Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-08-06

Name Charies ncDOnnid WILLIAMS.
CINcrNNArr August 6.-Major W. T. Will
son, an old secret service officer now living
in this city, gives the following sketch OF
Blinky Morgan's life, as known to him:
In.a quiet little Canadian hamlet, mid
way between Buffalo and Detroit, on the
Canada Southern Railroad, an old gray
haired English matron to-day mourls the
loss of her son. Her name is Williams, and
her son was known as Blinky Morgan, but
whose right name was Charles Mcdonald
Williams. 1t was he who was hanged the
other day. A quarter of a century ago
was detailed to report for duty at q certain
Headquarters on Pennsylvania avenue, be-
between Fourteenth and Fifteenth
streets, at the National Capital,
where the antecedents of spies.
blockade runners, deserters and rebel
sympathizers were at that time vigorously
investigated After loss of twenty million
expended for substitutes, the Federal Gov
ernment adopted rigorous measures in ref
erence to this subject. All officers in charge
of Federal recruiting posts were ordered to
TO the front and new officers appointed in
their places. General Birney. in the spring
of 1883, shot twenty-nine bounty-jumping
deserters. Every Chief of Police in the
country was requested to send the portraits
of every known deserter to the Federal
Headquarters. Under the tuition of Clar-
voc, MSDevitt Sherman, White and
others I studied the faces rather than
learned to remember the names of the cul-
prits, and the faces of Warren of Boston,
Roberts of Albany. the Hagues of Pittsburg,
Harrigan of Detroit, Donovan of Chicago,
Deary of this city, Harrington Of Phila-
delphia; the Cusicks, Foleys, Drapers,
I'll - NUof
son of Buffalo, Kline of Toronto, and other
famous bounty jumpers of that period
remember well even to this day. Among
Others Just as familiar to me now Is that of
Charles Mcdonald Williams Of Brant-
ford, Canada a wild, wsyward adventurous
lad. who a. the age of twenty-one
years was fugitive from British justice.
After arriving in Buffalo he fell in with
Hank Watson aad Monk Kline, who in
structed him fully and made him thor
oughbred bounty jumper. For fifteen
months Watson held sway from Boston to
Chicago and depleted the Federal Treasury
by importing 'Canucks' and 'enlisting them
as substitutes. only to have them desert at
the first opportunity or claim allegiance to
the British Crown After jumping about
least twenty bOunties Charles Mcdonald
Williams was captured at Chicago and
sent to louisiana, where he was placed in
q regiment of regular United States Infan-
try. 1t was while awaiting an opportunity
to desert that his regiment became en-
gagged in hot fight on Bayou Teche. The
Confederates fianking the Federal troops
compelled them to retreat. The command
ing officer was shot through both thighs
and dropped on the field. He was rescued
by Charley Mcdonald Williams, who sho;
an advancing Confederate soldier, and,
clubbing his gun, Drained another, who
rushed forward. Picking up the officer he
carried him off the field"
.lt was a brave act" remarked several OF
the group, almost in the same breath.
Eyes, and Williams was a game man. As
game as ever lived. Well, for this he was
promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant
in the regular army. Whether he resigned,
deserted or was absent without leave and
dropped from the rolls am unable TO say,
as Williams was non-committal on that
subject three years later, when recognized
him in the Cincinnati Hospital as patient
1t was during the cholera epidemic Of 1856
In 1864 / was sent To Texas TO participate in
the disastrous Red River expedition, under
General Banks. While eating dinner at the
Gem Saloon on Royal street one day, my
gaze became riyeted on Federal Lieuten
ant at 8 table opposite. | recognized him
as Charles Mcdonald Williams, the famous
bounty JuinpeIs nnoSe PiStue was even o,
that time in the category in the office OF
Colonel L. C. Baker, Chief of the
Government detectives at Washington
Making myself known to him he
showed me his commission in the
regular army, He informed me that hs
had $500 ana was going home. square
himself with the Canadian authorities, set
tie down and lead an honest life. Well
after the failure of the Red River expedi
ton went to st. Louis, and from that
point to Tennessee, where General Thomas
was operating against Hood, who was then
advancing onto Nashville. In 1866 went
to Mexico, and on my return, in Septem
ber of that year, while coming from Louis
vile to Cincinnati, was attacked with chol
era and was taken to the old Hospital on
Twelfth street, After recovering ! accept
ed employment at that institution from
David Schwartz. the old Superintendent.
While passing through the cholera ward
one morning saw sight that startled me
There stood Williams. and holding in hi.
arms the famous bounty y-jumper, his old
| friend, Hank Watson. Watson died in
Williams arms. He was in the hospital, 9
patient under an assumed name. Wa
worked together then until the following
January, when Colonel Jones, the present
incumbent, assumed charge and employed
new help.
"Was that the last you saw of William,
or Blinky Morgan, as you claim him tt
have beenT asked a reporter.
"No. Ten years later, while passing
through Power Hall at the Cincinnati Ex
position, again saw him. And what dc
you think he was doing? Why, superin
| tending q bolt and cutting machine ex
hibit. had long talk with him, and he
informed NE ,liat lie had settled at Raven
ma, had married, and also had two chill
dren. Where he had been during the in
| tervening years did not ask him, and hs
did not vouchsafe any information"
"But how did you happen TO discover
| that Charles Mcdonald Williams and
Blinky Morgan were one and the same
| personr' asked the reporter.
There were several things that led me
| to suspect it and so instituted little in
vestigation OF my own and found that
was right in my suspicious" said Wilson
"When read the account of his execution
at Columbus, the fact that the murder oc
| Cured at Rayenna, where he was last 10
| Gated the letter of the Lowery woman
speaking of the widow and orphan; Nor
gan's letter to Shang Draper, and the re
| mark of the Williams boy at Alpens, my
mind intuitively recognized the Aunfortu
nate criminal, and my after investigation
proved me right"
The only way to do justice to the mos
4 e. a.