Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-05-31

Irus undermining the allegiance OF cit
liens in the states named, there was a
band of Confederate Commissioners
as they called themselves, established
in Canada, who spent their time and
the money of their employers at Rich
mond in planning forays that came to
naught against on: LAKE cities.
Prominent among these commissions
ers was Colonel Clay, Of Kentucky, a
son Of the redouhtgbie Harry of the
West,n and TIE weil-knowR Jacob or
Jake" Thompson. That these men
had more money than discretion can
be inferred from the fact that they
purchased and kept stored along the
frontier in Canada thirty thousand
stand OF arms, and q corresponding
amount Of ammunition, with which to
equip the men from Johnstons Island
and Fort Douglass after they had made
their escape. Looking back upon the
grand tiGsco now,we can see that there
never was q case which better Illus
trates the folly of counting chickens
before they are hatched. There were
not too many arms for the prisoners,
had their plans worked, for at this
time there were confined nearly forty
Thousand men at Rock Island Chicago
and Sandusky.
While Clay and Thompson were
working hard from the Canadian ba-
sis, Judge Himls and Major Castlemau,
of the same state, had their headuuar-
ters in Chicago, from which point they
visited every point OF the country, for
the purpose of fostering the discomfort
against the draft and establishing
lodges of the ''Sons of Liberty" They
lodged at one of the leading hotels in
Chicago, and while of course they kept
their actual mission to themselves, or
confided it only to those whom they
sened that they should have been per-
mitted thus to perfect a conspiracy
which, even if it had been successful,
could not have affected the final re-
suit, yet would have seriously crippled
the Union forces and resources.
have recently talked with Colonel
Castleman, a respected citizen of Lou
isville, KY, who boldly maintains that
the methods which he and his associ-
ates adopted were entirely legitimate
and in strict conformity with the rules
and privileges of war. Between the
confederates in Canada and those op-
Grating on this side of the line there
appears to have been constant commu-
nication and o perfect understanding.
While women did not occupy promi-
nent positions, nor particularly distin-
gulsh themselves outside those spheres
that are essentially feminine and hui
name, yet in this conspiracy one of
that sex showed a perseverance, pa
t1ence and ability of Ligh order.
Here name was Miss Annie Davis, and
II IS said she vas native Of Kentucky.
With abundant means at her COM
mand, this woman made her head
quarters at Sandusky. She boarded
with reputable family, attended the
leading Episcopal church, and having
a fine presence and good address, she
speedily made friends and acquain-
tances with the people of that city.
She became acquainted with the Off
GERS in charge of the guards on Johns
toms Island, and through the
assistance of a man known as Major
Cole, she learned all about the force
and movements of the steamer Michi-
gan, the only vessel our government
then had on the lakes. While in San
dusky Miss Davis claimed to be a
Canadian, claim to which she ad-
hered after the conspiracy had been
exploded and which saved her from
Imprisonment when her fellow con-
spirators had been captured. In Miss
Davis employ (she used them as her
dlsburslng agents) was Jewish firm,
named Rosenthal. These men opened
clothing store in the city, but unlike
other men of their race engaged in
that calling, they made no attempt to
get trade; indeed, they might be said
to avoid it. Their place was head
quarters for the conspirators, and the
stock of clothing they had on hand
was intended to supply the prisoners
as soon as their release was affected.
Miss Davis might be said to be the in
in Canada, and the conspirators in
Chicago, and had everyone concerned
acted his part as thoroughly and
carefully as she did hers, the result
might have been a success that would
have raised the effort to the dignity of
respectability. Acting in connection
with the proposed uprising in Chicago,
her purpose was to seize the steamer
Michigan, release the prisoners on
Johnston's Island by threats of bonn
harding Sandusky, and virtually have
the unprotected lake force at her mer-
cy. AS preliminary to getting pos
session of the Michigan, the steamer
Island Queen, commanded by Captain
Orr, and-plying between Sandusky
Bay and Detroit, was seized at Middle
Bass Island. The commander of the
confederates was Captain Beale, who
= was subsequently hanged at Bedloe's
Island, in New York harbor. The
seizure of the Island Queen became at
once known, and the Michigan was Or
dered to bring her to terms, which
she succeeded in doing. Even before
the seizure of this steamer the gov
ernment had been informed of the
plot, it is said, by one of the conspira-
tors. That such was the case is be-
L.