Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-02-27

Oxford, Me, Despatch New York World
This Is a talo of the White Caps.
Thomas Benton Smith Is over six feet in
height and broad in proportion, with
bones like rods of steel and muscles like
bundles of wire.
Unlike most men Of large stature he
delights In strife. He was one OF the
bravest veterans who followed Grant all
through the terrible struggles OF the
wilderness. In his neighborhood are
number OF wild but coed hearted young
man who had read blood-cutdling ac-
counts oil the White Caps III the daily
papers until their own souls began to
yearn for little OF the gore. In an old
abandoned lodging camp at midnight the
Cumberland County White Caps were
organized with many strange aud mys.
tic ri e. Thomas tenton Smith was Sc
lected to be the first victim. He was
charged with living with a woman. The
woman was bis wife, but this fact was
overlooked by the eager Land.
Smith was chopptng In the woods on
the afternoon before the appointed night,
January %, when friend came along
and told him what was up When the
axe into the woods, leaped into the air,
NAePpSd htNib ip-.tAh1t anu bubbbtu NJ
the top of his lungs, "Glory to GCdW
Then he started for the house capering
and talking to himself like y happy boy.
From the old attic he brought down
four old Queen Anne muskets with big
barrels. Pouring handful OF powder
into one Of these he filled 1t TO the muzzle
with rock salt. The others he treated in
the same manner He then went out
into his workshop, aud prepared q dry
Eastwood war-club twenty feet long and
three inches in diameter. Around one
end he wrapped two Old bed quilts, tying
them on with u clothes ine.
1t was night, Twenty ghostly forms
were gliding over the snow toward the
residence of Thomas Benton Smith.
Long white capes concealed their forms
and heads; small holes were for eyes and
mouth. Two of these phantom-llke
forms carried bucket of warm, steaming
tar; two held old pillows full OF feathers
under their arms, another bo.e a strong
rail on his shoulders; the others held
bundles OF switches in their hands. THIS
ghostiy band halted few feet from the
front door. Two OF them glided noise
lessly around to the back of the house.
Never from the gathering shower
clouds did the lurld lightning flash and
as those old Queen Anne muskets famed
upon that ghostly scene. Flash followed
fash with such startling rapidity that all
b ended together In Que binding glare OF
angry light. This was followed by yell
as blood-curd ling as II all the wild ami
mails I'm Barnum's circus had broken
loose at once Towards these asiounded
White Gaps, with flying leaps, came an
appalling fignre, magnifled by the dark
ness and their own terrors. In Its hands
this figure bore a waT-club that looked
like the trunk OF come great forest tree.
Beside this terrible war club Gollath's
famous spear would have been like q
straw In the hands of child.
'Going ter soak the old man 10 hot tar,
air ye" screamed the figure, as the huge
war club swung against the foremost
White Cap with such force that the
afifighted wretch shot up into the air
and over the fence as If fired from O
cannon. Three OF bis fellows shared a
similar fate, but the rest escaped. "Hold
on, boys, hold onp' he shouted. 81 amt
got half enough; l aIn't fairly warmed
up yet. Come back" The only answer
was the sound Of men running as for
their lives.
Next day q huge grave conld be seen
on this now famous spot On 1t were
piled two buckets of tar. At the head OF
the grave rose a rude stone, shaped from
white boards nailed together. On this
stone, In bold, black letters, was rudely
painted:
Sacred
A. IL