The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-04-14
Ghe1rmurraf-S Star
HOW DAVIS ESCaPED.
ST. Louis Glohr. Dcmocrll.

Tlhp scene Ol ava u is
told which aiterwarl becomes a
paii Of The history Of the mohen.
Ions period.
The story of the capture Of jeff
DAVIS has been printed Often, aud
with facts varying so greatly that
the Northern or Southern reader
cannot help but find some account
10 suil him. 1t is hardly probable
that il will ever be known whe'h-
or not he WAS in feminine attire
when captured, brit Tins is Of min
or importance in comparison with
the fact, now for the first time pub
liShed, that when the head of the
Southern Coniederacv was lmpris-
oned in the United States trans.
por, Clyde, prior 10 being trans
ferred to Fortress Monroe, he was
tried by a mock court martial, SEN
fenced to be shot and only the APP.
pearance of his little daughter pre-.
vented the appointed execulioner
from pulling the trigger that would
undoubtedly sent a bullet through
his heart.
The determination TO avenge
the assassination of Lincoln by
summaiily ending the career Of
Davis was The result of a regular
but unofficial trial by a number Of
the officers on board the United
States steamer Pontoosuc, then
acting as a guard of the traaspor,
Clyde. The man who was selected
TO carry ont the plan was Ensign
James j Kane, now chaplain at
the Brooklyn navy yard and well
known throughout the country as
the oldest chaplain in point of ser.
vice in the navy. Ensign Kane
had served in the navy from 1861.
lie was a capital shot, the hero Of
many adventures, and, like many
others at the time, believed The
Scriptural Injunction tor the for.
eiveness of enemies did not ex.
tend far enough TO save the life Of
Davis.
The movements of the parties
that captured Davis, from the time
The capture was made until the
prize was safely landed at Fortress
Monroe. where shroultd in mys,
terry. 1t was feared that the In
ion soldiers would kin him at any
opportunity, and Colonel Pn'ch-
ard Of the Fourth Michigan, and
eighty men were kept guard aboard
the steamer Emile, and alterward
on The CLYDE, to which The party
was transferred in Hampton roads.
Among the prisoners besides jeff
Davis, we're his wife and sister and
three children, Alexander II.
Stephens, Mr.. Reagan, Postmaster
General OF the Conlederacy, Glenn
ent G. Clay and wife, Gen. Wheel.
err and staff. Colonies johnson and
Lubbock of Davis staff, Mayor Mo-
rand, Captain Moody, Lieutenant
Halfway and several priva'es. The
party arrived at Fortress Monroe
on May 10Th, and orders to land
we're not received until May ODD.
In the meantime the feeling against
Davis reached fever beat. There
were demands tina; he should be
shot from thousands of loyal PEG.
pie of tie North, and threats OF
death on The lips of soldiers still in
the South, who believed Davis
should be hanged to avenge the
death of Lincoln.
The talk of the officers on The Pom.
toosuc was naturally about the clos
ing scenes of The war and the pris-
oner whom the ship was there
to guard. The chance that Davis
nigh, escape the death punish.
ment was looked upon as IA posi-
BILE disgrace to The honor of the re.
public that could only be averted
by summary action. This was the
finding by The improvised court
martial, consisting of a group OF
officers off duty, and Ensign Kane
was appointed to kill Davis at the
first chance. The opportunity
came on May 23d. The Pontoosuc
and Clyde were then lying within
800 Yards of each other. Ensign
Kane and a number of his brother
officers met in his room. The
scene that followed is described in
his own words:
"Jefl Davis was sitting in a
steamer chair on the deck of the
Clyde. II was a clear day and
could see him as plainly as if he
had been but one hundred feet
away. | loaded an Enfield rifle
had picked up on the battlefield of
Fort Fisher, and resting the muz.
zle in an air Tort, aimed II at the
heart of Davis. feel conlident
that | could have sent a bullet TO
the target, but some influence pre-
vented me from pulling The lrig-
ger. Il can't do it, | said to my
comrades, but they urged me to
fire, and told me | would be juSli.
fed in doing o Ii would he muir
der, | said, and one of them an
swered, stink Of tho death Of
Lincoln With that | took aim
again and even touched the ,rig-
ger, but psychological force, now
think was of divine origin, prevent.
ed me from doing the acl which
would have ruined me forever af-
Ter. | still hesilated. however. and
was still aiming when the little
daughter Of Davis came on deck
n.i4L =. LII. .uL.a 49, 80. III. L..