Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-06-27
ALL On ACCOUNT OF A RING
What Happened Government Spy
Sent south During the War.
Atlanta constitutional

Atlanta constitutional
At the outbreak of the war John T. Nor
ris was an expert telegraph operator, hav-
ing been discharged from one of the tele.
graph lines for receiving message by
sound. He was sent South as a govern
ment spy to steal kilograms off of wires
which let Union soldiers through the Con-
federate lines. While the army was lying
in front of Pittsburg Norris was stationed
there and one day obtained from Con-
federate soldier a puzzle ring, made of
eight small rings, so woven that when the
puzzle was set up it made a handsome,
heavy piece of jewelry, and when knocked
down made a confused mess of eight small
gold rings. He learned the secret of
putting the rings together.
Just on the edge of Petersburg there was
living in a commodious, old fashioned Vir-
ginis mansion wealthy family named De
Hart One of the daughters, Miss Ella De
Hart winsome young Virginia beauty, SO
exercised her charms upon the susceptible
mind of young Norris that, although be
had financee north of Mason's line, he
became quite attentive to her. One even
ing, while calling on Miss De Hart, he
showed her the puzzle ring he had ust
procured and so bantered her upon her in
ability to set up the puzzle that she gave
him an old seal ring which had been an
heirloom for over century and said when
he brought it back she would have the
puzzle solved.
The next day Norris was arrested as q
spy, sent to Richmond, tried and sentenced
to death. He was in prison there when
Richmond fell, and was liberated. Coming
North he took up his old pursuits, was
won back by his old love, finally married
and for many years has conducted his very
successful detective agency at Springfield.
About two years ago Norris was en-
ployed by the Champion Machine Works
to capture a defaulter by the name cf
Jones. Jones was followed to Richmond
and the business took Norris back to
Petersburg While walking around with
the Chief of Police in Petersburg he re-
lated the story of the rings, and inquired
after the De Harris. One of the De Hart
boys, now grow to manhood, CHANGED to
be passing and an introduction to Norris
eDsued. The story was related to De Hart,
who, with his father and brothers, had
been in the Confederate army, and he
laughiDgly exclaimed:
so you are the man with the ring, are
you? l want you to come and see my old
mother. She has saved that ring for you
for twenty five years."
Mr.. De Hart said that his sister bad died
several years before, and they had often
taxed their imagination as to what bad be-
come of the young secret agent who had
betrothed himself to Ella only to be ruth
lessly torn away.
Norris went out to the old homestead
and met the old lady upon whom the 25
years had left the enfeebling marks of the
last third of long life. She remembered
him perfectly and brought out an old spool
box, from which she took the puzzling
ring. 1t was still undone, and Norris tax
ing it, put the rings together within fifteen
minutes after his arrival The old lady
asked about the seal ring her daughter had
jestiDgly placed on Norris finger, and Nor
ris telegraphed to Ohio for his wife to for
ward the ring. A few days later the heir
loom as restored to the De Hart lineage,
and the puzzle ring, around whose tender
coils is woven this romantic story, now
adOrns the hands of the detective.