Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-09-30
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DEATH OF A MYSTERIOUS MAN.

a Suit Of Chain ArmoT Found Him
when Preparing Him for Burial.
A man has died in this state who was
from first to last a mystery to bis friends
ss well az enemies A creature Of the
late war. he knew nothing Of fear. could
subject himself to the severest hard
ships without mnrinur. was surround
ed by an impenetrable mystery, and pre-
served his incognito to the last.
He first made his appearance in the
brigade Of General Mosby in the Confed
crate cavalry He was then man Of
| perhaps twenty seven years. tall and
commanding in presence. black hair and
eyes and an exceedingly swarthy com
plexion He was one Of the best riders
and shots in that famous command. His
face always held its calm. stony expires
sion. and he was never known TO be
under the Influence of excitement Of any
kind Soon he wps detailed rs a scout
and the only name the soldiers had for
him was Wilmington. OF BLACK Whit
tington. the scout. Though in many
desperate hand to hand encounters he
was never wounded. and mis- judgment
and information were implicitly relied
on by the officers
He seemed TO avoid company and
would never enter into conversation
with any one, except relative to the
service and the business he had in hand
Once Colonel Mohun asked him where
he came from When he had finished
his report he said Colonel ! try to
make good soldier for the Confederacy
and outside Of that it is none of your
business what ! am or where | WAS
born In his mysterious way he came
and went. and the soldiers of the line
came to count on a battle when they
saw BLACK Wilmington return from
one of his trips. always riding ut Il swift
gallop.
At the battle of Yellow Tavern, just
outside of Richmond. he was last seen
for many months Many of the soldiers
refugeed to New Orleans with the inten.
ton of going to South America While
there Wilmington came in. to their
great surprise. for many thought him
captured and hanged as spy While
there he became involved in difficulty
with some lawless soldiers, and killed
three. He then went to Mexico and
joined Macmillan He seemed to have
been long acquainted with him and his
officers. though his companions knew
well enough to ask no questions
After the downfall of the emperor he
smuggled goods across the border for a
time, but finally disappeared, and moth
ing was heard from him till he tuyned
up as scout of Barrios in South
America When that campaign was
over he came to Texas and lived quietly
on farm until he died.
He died from the effects of a bullet
that had lodged near his heart, and very
Suddenly. When they went to dress
him for burial he was completely clothed
in a heavy suit Of Spanish chain armor
dented and battered by bullets that had
come in contact with it. The only thing
about him that would in any way lead
to his identity was a seal ring hung
around his neck with chain, on which
was cut an olive branch People who
took an interest in him often tried to
trace mp his past life and lineage, think
ing him to be of some noble family and
that he had exiled himself, but they were
unsuccessful, and he died as he lived
without giving single clew to his iden-
tity.-Texas Cor. st. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat