. Mind
you | was looking for trifes, and no
sooner noticed the fact have mentioned
than l watched to sec him expectorate
and soon realized that he was doing so
This wasn't at all natural, and began at
his head to look him over. When l
came down to the third button on his
blouse there was no button there. All
the Others were in place, but this one was
missing.
The man was talkative and even jovial,
and by and by left him with the remark
that would go and report to the officer
and have him set at liberty. stepped
out, walked around for fifteen minutes
and then re-entered the guard house. The
third button on his blouse was now in
place, and the quid of tobacco no longer
bulgcd out his cheek. When ordered to
"pecln his coat he hesitated for an in
slant and saw him change countcnance,
but off it came and l carried it to head
quarters.
Every button on that blouse was not
only hollow cylinder made to screw to-
gethcr, but each cavity was filled with
proofs to convict him as a spy. He had
worked an entire corps, and he had the
number of men, pieces of artillery, condi-
ton of arms, and whatever else might be
asked for. 1t must have taken him two
weeks to secure such full and explicit in
formation.
When he was brought before Gen. -
he felt that the jig was up. There were
his own notes to confront him. He re-
fused to utter one single word, and
seemed to have made up his mind to pay
the penalty without flinching. 1t was brief
work to try, convict and condemn him,
but he was never executed On the
night before his execution he died on his
blankets He was in the full vigor of
years and health, having hearty appe-
titc, aud his death has ever remained a
mystery. There was no wound of any
sort on the body, and of the five surgeons
summoned to investigate all were certain
that he did not take poison of any sort.
After playing on his fiddle for half an
hour he lay down on the blankets with
the remark that it was his last night to
sleep. A guard sat within ten feet Of
him and saw him apparently fall into a
sweet slumbcr, but two hours later he
was dead - Detroit Free Press.