Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-05-03
Hung a, sunrise.

By an x-Reoel in Detroit Free Press
When Bragg had Rosecrans shut up
in Chattanooga there were four OF us
scouts from headquarters who pene-
trated the Federal lines almost daIiy.
Every move made was discovered and
reported and most OF them check
mated.
About month before Grants arriy-
al, when things we're at their worst
with Rosecrans, scout named WIZ
Rossmore, who was rather new 10 Ihe
business, having been detailed only
few weeks. was sent in TO try anu a.
certain certain things. The Federals
were keeping a sharper lookout than
formerly, and the young man was M
structed to exercise all possible caution
and take no extra risks. lie rode
boldly into the city on an old horse,
claiming to have been commissioned
by certain refugees to look after their
nToperty. He was, of course, placed
nndey arrest and taken before
the officer of the day. He was ready
for the ordeal, He had the
name of three. citizens who had lied
the pIace: he pretended a lameness
which incapaciated him for military
service; he had the talk and actions
OF a country iout Hewas questioned
in the closest manner, and when moth
ing could be made OF him he was al
lowed to 90 his way. H. is likely that
he would have secured his informa-
tion and passed out in safety, but be
l 1n 6tU
| hours an unfortunate thing occurred.
He was seen and recognized by de,
serter from our lines-a man VINO mao
! formerly messed with him ana, Oh
| course, knew him well.
The deserter saw Rossmore without
| being seen himself, and at once went
to headquarters and gave him away.
when brought face to face at head
quarters the scout must have real
| led that his doom was sealed,
but he did not yield his life
without an effort. He denied
| his identity. He offered to send
| for Deople to prove he was what he
claimed to be, and he challenged the
| officer II think it was Rosecrans him
| self to send for surgeon to inspect
his lameness and pronounce upon It.
While his bold speech staggered the de-
serter, the man could not doubt MS
own ewes, and he persisted that Ross
more was spy from Bragg's head
WAS Rossmore lame?" asked the
officer.
"No, sir" =,
But this man is cripple for life. "
/ \ 1 l. l,ftt hat
| am certain, however. that ne Is the
| man"
ali the surgeon says that ] have been
lame for years will you admit that
YOU are mistaken" coolly asked the
/ scout.
why, III have to. viii Rossmore
was as sound as | am"
Very well, General. send the sur
geons" quietly remarked the scout. j..
Hemust have realized that the fraud
would be detected, but it seemed to
be his only hope of bluffing the desert
er down. II he had a thought that a
| surgeon would not be sent for 1t was
quickly dispeIled. The General felt
that it was serious case. and he
wanted bottom facts. A surgeon
came, Rossmore stripped of, and
after brief examination the medical
man announced his opinion that the
scout was shamming. The little toe
on his right loot had been cut off at
the Joint in boyhood. The deserteI
had seen the foot several times, and
now he suddenly remembered the
stump.
When Rossmore saw that he was
doomed he owned up to his identity,
and pointing his finger at the man
who had betrayed him he said:
Lew Warner, listen to me! Through
you | shall hang, but sooner or later
my death will be avenged upon you
General, am ready.
He was led away to be hanged al
sunrise next morning.
O.. Warner was from Tennessee, in the
neighborhood of Knoxville. In An
gust, 1865, ne returned there to set
tie down, and one evening, before hi
had been home two weeks, some ont
fired bullet through his heart as In
trayersed one of the back streets.