Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-06-28


sworc that he was down On tho Ilolston.
In Tennessee. when the murder was
committed. AMI he declares that II he
could get q thirty days reprieve he
would be able to provsAiis.
"iIa,e you asked tho president for =
reprieyey'
"Yes. but have had no response"
"Do you expect anyr'
Hardly. after forty-eight hour wait
ing and only fourteen hours before the
execution takes place" said the general.
with n groan. lie further told Captain
FORBES that Miss Jennie Campbell, the
condemned mans sister was assigned to
quarter. near his own. and that the poor
girl was nearly cralei with anxiety.
"During the two days she ha. lecn here
she has eaten nothing and has not had q
wink of sleep. while she has inlortune,i
every officer In the camp to inierce'ie In
her brothers lehalf. She will not ls-
lieve that We are Iowcrles-. and much
fear that the inevitable blow will kill
her"
Captain FORBES. at his last meeting
with Mis-. Campb-ll-he was In uniform
and hal called to bid her gcoiby-was
ordered frum the house. told that he was
- traitor AMI Lincoln hircling." and
warned against ever setting foot within
that door again. hut as q manly man
he found no pleasure In the changed
conditions that lei her In her agony and
weakness to call on him for help: indeed
he forgot that b. hal b.cn in-ulte,l. and
his oil affection for the woman stirred
into warmth In this the hour of her sore
distress.
A. he followed the black 10y to the
quarters assigned Miss Campbell. the
captain imagined himself meeting her
with a b-coming reserve. but as soon A.
hc caugh, sight % the white, pain line'l
face tb. hauteur u his manner vanished
and the feeling be- hal hal for her since
his boyhooi asserted itself. Reaching
out both hands aud taking hers. he sat
down beside her and said. with his old
time tenderness;
Jennie. ] am very sorry for your
truublo-.-
"Do not think % mer' she cri~i
Think ~ your old playmate, Brother
III. sentenced to L. hanged tomorrow
morning. and for oGcnsss - which he l.
a. innoocn, as yOu OF I! know You DO
not like him, and perhaps he has b-cn
oycrkcalous. hut be was once your good
friend. ~ I have b-cn. despite what !
may have said. and Oh. cap,ainl oh. How.
arli ave hint ave him. II Is not In th.
blooi a. do . murler or play the spy.
Gct him a rcprioye. II only for thirty
days. and b. will L. able 10 prove this
You know that he could not help being
In ciiiE.n's clothes: hut few ~ the Con.
f,-lera,.- are able to get regular uni.
furms. anil then he was wOunlcl. and
the Isbor fellow was trying "a crawlhome
a. Il. nurS.d when he was capturci."
This and much moro the Ioor girl
said with an awful .arncstne- ,ha, hid
th. r,petitiOns AMI even the contralic-
ton. ~ her statements. The captain
was eager a. help her. hut b. felt like q
mAnaclcl swimmer who sc,- q helpless
fellow sinking cut u sight In the food.
yet. In very pity. he dii hot dare To En-.
plain the exact situation 30 the distracted
sister.
Mother l. very sick AZ home she
cuntinucl. "and II Ill dies In this horn.
be way 1t will kill her. and n fur my.
s.lf-but u does not matter" she
SEEMED to undersiand the dificulti..
arising In his mind. AMI with woman.
r,ady tact she went On to show how
they could L. overcome. The prcsi.
den, may IT, too busy 10 heed General
Boyle's rciucsi. but Judge Speed and
General Holt. u Kentucky, buth friends
of your family and strong Union men.
are In Washington. Telegraph them
and l-,g them Ia inierccle Tor n rrprieyc.
a rrprieyc of only thirty days. Before
the time l. up shall b. able 10 get cyi.
dence showing Els innocence. will
work night AMI day. lint Oh. Howard
forbcs. give me the chance to b. sue
ccssful. ami the God u the widow and
orphan will ble.s yOuT'
In her int.n-. earn.stness she took
the captains hands and l-nt over them
till they were wet with her tcars; and.
generous fellow that he was. he began
io feel that Tor her sake II would i. a
privilege 90 take the condemned mans
place II that were I-iSsihle. Trying 10
cheer her with worls that echoc.i like a
.ad mockery In his own heart. Captain
FOrbc- accompanied her to the guard.
house. where the condemned man was
conhnel.
Two years hal worked great change
In Edward Campbell. Although not
twenty live year. u age at this time. he
lookel like broken down man ~ forty
or more. lie carried his wounded arm
In a sling. hut the hectic spots on the
cheek. aud the short spasmo,lic cough
ing told that the hand II death was ON
him without any sentence II the court.
Still he carried himself In q manly fash.
ION. and there was brave CLINT In the
dark eyes that told he hal not becn
crushed or cowed by his awful situation.
Captain FORBES shook hands with his
old friend ~ cordially as IN never 0
shadow had passed between them. and
ai a sign from the brother Jennie with.
drew By,his time II had become quite
dark. the rain was touring down In tor.
rnts. and n soldier came In and left q
lighted lamp In the condemned mans
rvoin
80 you see. Howard the prisoner
b-gan. with manner less troubled than
that u his visitor, II am In a mighty
bad box. and ! reckon it'll he about i'm.
p~sible to get me out Of II. Yet. ~ true
as God Is my judge, though my case
looks black enough and the court that
tried the may have meant to do right, ]
I'm neither spy nor murderer. The
fact l., was shot out In the hills by one
~ Iii Murray's inen Just as was think
ing Of coming home aud taking the
oath. for I haven't been feeling at all
well since ! caught q severe cold after
swimming the Cumberland and travel.
ing for days with frozen clothes, after
Gragg's retreat, and he was seized with
another 6t Of coughing. and To stop Il he
drank from canteen that General Boyle
nad sent him and which did not contain
water
'Rogers was killesl over at Bardstown
on the fifteenth Of last September. said
Captain Forbes. Where were you them
'On the Bolston. mp near Zalenell. on
the Virginia line
Can you prove that
i could u I had . chance.
what do you meanr