The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-07-18
SWITCHMAN JOST.
The Captured Spy Refused to Eat.
Finally Released.

Finally Released.
Switchman Teddy JOst. captured as a
spy By the National Guard at West Oak
land Monday afternoon. was not shot at
sunrise yesterday morning. Neither did
a drumhead coUrt-martial revolve around
| his case. Instead, the prisoner of war
| passed the night rather miserably it is
supposed, in boxcar No. 6j,0S1 whic h
stands on the track right in from OF the hos
pltaI ten IS of Lteutenant-C0lonelG eary's
command.
He was given shakedOwn Of straw
ana a bottle of water, and the door Of the
boXcar was locked as tight as a tTiyet aft er
him. Then TWO seniriF@ Of the y avail Bat
TALON DlOdded uD and down in the cinders
on each side TO see that he aid not cut his
way out of the prison.
Early yesterday morning the corporal of
the guard had breakfast conveyed to Jost,
but the prisoner refused to eat. The meal
was lett in the car but when the door was
opened again a noon il was found IN
touched, and JOst refused to accept the
order tor lunch. He said he ed some
coal oil, and when this was refused him he
asked for water This was given him,
and, after taking just a swallow. he settled
back on his straw in the car for q siege of
hunger.
TIE officer of the company on guard at
that particular point casXed him to come
out Tor a lew minutes, and when this
wouldn't work, had two soldIdrs bring
him. He was taken 10 the meSs-ta bic,
but, still refusing TO eat, was returned TO
his car
Whether or not Jost was trying to starve
himself to death or was sick and unable 10
eat the military authorities were liable to
make out. He refused to have anything
To say to them and had not had tbs OPP
pOrtunity 10 communicate with anybody
on the outside up to that time. His re-
quest for coal oil struck the military staff
as a peculiar one and they were unable to
fathOm his intent.
Al any rate Jost would have remained
prisoner OF war until 10 o'clock this morn
ing. had he not been released about 6
o'clock last evening. His attorneys. Glib
son & WhtmOre, appeared before Judge
Ellsworth OF the Superior Court yester-
day morning aud sued out a writ of
habeaS corpus. The paper was served on
Colonel Geary during the afternoon and
later on, without explanation. the prisoner
was released. At the time for the prOduc-
ton of J0Sl's body IN court the military
authorities will report that lie is not in
their custody.
Jost was seen at his residence, 943 Camp
bell street, last evening after his release
from custody.
There's one thing l want you to contra
dict" he said, 'and that is that l was ar
rested within the military lines. | wasn't
within block and half of them at the
time. and can prove it by dozen people
And L didn't try 10 force the lines either.
IL had just put on the uniform which
belonged to my brO;her-iD-law, who is a
member of Company c, Naval Battalion,
and went down TO A. r. u. headquarters
as joke. have had the uniform on sew
eral times before. left the hall and was
walking on Atlantic street. near Fifth,
when trooper came riding up behind me
and called halt L paid no attention 10
him and did not stop when he called to NE
the second time. Then he rode up, pulled
his saber and then his pistol. and | stopped.
was then taken into camp.
After Colonel Geary got through with
me was placed In a boXcar with some
old papers for bed. and was given can
teen OF water and half a loaf of stale
Dread. VI course, refused 10 eat it, and
refused to eat at morning and noon.
told them that the last meal / had was at
home, and the next one | would eat would
be there, if 1t took ten years. | asked for
a hearing, which even a man accused of
murder could get. and they refused me.
My poor wife, who is sicklv, tried every
means OF getting to me. but they wouldn't
allow her.
After l had lain in the boxcar all the
afternoon l saw Division Supe intendent
Wilder passing and got the sentry to call
bIlb' "Sh % hiui - hO Cpuiu nut uoo MS
influence with Lieutenant Colonel Geary
to get me out. He thought minu'e, and
then told me that he would on condition
that | would leave town. Then he went
over 10 the Pullman car, and after a con-
sultatou with Colonel Geary and the
others there was released. The clothes
which my wife had sent down early in the
morning were given me, ana L was taken
to the lines by q soldier and notified that l
must keep away from strikers headQuar-
ters and have nothing more TO do with the
strike. l found my wife waiting for me
gu side.
81 was shamefully treated. 1t was all
spite work on The part of Yardmaster Dill
lon, and they picked me out as mark. l
shall appear ia court IN the morning and
;hen shall see my attorneys about bring
ing suit for damages"
E.o.-. %I,a GouAroos