Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-01-31
Brought to Death BY a Song Heard While
on a Bridal Tour---The Iei-Iale
Buttons Of the Captains
Blouse,

y%iyilant and alert in seeking to detect the
presence Of strangers. All the scouts had
"A = matter Of course, received the same
instructions, but for a week nothing result
ID from this combined watchtuluess.
One afternoon, while sitting ia the quar-
tsrs OF an old friend belonging tos brigade
band. a crowd gathered outside, and |
heard the music o. fiddle. Stepping to
the docr. | saw a German about 40 years
Of 2 10 the centre OF a circle Of soldiers,
seated on . cracker-boN and playing the
fiddle in q rude sort Of way, as It entirely
unmiudiul OF their presence The man
was in citizens ccthes, and Tor what seem,
cd a very good reason. His right arm had
been a~mputated at the elbow. l looked
him over closely as be sat there, eyes halt
closed and keeping time With his foot aud
/ could not say tbs, | had ever seen hIn
before.
"GuE IS A SONG, DCrcHY.
cried = dozen men in chorus, sIter ne had
PLAYED for q spell, and he at once com
piled. The first verse ran as follows
Oh, dcAu' you sc my FALLING tears
OH d0aE' YOU know dat 'uss sad
Dot While you laugh uut merry 'ua~.
No home l bar @ make me Sau
He had not We; finished it when | wss
irving hard 10 remember where and when
/ had heard il before. HIS voice was soft
and plaintiye, and the air OF the sorg vas
one 10 captivste a soldier. They crowded
closer and were silent while he sang the
second verse;
Nobly what's TO welcome me
NOBODY cares which way / 60
walks alone aivwu LIES path
nv happiness yh8s l.ruet Co zoe
| was struggling like a prisoner 10 break
MA bonds. Years ago | had heard that
song and had not heard it since !; was
an vain l cudgellsd my brain, but Jus: when
in despair ] happened 10 notice how
he vas holding aud playing the fiddle.
His right arm was gone, a. ! hav5 told you,
but with the stump be was hOldlCg the Dow
bV a simple co~ntrlyaDce and with his lett
baud he was hagering the s'rings. Indeed,
the soldiers were rsmarkIog on The noVely
oft. had not watched alm thirty seconds
when memory came to M aid.
In the summer OF 1856 made q trip to
a watering place 10 Wisconsin, bridal
ioas. One evening, IS my Wlts and sat
on the porch Of the hotel this man came
along, having 3 little girl with him, and %
ne A THAT FIDDLE y SANG
she ,oiRed in the chorus aud accompanied
him on q banjo. This Was one OF the
songs he a that evening seven or eignt
verses to it-aud it WAS 80 sad and PlainuVe
that We paid hin to repeat II t"o or three
times.
Vow. | could not say that he was not q
Confederate but the fact that be was not
in our uniform, and that | had seen him 80
far North was enough 10 rouse 4 Suspicion.
A soon as he hsd finished his song he Of
fsrsd Tor sale from bis pack. buttons, thread,
asstles pencils and other small wares, n
did : rushing o~usiness for halt an hour.
He could have sold everything right there,
bgt Le suddenly packed up aud moved
a.sv eyenlghen @ ioZsn customers had
money N their b ,nds This action seemed
queer, II not suspicious, aud o-oSea ms
man Ia halt ~ hOlr vas certain tast
he Vas & spy AM hld aeen making an es'
timsts Of our strength
Without entirely !jsiug sight OF the man,
CONS unicated mg suspicious 10 the ON
Ger VI the day, aud the result was an ar
rs., Toe man dad &C. even change coun'
romance when he found himself oetSeea
Tia b.yonets. bur navched OF as II such
saairs we're down on MS programme.
Cpou reaching the gusrd-houSe ne
csluliy submitte5 10
ArHDRgUGH sEAEcH.
sL. ,a-s,n and p,ck rais lasted a tIll
I,,- 5us We made 10 discovery OF import
~. The man denied he WA ever north
4 ~. Ohio river Aul claimed Nav Orleans
a NJ, residence. lie learned the song
from = vagabond musician Who visited tHst
CITY snd had sung It Ia Candreds OF Con'
f-dsr,gs camps since thu war. There was
sbsrlttely no -vit against hIm, and
bs vsuld have BEEN 81 81 liberty had /
ma, satrsated TIRE 0mger 10 give me until
neNr lay 70 COX uy something 10 couuFm
my suspicious
a. ouce mounted ms horse and rode
through all thea0j cent amps aud | found
fha, 'asm man had visited every Que OF them.
IA k,d certainly taken IN q whole corps
"A HI. rounds, and va heard OF among IN
f,ntry artillery, cavalry aud even the
Hospitals As peaIrr he would nave
done this. bnJ - u syy ne you'd have done
tbs sane thing. h, the evidence l could
pet Was that be had appeared, played his
SdG,. sung his songs aid solo his notions
clsiulug 70 some 20 De selling on commIs'
sioa TOR 4 su.lsr. and 70 oilers that he was
IN business tor himself.
Iraturusd to headquarters clean done
M srd mad At myself Tor hsytng made
sSScb = mess OF Il. Tle man who was al
riyuf aud l was al wrong. l went TO the
QUAR-. house 70 ask him q teR further
questions. and IL seemed 10 me that my
.njfsl entrance rather confused him
While | questioned | also watched, Snc
preseGdy l observed that be seemed L
have a yesy large Quid OF tobacco IL hi
cheek. Mind you,
WAS LOOKING sos TRIyLEs
and I no sooner noticed the tact | hav,
mentioned than ! watched to see him a.
pec.orate aud soon vssss=d that be ga
not doing so Ials ~ssus e. ~ --i-E@.
and ] began st his head 10 look him over
Wheu I came dowu 20 the third button OF
bls bJ ,uss there was TO baton there. Al
the others were 10 place, ou. his one va
missing.
The man was talkslive and even iowa
aud by and by I LET, him With the remarI
that would 20 and report to the ohce
ans have him set 81 liberty. stepPe'
out. walked around tor Eileen minutes, AM
then re-eutered TIE guard.hoase. In
third button on his blouse IVES now II
place, and tbs ruit OF tobacco no lougs
buIsed out his cbeak When ordered {
peel bis coat be h5sIs;,d ior an instan
ani I saw him change counts2ance, ou
obi came sud l carried it 10 headquarters
Every bGtton on tha; 5loise wss not onl
a hollow cylinder asio TO screw together
but each cavity was hilsd with proofs
convict him as E spy. BE bsd worked q
entire corps, and no hsd the number
men, pieces of artillery condition OF arm.
ard whatever else might be asked for. !
must have taken him tao weeks 10 secur
such full and explicit information.
When he was brought before Gener'
he felt that the Jig vi up. 1ceI