Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-12-20
CHAPTER XVIIL-CoNrIsuEp.
COPYRIGHT, 1894 ]

CHAPTER XVIIL-CoNrIHUEp
From Gen. Waterson's account we
learned that there were about fifty
people in the building and they were
taken completely by surprise, but so
admirably pre-arranged was the plan
that they had no opportunity to give
alarm and were all shut up in one room
and guard placed over them, after
which the invaders had the building to
themselves. Everything was done with
the utmost expedition and the incest
pervision, and at two o'clock the regi-
ment was in possession of two million
dollars in coin. 1t was ten minutes
past two when the column was set in
motion, and at that time there was the
most confused notion in official circles
as to what was going on. The idea
that an armed regiment had taken pos
session of the United States deposits
in the heart of the city in the middle of
the day appeared to be too incredible
at first to be alarming. 1t was there
fore two-thirty o'clock before the first
attempt was made at police head
quarters to take summary action and
call upon the reserves. The runors
spread like wildfire through Wall street
and Printing House square, and when
the regiment moved, Wall street, Mas
sau street and Broadway were choked
with people. But Gen. Waterson
handled his men with admirable skill
and the solid column was not likely to
suffer any serious interruption from
merely angry or suspicious crowds. By
the time the newspaper bulletins got
the first wave of intelligence, the regi-
ment was at the foot of CORTLAND
street. 1t had marched through that
usually choked thoroughfare with
tactical adaptation to circumstances
that was amazing. It marched in force
through the two ferry gates; took pos
session of two boats; put everybody off
but the pilots, and the vessels started
just as the first division of the reserves
marched into West street, three blocks
away.
At this point the state line, which
was no embarrassment to the soldiers,
interposed an invisible barrier to the
authorities.
New York stared across the river in
bewildered establishment and then re-
sorted to the telegraph and the utterly
futile police boat.
Hendricks close calculation of time
was again shown here. His agents ar
rived in Jersey City with fifteen min
utes margin. and that was enough to
enable them to take possession of a
train of ten cars on the Pennsylvania
road and get in motion before the Or
der had arrived to hold all trains.
On the ferryboat Gen. Waterson and
hic off Ior %
passengers with large portmanteaus.
They were there by Encouragement
and brought the change of garments
with them. When the boat arrived at
the New Jersey dock the officers were
in different apparel and were protest
ing most bitterly against the impu-
dence and insolence of the soldiers.
The general and two of his aides are
known to have got back to New York
on returning boat. At least one hun
dred men had gone out of their uni
forms while on the water. This was
easily enough accomplished, seeing that
they had but to take off shirt, trousers
and hat. These articles of clothing
were weighted with their arms, tied
to the empty and open knapsacks
and flung into the Hudson. On the ar
rival of the boat they followed the
troops with the crowd and were unOb-
served. Half an hour later when they
were looked for they had disappeared,
most of them returning to New York
by various routes.
Gen. Waterson, we know by his own
account, put up at an obscure down.
town hotel where he registered as
John Fielding, of Newark, and that
same night reached an uptown rem
devious where he freed himself from
the gold and then gave himself with
curious zest to watching the course of
events and of public opinion in the
city.
CHAPTER XIX
The regiment left Jersey City at half
past three with eight hundred and
seventy-five men on board. 1t had not
crossed the Jersey flats when the en-
gineer was locked up in a closet and
the engine taken in charge by one of
the generals own men. The first act
was to cut the telegraph wires when
ten miles out at a secluded spot, and
here twenty-five more men were
dropped. The train was then run with
q view to land the men at the best
point and to keep ahead of the special
that it was believed would be on its
heels. Gen. Waterson's report leaves
MS in no doubt as to how his plan dis
posed of the forces Fifty got off at or
near Newark. Twenty-Five were
dropped at Waverly and twenty-five at
Elizabeth. Fifty were disposed of at
Railway and one hundred before reach
ing New Brunswick. Between Deans
and Monmouth Junction another hun