Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-08-08
had been suspected of rifling the officers

had been suspected OF rltlng the ohcer's
room.
81 own I took the things" confessed the
man doggedly, seemingly anxious to make
clean breast of it; "but Scales helped me,
and old Nathan put us both on the job
"Scales has been here" interrupted.
"You may as we'll tell me what you know
"Yes," replied the deserter, when he
had dropped through the trap on the floor
II got off his handouts, and here they
are," scattering heap of bones, and dis
playing the "bracelets," each receptacle
for the wrist being filed in two.
"Now," continued, ''if you can give
me any information that will enable me to
catch Scales, I'll report in your favor at
headquarters. Perhaps it will save you
something when you are tried. Where is
he noW?"
"Well, sergeant, Nathan gave him suit
of plains and he went out. don't know
where he has gone. But / don't mind
rounding on him, and I'll tell you this,
he's to be back here tonight at 12. Ma
than's to let him in by the little window
that looks into the yard"
We then descended the stair with our
! prisoner, and the man, pereeiving the
| Jew, broke away from us, eXclaiming /:
i
you l wouldn't have got into this % and
before we could prevent him, struck the
miserable Israelite terrible blow.
Two additional policemen having been
summoned, the deserter and Nathan were
taken away in custody. When they had
gone was rather amused when Williams
informed me that, despite the Jews ex-
treme trepidation, while I was examining
his upper story, his commercial proclivi-
ties did not, for a moment, desert him, as
he attempted to open negotiations with
the private regarding the purchase of his
war medals.
Two detectives now arrived to search
the premises but of course this investl-
CATION did not lie within my province.
No article of a eliminating nature was
| found, however, except Scales's uniform,
which was concealed meath the Jews filthy
mattress. I lost no time in dispatching
my companion to an adjacent blacksmith's
the handouts welded together and this
operation was completed within an hour.
It was now dark; the Jews house had
been locked up by the police SO my COM
panion and turned into the back yard, ,
in order to await the expected return of
Scales. We first made sure that he was
not concealed about the dilapidated out
houses, which consisted of a disused coal
cellar and shed. In the latter place we
set couple of boxes, and seating our
selves upon them, with our loaded rifles
within reach, patiently awaited the return
of the runaWay-prepared, if need be, to
give him very warm reception. AS the
night wore on the sky became clouded,
while the oppressive heat was apparent
ly the precursor of a thunder storm. Sud-
denly we were startled by loud clap, fol-
lowed almost Immediately by binding
flash of lightning which, as we could see
from our place of vantage, vividly lighted
up the towering chalk cliffs that over
hung the town. Then rain began to fall in
torrents, and the decayed roof of the shed
proving most Indifferent shelter, we were
compelled to put on our great coats. To
add to our misery, the floor became a reg
ular pool, occasioned by the overflow of d
huge water butt.
After while the storm ceased as sud-
denly as it had begun, and being perfectly
overpowered with fatigue and the days
excitement, II fell fast asleep, and slum-
bered until Williams shook me up and
informed noe t. at the town clock had struck
~. The monotOny Of our vigil was now
little relieved by the appearance of
the Jews cat, large brindle animal,
which came purring and rubbing against
US. Williams took puss in his arms and
caressed her for some time, and when he
got tired of this amusement he stepped
over to the waterbutt, and, acting on a
sudden mischievous impulse, tossed, the
animal inside. To our surprise a howl OF
pain proceeded from the interior of the
cask, and upon investigation there stood
our prisoner up to the neck in water !!
Williams had thrown the frightened cat
with outstretched claws plump on his
face. The poor wretch was stiff and numb
with cramp, and was perfectly unable to
get out of the butt. We then, with a
heavy plank, stove it in near the bottom,
and when it was empty, assisted Scales
to the shed. where made him at once strip
off his wet clothes-with which Nathan
had provided him-and assume his uni
form. When the shivering wretch was able
to speak he informed us that, having re-
turned sooner than arranged, and perceiv-
| ing the arrest of the Jew and the deserter,
he was so overcome with fright that he
took refuge in the water butt, as no other
place of concealment was available. AT
dusk he was thinking of getting out of his
uncomfortable hiding place, when he was
| the yard. He had, he asserted, been near
ly drowned by the volumes of water that
poured on his head during the thunder
storm, and confessed to having been terri
bly, scared by the lightning-a circum-
stance, considering his situation, perhaps
not to be wondered at. Also, he admitted,
he had actually been concealed in an en-
| ty barrel on the drayman's cart, and that
| the driver had further facilitated his es-
cape by arranging with fellow wagner
to have him transferred to his vehicle, and
driven to the alley in which the Jews
shop was situated.
My comrade and I, after partaking of
much-needed refreshment, kindly offered
US by one of the prison officials, returned
to headquarters, where / lost no time in
reporting the whole circumstances Of the
case to the adjutant.
That officer ordered the private and my
self to appear before the commanding Off
Ger, command which at 'orderly" hour
we obeyed. The colonel administered to
tory reprimand, alternately animadvert-
ing on the enormity of our offense in al
lowing the man to escape, and praising
the qualities of courage and perseverance
we had displayed in tracking and captur-
ing him, together with the missing thief
conduct" as the commanding officer was
pleased to put it, (which is creditable to
the British army in general and the -th
regiment in particular"
The Jew was committed for trial on a
charge of receiving stolen property but a
day or two before the assiZes he committed
suicide by strangling himself in his cell.
The deserter was handed over to the civil
authorities, and received long term of
imprisonment; and similar fate awaited
Scales when his term in the military pris-
on had eXpired.-[Chambers's Journal.
THE FOLLY OF HASTE TO BE RICH.-
| Chancellor Howard Crosby, one of the best