Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-01-27
the song from a vagabond musician who
visited that city, and had sung 1t in hun

the song from a vagabond musician VINO
visited that city, and had sung it in hun
dreds of Confederate camps since the war.
There was absolutely no evidence against
him, and he would have been set at libcr-
ty had not entreatcd 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 |
found that the man had visited every one
of them He had certainly taken in a
whole corps in his round, and was heard
of among infantry artillery, cavalry and
even the hospitals, AS a 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 II
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 Il mess of it, The man was all right
and | was all wrong. went to the
guard house to ask him few questions,
and it seemed to me that my sudden en-
trance rather confused him. While |
questioned | also watched, and presently
| observed that he seemed to have a very
large ouid of tobacco in his cheek. Mind
you | was looking for tIitlcs, and | no
sooner noticed the fact have mentioned
than | watched TO sec him cXpcctoratc
and soon realized that he was doing 50
This wasn't at all natural, and | began at
his head to look him over. When
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 talkativc and even iovial,
and by and by left him with the remark
that l would 90 and report to the officer
and have him set at liberty. | stepped
out, walked around for fifteen minutes
and then lc-cntcred the guard house. The
third button on his blouse was now in
place, and the quid of tobacco no Longer
bulgcd ont his cheek. When ordered tc
"pccl" lis coat Inc hcSitatcd for an in
slant and saw him change counteuancc,
but off it came and carried it to head
quarters.
Every button on that blouse was moi
only hollow cylinder made to screw to-
gcthcr, but each cavity was filled will
proofs to convict him as spy He hat
worked an entire corps, and he had thu
number of men, pieces of artillery, condi
ton of arms, and whatever else might bc
asked for. II must have taken him twt
weeks to secure such full and explicit in
formation.
When he was brought before Gen. -
he felt that the jig was up. There wer
his own notes to confront him. He re
fused to utter one single word, ant
seemed to have made up his mind to pa.
the penalty without tlinching. 1t was bric
work to try, convict and condemn him
but he was never executed. On TIN
night before his execution he died on hi
blankets. He was in the full vigor o
years and health, having hearty appc
titc, aud his death has ever remained
S mystery There was no wound of an
1 sort on the body, and of the five surgeon
s summoned to investigate all were ccrtai
c that he did not take poison of any sort
Y After playing on his fiddle for half a
@ hour he lay down on the blankets wit
the remark that it was his last night t
sleep. A guard sat within ten feet Q
him and saw him apparently fall into
sweet slumbcr, but two hours later Ii
was dead - Detroit Free Press.