Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-21

OF the victims were there, having OH
and cotton applied to their injuries.
saw and heard g little. and then went
on deck, faint with the living misery
of the scene.
The Prentiss was overcrovded and it
was difficult to move about But
quickly my attention was arrested by
the fact that we were moving with the
current.
ssHow is this?" 1 asked of man
whose hair and eyebrows were singed.
'sWe're not going down stream?"
''That's what we are DOING
My heart sank within me.
whats this for?''
cts all right. We're much nearer
to Baton Rouge than to Vicksburg,
there's only one doctor aboard, and no
opiates, and the captain of this boat
decided that he must get those poor
wretches below to place where they
can be cared for. as quickly as possible.
I need the doctor myself, and got off
pretty well, too. You was on the
Queen, WASH t your
/ rushed along the decks, half-dis-
tracted, demanding to see the captain.
responsibility; but when found him
he did listen to me for an instant.
Captain, put US ashore-Coralie and
myself" l cried. 1--WE can't go back
to Baton Rouge"
He stared at me.
Zone hundred dollars to put us
ashorer' 1 shouted.
''Talze care of him." said the captain,
furT7irarr oxvou ssHo,S haa,7 ora NV
the accident"
l wandered through the crowd,
pleading with every man whose at
tention 1 could get that we might be
landed quickly. Some looked COM
passionately; others avoided me. One
of the officers told me to keep quiet, or
he would lock me up in his cabin.
It was too cruel to believe. On the
way to freedom and safety. just es-
capped from the jaws of death, at the
last moment we were turned back to
certain bondage. For me, the bonds of
prison; for her, the bonds of a living
DEATH
/ leaned over the rail, restrained
only by the thought of her from fling
ing myself into the dark, turbulent
waters.
Was there no escape? No hiding on
the boat?
No. The quest would be as thorough
as eager.
We were doomed
A telegraph station near the river
had sped the news of the disaster and
the return of the Prentiss with the vic
Tins and survivors. A thousand peo-
pie were gathered at the Baton Rouge
landing as we approached. Several Of
ficers took possession of the gangway
of the boat and permitted nobody to
land. The captain was called for; a
long telegram was handed him, and a
brief colloquy took place.
81 know nothing of the Cotton
Queens passengers he said, NOR
whether these people We're saved.
You'll have to search for yourself"
A faint hope sprung up in my breast
that we might escape in the crowd and
the confusion. 1t quickly died. While
the officers were keeping the clamoring
passengers on board, and preventing
any access to the shore, small steam
er came up the river and landed.
saw Conrad Bostock and his gang Jump
ashore and hail the officers on tho
Queen. They We're allowed to come
arrested.
In her presence 1 was handcuffed.
She chung to me, and begged them not
to separate us.
''You are to go before the magis-
trate.'' said one of the officers. Come;
all these poor wretches in the saloon
can't be removed till you are gone"
Hold onr' said Bostock. 81 must
| find that cunning devil, Wash LIE
Fevre. He's at the bottom of all this
mischief"
From the depth of my misery raised
my hand and cried:
He is beyond your persecution. He
bravely persisted in the wreck
Its just as well for him. 1t would
have been better for you, my fine fell
| low, if you'd done the same.''
We were taken up to the magistrate's
office. Coralie, unveiled and clinging
to me, was stared at by the crowd.
The news of the arrest for attempted
abduction of a slave-girl was limited
about, and public attention and Curl
osity were divided between US and the
victims of the accident, who were now
being brought ashore on stretchers
from the hospital. Hundreds of men
and boys followed us up the street, and
the magistrates Office, the passage and
| the stairway We're thronged. 1 saw
threatening looks directed toward me,
and heard the words muttered: yam
kee," and ''slave-stealer.