Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-12-31
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
HANGED FOR A SPY.
Sad Tale of Ono of the Many Trage dies
of the War

OF tns war.
Halt! Who goes thereP"
1t is IL o'clock on winters night,
and cavalryman on picket hears a
suspicious sound in the leafless bushes
on his right He had hardly spoken
when the echo comes back to him from
the post below.
"Haltl Who goes therep"
The figure of man suddenly rises
above the low bushes. quick dash to
the south might save him, but he hesi-
tates, and it is too late. He is in federal
uniform. He has passed the camp
sentinels-he is slSullSing through the
woods-he has planned to desert to the
enemy. Five minutes after his capture
he is at the reserve and ten minutes
later he is on his way back to camp.
And why should he seek to desert his
hag-to cover his memory for all time
with stain worse than murder? He
is growing in years, but evidently a
veteran in war. They question him,
hoping he may exculpate himself, but
he refuses to answer. He is left in care
of the provost guard, and it is not until
daylight comes again that other ques-
tions are put to him. He maintains
silence. Then they charge him with
being spy. His face pales at the word,
but he has nothing to say. He refuses
to give his name or name his command.
He is still obstinate when taken to
headquarters. He is pale and anxious,
but refuses to open his lips. Later on,
when put on trial for his life before a
court-martial, he still pursued policy
he had decided on from the first. AS
would-be deserter he might bring for
ware excuses-have some sort of de-
fense The verdict might be imprison-
ment, but it would not be death. AS
spy he will surely suffer the fate of
spies Then why not speak, name his
captain, indentify himself, and ask the
court to be merciful.
Never word from him throughout
the trial. Every captain in the division
was called up to identify him, but none
could place him. The charge had to be
that of spying and the verdict had to be
death. In the field, convicted by drum
head court-martial, he would have been
shot within a few hours Here in win
ter quarters there was plenty of time
to prepare a gallows When informed
of the verdict he caught his breath like
one seized with sudden gain, and there
was twitching of the muscles around
the mouth. Thirty seconds later he
had regained control of himself.
1t was a week before he was led out
to die. After the findings of courts
martial had been returned approved"
they gave him two days to prepare him
ealF To Tba - =
was cruel. Men who know that their
hours on earth are numbered can not
absolve their souls of sin. The spy felt
that it was mocliery, and he waved the
chaplains away.
All hangings under military law are
at sunrise. A company had been de-
tailed to see the order carried out; a
sergeants guard to act as escort Ii
was clear, frosty morning, and day
light seemed to come slowly. The con
demned man was up and dressed and
waiting. He was pale faced, but there
was look of resolution in his eye
which / was glad to see. He would die
game. A chaplain had come in with
me- The spy waved him out and turned
his back, that his elbows might be
bound.
He saw the gallows long before we
reached it, but his face betrayed nc
emotion. March! march. march, Only
soldier could have marched to the
beat of the mutfied drum going to his
death. We reach the foot of the gallows
ut last The spy looks up and calmly
surveys the structure and the dangling
moose. He is assisted up the rude
ladder to the trap. A chaplain kneels
on the rough boards and offers pray
and then hush falls upon the assem-
blage.s Thank God that my orders were
fully crrried out when had delivered
my prisoner on the sea fold! The hang
man awaits us. He is volunteer from
some guard house and will be paid 6
few dollars in money at headquarters
You have n message for some one
and | will deliver it!' whispered in tn,
| prisoners ear as his ankles We're being
| tied.
"Yes, a message to Col -, of tn,
| -th, - infantry. He will tell my
friends. Get word to him that died il
the line of duty. Thank you-good
by!'
From the hour of his capture to tn,
moment of his death these were tn,
only words he uttered. He had scarcel,
spoken them when the hangman pulled
the black cap over his face, stepped t.
the lever, and two seconds later tn
trap fell with crash and the body wa
dangling in the air 1t was only afte
| peace came that 1 could deliver tn
message
"Ah, poor DiclSr sighed the colone
when had finished Hung for spy
and yet he was not spy. He enterec
your lines to try to find a brother of hi
who had deserted and bring him bacl
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