The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-16
FOUND HIS ARMY GONE
CITY OFFICIALS CAPTURE KELSEY'S
TRAMPs AND MOE THEM on.
The General" Returns from an F.
tered-Haughville's Escape.


camp yesterday morning a the order of the
city officials and moved out beyond the
four-mile limit. The army. eighty in all.
camDed Saturday night in the woods be-
tween Big and Little Eagle creeks, just
west Of Mount Jackson. Yesterday morn
ing at daybreak the sprightly little Gen
eraF' aroused himself and proceeded to
call the roll. lie found but sixty-two mem
bers present. The remaining eighteen had
forgotten their cast-iron oaths and fled to
Indianapolis. the city of plenty. However.
Kelsey, as he looked at the sixty-two BUSH
" preparing a breakfast of mush, decided
that he ought not to be disheartened, but
should keep up his spirits and labor in
their behalf. So. after breakfast, which
was not formal, but consisted in each man
diving into a pot and seizing a handful of
mush, he ordered all the baggage removed
from the two wagons, a source of great
pride to the army, and the horses htched
up. He then drove TO Haughville and saw
several citizens who had intimated Satur-
day night that they would fix it so he and
his army could get the Town Hall for a
barracks and also promised that the citi-
zens would be liberal in the way of food.
After much canvassing, a butcher was
found who contributed a quarter of beef,
and a grocer who offered quantities of
stale bread. Negotiations were opened for
the use of the Town Hall. and the Gen
eral" was we'll satisfied with himself as he
started to return to his camp.
Meanwhile, however, his enemy, the law,
had been at work. Shortly after o'clock
Mayor Denny, Messrs. Conner and Ruckle,
of the Board of Public Safety, Superintend-
ent Powell and Chief Splan drove out to the
camp. The colonel was in command in
the absence of the General" He was
found sleeping under a tree, and was
aroused He was asked why he and the
army had disobeyed orders in coming with
IN the four-mile limit. He was at a loss
for an answer. but begged that orders for
the army TO decamp be withheld until KEEL
sey returned. The city officials were in
flexible. however and ordered that camp
be broken Immediately, and the men march
directly for a point outside the four-mile
limit. A man was lett in charge of the
baggage until the return of the General
from Haughville. the commonwealers lost
no time in taking the road going south,
first west of Eagle creek, and moved rapid
ly towards haywood. They were told that
this was in a direct line with Cincinnati,
the road number broke away and ran,
escaping through corn and wheat fields.
Ae-arS. Conner and Rucke and Chief SplAl
showed the commonWealerS the route to
haywood. When within two miles of May
wood the three started TO return to join
Mayor Denny and Superintendent Powell.
AS the men filed past forty-one were count
ed, showing that twenty-one had deserted
since the morning roll call. Officers Mercer
and Rodgers were sent TO accompany the
commonwealers all the way 10 Haywood.
Mayor Denny and superintendent Powell
talked to the man left 70 guard the bag
gage while the army was marching. To
questions put 10 him he said ne was an
architectural iron worker, and that he made
was discharged in company with hundreds
of others. lie said that up 10 that time
he and his family, consisting of wife and
nVe children, had plenty. After being dis
charged, he was Idle for three months and
his family got into desperate straits. He
finally obtained a situation in a grocery
store, and for a time earned sufficient TO
keep them from starving. He was again
discharged with $50 more employees in the
same town and he and his family then
saw nothing but starvation facing them.
The Coxey idea seized hold of Omaha and
he Joined the army under Kelsey The man
said that when he left home there was not
even a crumb OF bread in the house, and
that his wife and children were hungry.
Superintendent Powell asked MIN If he had
dtion. He replied: well, they would have
starved if L had stayed, and my going
away made one less to starve in that house.
| have not heard from them since we left
Omaha. two months ago"
The superintendent came back at him:
And don't you feel guilty at leaving your
darling wife, as you call her. and your
weak. defenseless children to starve? 1t
seems to me you are acting in a cowardly
manner"
''Oh. WE'LL" said the commonwealth, "you
see everybody don't look at the same thing
in the same light" But as he spoke there
were tears in his eyes.
Mayor Denny then asked him what they
intended to do when they got to Washing
TO petition Congress TO give us work. We
are all mechanics. and know all about our
trade"
But" suggested Superintendent Powell.
you say you have been two months on the
road. If you keep on at this rate Congress
will have adjourned month before You
get to Washington"
'.WeH.'' said the commonwealth slowly
and thoughtfully, the President has called
extra sessions or Congress for things less
significant than are"
At this moment Messrs. Ruckle and Con-
Per aud Cnlet Spiann drove up, and as they
finished their report two rigs of the plain
est country style were seen coming towards
the woods on Washington street. They
contained General Kelsey and several
Haughville citizens. When Kelsey saw that
his men were gone, and who it was await
ing him, he was nonplussed. After a mo-
ment SO he mildly asked what had been
done with his men, and when Mayor Denny
told him where they were the General
WIS renewed. Tor he feared hey were under
arrest. He started to tell the officials of
the bright future for them in Haughville
but interrupted by Superintendent
Powell who reminded him of Mayor Den
ny's order on Saturday. The superntend-
ent asked the Haughv lie men who accom-
panied Kelsey if they really intended q
permit the army 10 enter their town. They
responded somewhat vaguely. and the SUI
perntendent then said, "Weli, even if you
viii allow them, 1 will see that they dc
not come WITHIN the four-gnlle limit and ii
they can get in without doing that, why
you're welcome to them"
The Haughville committee, as we'll as the
General" saw they were "cornered," and
the latter meekly asked if he would be al
lowed TO join his men, and was answered
In the affirmative. The baggage was put
into wagons and Kelsey and the common
wealer left TO guard the baggage drove of
towards haywood. Later 1t @as learned
that the General and his army were en-
camped in a grove in the middle OF May
wood. 1t was stated that they were being
| entertained by the citizens. From state
ments dropped at times by the men it is
thought the army will disband i'm this cOun.
| ty. IL was learned yesterday that KELSEY
| is a harnessmaker by trade, and that he
| was once on the police force of Omaha he
| being the smallest police officer that city
ever had.
TWO MORE CALLED BACK.
Ten Futile AttemptS at Suicide the Past