Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-08-08
with Scales unaccountable disappearance

\ with ScaleHH unaccount disappearance
Williams, gsat this sjuncture, began omni.
Iously to unite his pocket of cartridges, and
placed them l09s9 dn his ball bag ready
for use ia the even tnaiity of the fugitive,
isshould WB come across him, declining tc
Esurfendef when ordered. Knowing the
differentiated character of my comrade,
knew that sScaaes's life, If he proved obdu'
rate, would not be worth pins fee.
We searched the yard thoroughly, but
found NO signs, ,of our man. All the cellar
doors, like the first we examined, were
tscIosed. The warehouses referred to were
fincipalI valsed for Che storage of grain
E67S owing to The war in progress, trade
sffterrnpted Wi ithS the Prussian towns in
th0sB Baltic, and little business being trans.
act6d fhe bill fiings had in consequence
been shut tSup At last light seemed to
break upDn the policemen, who exclain-
ed: "I'm blessed, sergeant, if L don't
think the cove wasn't slowed in one OF
the drayman's barrels"
This idea seemed to explain Scales's mys-
terious disappearance; so we started IN
the direction Of the main road; and turning
towards the town, found the drayman un-
loading barrels at the door Of public
house. Yhe man, with volleys Of the
choicest BilIingsgate, stoutly denied that
he had afforded shelter to the fugitive so,
perceiving that it was useless wasting
words on him, weagain pursued our search
not knowing in which direction to turn.
I was now in q terrible quandary. Trial
by court martial and reduction to the
ranks, together with possible sentence OF
imprisonment for allowing the man to es-
cape, stared me in the face, while lmprlson-
ment for Williams was a certainty. MY
&c n n
would be absolutely ruined, l reflected, II
I did not recapture the man, so resolved,
when I had so much at stake, to continue
the search, although I looked for him all
night. It was no use hunting for Scales
in the principal streets of the town, as these
were patroled by military police, intent
on apprehending soldiers who showed the
slightest symptom of having had an ex-
ira allowance of liquor; besides being
ruthlessly down on delinquents who had a
tunic button undone, or the chin strap not
adjusted in the regulation position.
While 1 was mentally shaping out a
course action, my companion stopped
and excitely exclaimed: 81 have it now,
sergeant ! I'll bet 10 to he's gone to
old Nathan'sw
"I'm not sure of that" remarked dubi-
ously; "but at all events We'll 60 and see."
Nathan was o rascally old Jew, who,
though he was vigorously kept out OF bar
racks, carried on with the soldiers brisk
business in the sale of coarse, rank, con-
traband tobacco. He had "agents' in the
different regiments to further this branch
of commerce; and one OF his accredlted
representatives in ours was Private Scales.
Besides, the old rascal, although it had
never been brought home to him, was
from ne'er do wells, and supplying ragged
plain clothes to deserters in exchange for
their uniform. We lost no time in max
ing our way to the squalid alley in the
slums near the harbor where the business
establishment of Mr.. Nathan was located !;
and when we reached the Jews dirty lit
tie huckster's shop we found him weigh
ing out small quantity of condiment re-
sembling taffee to couple Of grimy child
dren. Pausing until the juvenile custom
ers had left the shop, l asked Nathan
whether that afternoon he had received a
visit from Mr.. Scales.
"No, sergeant; no soldier hash been
here" replied the Jew, who then contin-
ued in an undertone: "Can do bishness
wit Won in some good tobacco ?0
I paid no heed to the old 1sraelite's'stat
ment, and decided to inspect the premises
myself, without any scruples as to the le-
gality of that course of action. Placing
Williams at the door, with instructions to
allow no one to pass in or out, proceed
ed, in spite of the expostulations OF Nathan
and his threats to call the police, to care
fully search the little back room behind
the shop. No one was there; so l ascend
ed a rickety staircase, and finding the
door at the top locked l kicked it open ;
but the foul-smelling apartment into
which the door led was plunged in utter
darkness. Returning to the shop, help
ed myself sans ceremonie, to one of
bunch of candles, and lighting it, re-
turned to the upper room, which, on eX-
animation, proved to be a storehouse for
the rags and bones in which the Jew dealt
largely. Iopened the shutter of the dirt
encrusted, diamond-paned window, and
probed with my gun barrel every heap OF
rags; but, to my disappointment, the fugi-
tive was not concealed in them. Sudden
Iy perceived some glittering particles on
the floor, which, on stopping to examine,
I found to be bright iron filings. l was
now filled with feeling Of exultation.
Scales had apparently been to the Jews
and thus relieved of his handouts.
l once more examined the room. The
window was apparently fixture, and no
one could make his exit without removing
the sash. I next surveyed the roof, and
perceived trap door giving access to
an attic just large enough to allow man
TO enter it. "My man is there right
enough! exclaimed to myself in great
glee. 1 then shouted through the aper-
ture: II know you are there, Scales; it
will be better for you if you come down at
once" There was no response; SO de-
cided to have the region explored. l
called to Williams to keep lookout for
policeman, and almost Immediately my
comrade shouted to me that he had secured
the services of constable. thereupon
summoned Williams to my assistance,
leaving the Jew in charge of the police
man. Placing the rickety table under the
trap, Williams speedily crawled through
and gained the attic. Knowing the des-
perate character we had to deal with, 1
considered it expedient that my comrade
should be prepared for an encounter; SO l
unfixed his bayonet and handed it to him,
together with the lighted candle. Crawl
ing over the creaking joists in the direc-
ton of the gable in which the window was
fixed, Williams made a careful examina-
tion of the interior, while in the room be-
low waited with breathless excitement.
"Anybody there?" I cried.
"One moment: haven't had time to
see," Williams replied; and then began
to search the opposite end. "Come out of
that, you rascal!" he at length indignant
ly shouted. "I've got him, sergeant; he's
slowed in cornern'
then heard the fellow hiss out: "I've
got knife, and if you come near me III
cut your throat, if have to swing for it ~
Fearful of exposing my comrade to the
peril of hand-to-hand tussle with such
ruffian in the circumscribed area of the
attic, I called Williams to the trap door,
and placing cartridge in my Snider, /
handed it to him. Then mounting the
table. T thrust nv head through the trap