The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-03-21

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! r. ,aar .gio s1im, X casa.,r. qrco
! tiat VII asyefHr e4a,# III =itt transferred
Fl en = st'aar ~ prisoners
ral 12#e Js@t tia4 Aatt5ea cge1.
70 tae ut.4sE e#atEnaa it.t-
sentences tr aHEr- st eu. ts one
case 0J+ u& fs5.i4 tHt hs
aaial that ~ Would noaAl.et1g c5lonv.
iIiy.ta aal sail was +ta a.}e en.art-
est men in tIta corps, Glti f5r ~Aerrauya
ie w,a "a eacci!gnt groom and a,nlos
4 Gordon hleu.@ lie had one sd fail
intc. lie ", a thief. His tccuia lens
had. however. been generally small. and
lie had ESCAPED serious punishment. Che
night Il large store IL the town was bro
ken into and Il considerable mount Of
money stolen. II was c~onclusiyely
| proved that Johnson was the thief. and
he was sent to Jail. When the regiment
was leaving the colony. Johnson. with
some other soldier prisoners. was TO be
handed over according TO custom. When,
however. his cell was visited, it was
empty. and there was not a sign of
johnson anywhere.
A search was made in every direction.
and at last II prisoner pointed to a cocoa
nut tree which grew in the middle of
the prison y,.rd. and there comfortably
seated among the tuft of leaves was
johnson. Tie warden at first tried to
get the man down by quiet persuasion,
then he threatened. then stornned and
swore. Johnson laughed ~contentedly at
every mood. but did not move. The fact
was reported to the colonial secretary,
who recommended that tie fire engine
be called ont and the man washed down.
The chief OF the fire department hardly
thought it was c%onsonant with his dig
nifty to wash IL prisoner ont of Il cocoa
nut tree and reported thar there was not
pressure of water enough to get u stream
to the top of the tree. This was proba-
bly, true, for the tree was ii tail one.
The case was again referred to the CO.
lonial secretary, who took it before the
governor. His excellency was having
luncheon with some of the departing
officers and their friends and was having
a good time. He was vexed that at such
a time he should be troubled with official
work, as hastily glancing over the docu-
ment he added the following instruc-
tons: Cut the fellow dowa. | mean
the tree
This could only be done by the engi-
neering department. SO orderlies were
sent ont to find the chief engineer.
While all this was going on. time was
slipping away. Almost all the troops
were on board the troopship. and as thes.
vessels wait for no one the escort which
had been sent to bring johnson down to
the ship had to hurry off. not TO be late
itself. johnson beloved a farewell, and
despite the strong language of the ward
Ell still laughed and did not move. Be-
fore the engineer department had cone
to a conclusion as to how to cut down
the tree and lower it gradually, the
~troopship had up anchor and was steam
ing ont of the harbor.
Then johnson climbed down the tree
and finished his sentence on the island,
to which he had taken a fancy. His con
yiction had carried with it his .~.discharge
with i%gnominy.' He settled in the island
and was o o in easy circumstances. He
had undoubtedly hidden his stolen prop
erty, and after his release dug it up and
started in business. When johnson was
last SEEM, he was fiourishing and had a
large cocoanut grove around his cottage.
New York Tribune.