The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1890-09-19


SO but tee hnica!ly
the oycnse for which he suffered was that
OF acting ~ a spy The Judge advocate OF
the court which condemned him de-
scribed him as one whom violent pas
sions had shorn OF his native elements OF
manliness, and led him to commit deeds
which to have even suspected him capable
Mt an earlier stage in his career would
have been ealumny and crime"
BealI WAS young Nirsinian and had
been wounded early III the conflict. as
master In the Confederate navy he for
some time led daring life as swamp
Angel on the lower Potomac, destroying
Union commerce on Chesapeake bay and
contiguous waters While engaged In this
work he planned a lake raid, but fniled
to gsi his government to sarrtipn the
project until 1854, when the north
western Confederaey movement, of which
Jacob THOMPSON WAS the head, made II lit
In with the necessities Of the Canadian
oonspirators Thompson and his gang
wanted foothold on Union nol near the
mort hern border One Of their cherished
plans was an uprising OF the notorious
Sons Of Liberty ut Chicago, during the
Democratic national convention in Au-
gust, 1854 This WAS q tiaseo. and Ihomp-
son turned his attention seriously TO the
hkcs About this timo Beall arrived at
Sa,ndusky, o., with authority to proceed
on his ra!tiing enterprise Thompson had
prepared the way for him by u careful in
yes>gation OF the lake defenses, through
nn emissary located al Sandusky
Charles H. Cole formerly of MorHan's
raiders. Cole WAS supplied with means to
entertain and bribc such Union officials
as might be Of service to tho Confed-
eracy, and he finally concluded that
the control of the lakes could be
secured by tho capture n the gunboat
Michigan the sole defender of the waters.
and the liberation os the Confederate pris-
oners at Camp Douglass, Chicago, and at
Johnson's Island, In Sandusky bay
Thompson gave Cole authority 70 capture
the Michigan, and appointed i3eall to aid
him 1t was arranged between Cole and
Beail that the former would remain nt SAN
dusky and cooperate by brihing some OF
the men on the Michigan, and by prepar-
1pg the prisoners on Johnson's Island for
an outbreak. The Michigan lay OF the
island. The date was fixed for the night
OF Sept 10, and Bcall went To Canada to
organize 4 force, hNarling everything, rs
will he SEEN on the success Of his canfe<ler.
ate, who at the decisive moment, when
Bcalla attacking party should arrive of
SanduSky, Wax to make rocket signals
from Johnson's Island that the expected
aid xnS IL certainty
BeAll secured the services of Acting Mas,
YER Bennett g. Bur.eg, Of the Confederate
navy, \ Southern refugee In Canada. he
having escaped from Union captivity vt
Fort Delaware "A short time before and
eighteen Confederate soldiers Of similar
history. Ehe party took passage on the
Philo Parsons, u lake steamer running he
tween Detroit aud Sanlusky Considera-
bleingcnuity was Displayed in embarkiny
this force without c,iisats suspicion. Bur
Icy went on board 1T Detroit and secured
passage for himself and three friends. who
were to join him Vt Sandwich, Canada
Sandwich WA. not astoppins place but the
vessel was slowed up alongside the dock
and Burley's friends. Bcall among them.
sprany on board At Maiden. Canada. In
a crowd Of over twenty passengers. there
were sixteen more Of the party, two Of
them carrying an old trunk tied with n
rope. Everything went onns usual during
the day until 1 O'Clock in the afternoon,
when the boat was four miles from the
Ohio shore
The captain had gone ashore at u land
ing near Detroit leaving the boat In
charge Of the clerk, Ashley. Ashley was
standing in front OF the office on the main
deck, and without moments warning
was confronted by three men with drawn
revolyers. who threatened to shoot him II
he offered resistance. simultaneously
Rurley. followed by \ number Of men, ap
preached from the forward part Of the
hoat, leveled revolver ut Ashley and said:
Get into that cabin Qadies cabin or you