Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1886-03-11
PLAYING FOR LIFE.
"A sPY'S SCHEME TO TRICK HIS
PRISON GUARDS.
Making Believe Deaf and Dumb Un-
der Trying circumstances
Three Attempts to Catch
Him Mapping Fail.

limits twenty-four hours before his bat
tle-hags appeared in sight was dressed
il citizen clothes. pretended to be deaf
and dumb, and claimed to have been
driven out Of Richmond, because had
written threatening letters to Jefferson
Davis.
I had been inside the Notifications for
half day, and was slowly working out,
when couple Of young men, both Of
whom were considerably the worse for
liquor, halted me and wanted to fight.
I had pencil and block Of paper with
me, and I wrote
~ am deaf and dumb"
That made no difference with them.
Indeed, they declared that it would be
novel idea to lick deaf and dumb man,
and one of them gave me cuff on the
ear.
In those days weighed 100 pounds
and had the muscle of prize fighter. I
tried to get away from them without
further trouble, but when they seemed
determined to have row I gave them
al they wanted, and wasn't many min
utes about it. A crowd Of soldiers and
civ lians collected, the provost guard
ne up and the result was as had an
ticipated. Twas arrested and carried of
to guard house. One of the young
men, who afterward turned out to be re-
lated to member Of the cabinet, fol
lowed me to the Office of the provost
marshal and charged me with being
spy. No one seemed to entertain doubt
that was deaf and dumb, as / claimed,
and my examination was carried on in
writing. I was asked my name, age,
where born and hundred other ques-
tions, and then searched. They found
nothing on me of eliminating nature,
and I reasoned that I would be detained
until after the excitement had passed and
then turned loose.
After being detained three days an Of
ficer entered my quarters one morning
and said to me:
"Well, dummy, you can pack up and
get out"
The minute heard his step outside I
was on my guard, but he spoke in such
natural tone that came near giving my
self away. On three different occasions
during the war played the part Of a
deaf and dumb man, and tell you it
takes all the nerve and presence of mind
man can call up sat facing the door,
and, while heard his words, made no
movement. He came closer to me and
said:
"Come, pack up your traps; you are
to be turned loose"
I looked him straight in the eyes with
out winking, and after bit a look Of
chagrin stole over his face and he mo-
toned for me to follow him.
He took me to the provost marshaps
office, and 1 was ushered into private
room, where the marshal and three or
four other officials were seated. On the
way to the office, as we crossed wide
street, the officer suddenly exclaimed:
'sThere's runaway horse-look outp'
If hadn't been expecting some such
thing on his part I might hive betrayed
myself. AS / gave no sign, continuing
on with my head down, I heard him
growing:
''They think they've got sucker, but
they'll find out their mistake"
l entered the office, knowing that
every trick would be resorted to to break
me down, and my nerves were braced
as if to charge battery of artillery /
was left standing by the door for a
moment, when one Of the officials looked
up quietly and said:
sTake seat, sir, and we'll attend to
| you in a moment
1 made no move, but looked around
the room in stupid sort Of way. Twas
looking out of the window on to roof
when the same official said:
You may come forward and take this
chair"
/ stood like stone, and he rose up,
came over to me, and led me to chair
at the table, When was seated one Of
the others remarked:
Write your name, age and last place
Of residence on a slip Of paper"
That was trick number three and it
failed as the other had done BY and by
the marshal wrote on a slip Of paper:
ssWho are you, and where froml"
] wrote in reply:
81 am Charles Jones, of Richmond.
s'But you are Union man suggested
one Of the officers aloud.
| saw his lips move, but he got no sign
from me. The examination continued
in this manner for full hour, the men
using every artifce to trap me, but they
failed to score single point. knew
they would reserve the sharpest trick to
the last and was therefore nerved up for
it. At length the marshal pushed back
in bis chair, pointed his finger at my
breast and angrily exclaimed
Where did that Confederate button
come fromY'
| It was another failure. Then he turned
to his companions and said:
Gentlemen, it's no use. The man is
certainly deaf and dumb and blamed
fool besidesl''
I'VE have wasted our time, replied
second He is not only what he claims