The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-05-19
A sPYs SCHEME.
PLAYING Bzas AND DUNE 70 Trick HIS GUARDS.

IN the city limits twenty-tour hours
before bis battle flags appeared in
sight. / was dressed in citizen 5
clothes, pretended to be deaf and
dumb, and claimed to have been
driven out of Richmond because /
had written threatening letters to
Jefferson Davis.
had been inside the notifications
for half a day and was slowly work
ing out, when q couple of young
men, both of whom were considera-
bly, worse for liquor, halted me and
wanted to fight, | had q pencil and
block of paper with me and l
wrote:
Il am deaf and dumb"
That made no difference with
them. Indeed, they declared that i.
would be a novel idea to lick deaf
and dumb man, and one of them
gave me q cuff on the ear.
In those days / weighed 100
pounds and had the muscle of q
prize fighter. l tried to get away
from them without further trouble,
but when they seemed determined
to have a row | gave them all they
wanted, and wasn't many minutes
about it. A crowd Of soldiers and
civilians collected, the provost guard
came up, and the result was as had
anticipated. l was arrested and car
ried OF TO the guard-house. One Of
the young men, who afterwards
turned out to be related to a mem
Der OF the cabinet, followed me TO
the stice of the provost marshal,
aud 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. | was asked
my name, age, where born, and a
hundred other questions. and then
searched. They found nothing of a
eliminating nature, and | reasoned
that would be detained until after
the excitement had passed and then
turned loose.
After being detained three days an
officer entered my quarters one
morning and said to me:
swell, dummy, you can pack up
and go out"
The minute | heard his step out
side l was on my guard, but he
spoke in such natural tone that L
came near giving myself away. On
three different occasions during the
war played the part of deaf and
dumb man, and l tell you it takes
all the nerve and presence of mind
O. man can call up. | sat facing the
door, and while l heard mis- words, /
made no movement. He came clos
er to me and said:
Come, pack up your traps you
are to be turned loose"
/ looked him straight in the eye
without winking. and after a bit a
look OF chagrin stole over his face
and he motioned for me to follow
him. He took me to the provost
marsha1s office, and | was ushered
into the private room, where the
marshal and three or four other oili-
cials were seated. On the way to
the office as we crossed wide street,
the officer suddenly exclaimed
There's a runaway horse-look
out p'
If | hadn't been expecting some
such thing on his part l might have
betrayed myself. As Igave no sign,
continuing on with my head down,
| heard him growing.
They think they've got a sucker,
but they'll find out their mistake"
/ 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 ar
tillery. | was left standing by the
door for moment, when one of the
officers looked up quietly and said:
Take a seat. sir, and we'll attend
to you IN a moment"
| made no move, but looked
around the room in a stupid sort of
way. was looking out of the win
dow on to a roof when the same Of
ficer said:
you may come forward and take
this chair"
| stood like stone, and he rose
up, came over to me, and led me to
q chair at a table. When | was
seated one of the others remarked:
Write your name, age, and last
place ofresideLce on a slip of paper"
That was trick number three, and it
failed, as the others had done. By
and by the marshal wrote on a slip
of paper:
"Who are you, and where from ?"
/ wrote in reply:
i am Charles Jones, of Richmond
But you are Union man." sug-
gested one of the officers aloud.
/ saw his lips move, but be got no
sign from me. The examination
continued in this manner for a full
hour, the men using every artifice TO
trap me, but they failed to score a
single point | knew they would re-
serve the sharpest point for the last,
and was therefore nerved up for il.
At length the marshal pushed back
in his chair, pointed his finger at ny
breast and angrily exclaimed:
Where did that confederate but
ton come from ?"
at was another failure. Then he
turned to his companions and said:
Gentlemen. it's no use. The
man is certainly deaf and dumb, and
3 id fool besides"
1--WE have wasted our time" re-
piled a second. "He is not only
what he claims to be, but may be Of
great service to US. I'd have the Of
ficer take him over to the secretary
of war"
Il guess WILL" said the officer,
and he rang a bell and l heard the
door open. Then he turned to me,
as you please, and said:
"Go with the officer"
1t was their last shot. / never
moved a muscle until the officer
and placed his hand
On nae. I was taken back to the
yuard-house, kept a prisoner for
another week, and then the dis