Morris tribune., 1892-07-06

to Leavenworth on the swiftest horses tC
be found in his tribe.
Joel Robinson made his way to St. Louis
with his beautiful wife, and afterward be-
came rich merchant. Subsequently Car
ter's son was killed in drunken brawl on
the Smoky Hill and the old man became
reconciled to his son-in-law, and, strange
though it seems, before his death he made
a will leaving all his property to the man
whose death he once deliberately planned.
The Lieutenant Co1onePs Uniform.
/ have promised myself, if ever | can
command the time, to write out the more
daring and successful of the escapes from
military prisons by prisoners from the
north and south during the late war, and
should do so l will certainly give the fol
lowing incident prominent place.
At this moment / cannot recall the cap.
tain's name, but till l get it l shall call
him Jones. Doubtless hundreds of the
survivors of Libby who delight to tell the
story to their friends will set me right
should they read this.
Captain Jones was among the Union
officers confined in Libby during the win,
ter of 1884. He was then a man of about
thirty-five, and as will be seen he was
wanting in neither nerve nor intelligence
In his youth the captain had learned
the tailor's trade, and was in the cloth
ing business in a northern town when
the war broke out. In addition to being
slightly wounded when captured, Captain
Jones contracted rheumatism, or at least
he so pretended, which amounted to the
same thing, for it enabled him to get iato
the prison hospital.
In some way it became known to the
prison officials that Captain Jones was a
superior tailor, and lieutenant colonel
named Phillips determined to avail himself
of his services, with a view, no doubt, to
economy, as well as to the work.
The lieutenant colonel had como into
possession of uniform that had been con
structed for larger man, but which he
was assured could be cut down and fixed
up in way that would lead the bellies of
Richmond to believe that it had been made
at a great expenditure of Confederate
money for himself.
He brought the clothes to Captain
Jones and asked him if he could and was
willing to change them, and what would
be the price for the work.
The captain examined the garments,
took the lieutenant colonel's measure,
stroked his chin thoughtfully, looked up
at the low, dingy ceiling and said, Yankee
fashion:
81 can work that suit over so as to make
it the dandiest uniform in Richmond. 1t
will make you irresistible with the girls
and holy terror to Lincoln's hirelings,
and the whole cost will be only 5000, one
half in advance, the rest when the work is
g.; irI, +,;r
and so forth"
AS Confederate money had deprecated
by this time till it compared with green
backs as twenty to one, the charge was
considered reasonable, The garments
were left, the needful appliances provided,
and the half in advance paid over to the
captain, who promised to have the uniform
ready for the presidents ball, a week from
that time.
Although generous man, Captain Jones
did not spend that money on himself or
his comrades. He had been talkative, but
now he was silent, and as he piled his
needle he looked like man who was doing
some mighty solid thinking.
Now and then the lieutenant colonel
dropped in to see how the work was getting
on, and he was little disappointed to find
rately, the prisoner tailor was doing them
simultaneously, which method he assured
the Confederate was "the only one that
would insure good fit"
When the Confederate was not present,
the captain tried the clothes on himself,
which was not be wondered at, as he and
his employer were of about tho same size.
At the end OF four days the work was
finished. The lieutenant colonel had been
in that morning and left with the assur-
ance that the suit would be ready by noon
of the next day, and this comforted him,
for his present uniform was very shabby
but then, so was the tailors. Late on the
afternoon of that fourth day, Captain
Jones put on the uniform, and the serious
ness of his face convinced his comrades
that he was not doing it for fun, and they,
half guessing his brilliant purpose, held
their breath and kept aloof.
Ten minutes after the captain had put
on the uniform, which he had just fin
ished, the guard about the prison was
changed evidently the very thing he had
been waiting for.
Then the captain stood up, whispered to
the comrades within hearing, God bless
you, boys" then erect and without limp
he strobe to the door, while the lockers on
after recovering from their amazement,
hurried to the front window.
Captain Jones opened the prison door,
and as lieutenant colonel of Confederate
infantry passed out. The guard at the door
saluted, supposing the officer was in the
hospital when the guards We're changed.
In the cleaning the captain crossed to
the other side of Carey street, where a lot
Of passing soldiers saluted. Then he went
up the hill, where, in the gathering dark
ness, he was lost to the sight Of his anx-
ipus comrades back in Libby.
Such man deserved to escape, and he
did, reaching our lines in safety week af-
terward.
The next day the lieutenant colonel called
for his uniform, but it and the tailor and
the 800 in advance were gone. What did
he say? Well, some scenes can't be de-
scribed, and that was one of them.
T