The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-04-13
A MAD EXPLOIT.
By ALFRED R. CALHOUN.
Copyright, 1896, by the Author.l
Concluded.

Writing materials were furnished the
prisoners, and at a. IN. the post chap.
lain was reused from his bed and told
to visit the condemned men.
Next to the spies Colonel Baird was |
the most perturbed man in Franklin at
that time AS a gallant soldier he
shrank from this ignominious execu-
tiou In the hope of relieving himself
he sent the following to headquarters;
No. G.
FRANKLN, June 0, 3:25 a. IN
To General Garfield, Chief OF Staff
Colonel Watkins says that Colonel Williams Is
n frst cousin Of General Robert Lee and he
has been chief of artillery on Braggs stan
Must hang him and Dunlap2 II you can di'
rect me to send them to be hung somewhere
else, | would like it, but if not or do not hear
from you they will be executed. This dis.
patch IL written at the request OF Colonel
Watkins We are prepared for fight.
J. p. BAIRD,
Colonel Commanding.
BY this time General Rosecrans must
have been awake and at headquarters,
but General Schofield was still asleep,
having retired after midnight, leaving
Major Bond, senior aid de-camp, i'll
charge. General Rosecrans must have
been annoyed at the delay in Franklin,
for no sent the following terse message
1t was certainly positive enough and
left Colonel Baird no alternative:
No Z.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT
OF THE CUMBERLAND,
MURFREESBORO, June ., 1 40 u IN.
Colonel J. p. Baird Franklin:
The general commanding directs that the
two spies, If found guilty, be hanged at once,
thus placing it beyond the possibility of For
rests prohting by the information they have
gained. FRANK 3. BOND,
Major and A d. q.
Not the least remarkable feature OF
| this remarkable event was the fact that
to the chaplain as well as to Colonel
! Watkins, who visited them again, the
prisoners, in the face of all the facts and
of their own confession, persisted that
they were not spies. They did not, per-
haps because they could not, explain the
grounds ON which they made this plea.
Had they done so truthfully the mys-
terry still surrounding the case might
have been cleared up. 1t was believed
thon, and it is very certain now, that
no such unimportant matter as an at
tack by Forests cavalry on the outpost
at Franklin could have induced two
officers of their rank and character to
undertake so hazardous all enterprise.
Upon finding themselves about to be
executed Williams or Anton sent for
Colonel Baird, and, handing him pa
per covered with nervous writing, said:
"For Gods sake, colonel, send this,
the request of a dying man, to General
Rosecrans.
Colonel Baird did so, adding his OWE
explanation, as follows:
No. 8.
FRANKLIN, June 0, 1863.
To Brigadier General Garfield:
GENERAL RosECRASs-Will you have an,
2 | clemency for the son of your old companion II
arms, Captain Williams who fell at Monterey
: NJ xico2 As a soldier and a gentleman pro
r test the innocence Of myself and companio
and solemnly declare that we are not spies.
As "a son Of the south resigned from tn
service of the United States when hostilitie
: began, and since ! entered the service Of tn
Confederacy l have endeavored as a soldie
J and a gentleman to observe the rules govern
, ing civilized war. / acknowledge that til
case is dark against us, and have no fault I
? find with the findings of the court convene
in our case nor with the treatment received q
But do mplore you to suspend the time
! execution till can have an interview with 20
; or can collect myself sufficiently to give yo
! an exact statement of my peculiar case. sen
S this dying request.
! W. ORION WILLIAMS.
: Colonel Baird added to this:
The men are condemned, and we are prepal
ing for their execution. They prefer to |
T shot If you can answer before get ready, d.
I J. p. BAIRD,
: Colonel Commanding Post.
I While waiting for an answer tn
! colonel did not delay the preparation
! that were to terminate this tragedy
a He had been up all night, and he coul
not have looked more haggard or fe
more miserable had he been ordered
execution himself.
!, At $3.50 the rude scaffold on whic
: both the men were to be hanged at Il
: same time was completed. The sight
d the grim affair and the noise of Il
u hammering were kept from the unfort
q nate prisoners.
Il A good breakfast was sent in to Their
but they refused to eat. At Anton g +
,e quest bottle of whisky was broug
"a MIN, anu VI tulS no anu Ills Coulpuni'
st drank freely without any visible effet
y They were evidently hoping to bra
II themselves for the terrible ordeal
- They knelt down and prayed with t
d clergyman, but by no other sign or wo
ID did they take part in the devotions
t, In the hope that the horrible wo
might be taken from his hands at t
err last moment Colonel Baird defer
Is the execution till 1920. Then, feari
~ q reprimand from headquarters for
We hardness, the men were ordered to g,
h. cution.
he As was anticipated, they grew sire
ed ger as the fatal moment arrived. TIL
= submitted without a murmur to bel
bound, and with heads erect and
sign of nervousness in their bearing tn
assembled the scaffold.
III The younger man never looked at I
'er rope and did not seem to see the cro'
of bronzed, plying faces about him.
NJ, The clergyman prayed. but no otl
~ word was said on the scaffold. Fro
tn the time of their ascent till the sigr
IS. was given did not take three minutes
The last dispatch in this case sunni
. rizes the story;
= No. o.
--''' FRANKLIN, June 0, 10 80 a. n
To General Garfell Chief of staff: