The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-05-12
WAS A GOVERNMENT SPY.
Remarkable Career Of Elizabeth
Stiles, of Ohio.

The casual visitor to the Woman's
Relief Corps Home, at Madison, Ohio,
is likely to pass through the institution
and admire its generally convenient
arrangement, and the neat, tidy man.
ner in which it is kept, giving no more
than passing thought to the hum
dred or more inmates, most of them
bent with the weight of declining
years, who are seen here and there
about the establishment, Willing away
the long hours of the day in various
ways as their physical condition will
best permit. Some of these women,
wives or mothers of those who fought
in the la&e war, or whose personal acts
made them eligible to a residence i'm
the home, have very interesting life
histories.
One of the latest conspicuous and
most unassuming old ladies i'm this in
stitution is Mrs. Elizabeth w. Stiles,
who has had an experience that prob
ably not another woman i'm the coun-
try can boast. A history of her life,
with all its exciting incidents, would
make fascinating book. In recent
chat with Mrs. Stiles, the following
interesting brief of her life was brought
out:
She was born in East Ashtabula,
Ohio, on August 2l, 1916. Her father
was John f. Brown, Familiarity known
as "Corker" Brown, who is well re-
membered by many of the old-time
residents of to day. Miss Browns early
life was not very eventful, but as she
neared the state of young womanhood,
she became quite noted for o1accom-
plishments-one was her success as a
nurse, the other was her ability to
make cheese just little better than
others were able to make.
At the age of twenty-one Miss Brown
went TO Chicago, where she resided a
number of years. In 1916 she was mar
ried to Jacob Stiles, and thirteen years
later they took up their residence in
Shawneetown, Kas., where in October,
1862, Mr.. Stiles was murdered at his
own gate by band of l60 guerillas un-
der command of the famous chieftan
Charles Quantrell.
The guerilias came dressed in the
blue uniforms of the Union soldiers,
after midnight, and the color deceived
the Union sympathizers. They were
taken by surprise. Mrs. Stile had not
yet retired, but they got her husband
out of bed, and took him prisoner as
far as the gate, where their bloodthirs-
ty propensities got the better of their
Judgment, and they shot him down
before the eyes Of his frightened wife,
who stood on the porch and witnessed
the murder. AT the same time an
other guerilla, with revolver in his
hand, was about to shoot Mrs Stiles,
but Quantrell stopped him, under
threat of death. The widow was al
lowed her liberty, but thereafter sorely
prosecuted by sympathizers until her
residence in Shawneetown became alb
solutely unsafe. A company of Union
soldiers was sent from the fort at
Leavenworth to escort her and her
children to the fort for protection.
AT one time, when she was teaching
school in Shawneetown, she and a
neighboring school teacher arranged a
picnic for the pupils. Before leaving
the village the pupils marched around
the liberty pole in the village square
waxing the stars and stripes. Then
they went to grove a short distance
out of town for days recreation,
where they were scarcely settled when
a man rode up and handed Mrs. Stiles
a note, departing without word. The
note informed her that If she allowed
her scholars to repeat the liberty=pole
parade, she might expect coat of tar
and feathers. 1t was well-known that
Mrs. Stiles had aided the Union in
several instances by little jobs of de
tectiye work, which accounted for the
particular spite against her.
1t was not long after her admittance
To Fort Leavenworth that she was call
ed to Washington by letter from
Gen. Lane, which was also signed by
President Abraham Lincoln. Senator
Marvin, of Missouri, and a company
seventy-five others were about to start
for Washington, and Mrs. Stiles ac-
companied them. Upon arrival there
she learned that she was sent for to
take place in the service as a say,
and upon her acceptance she received
her instructions. In few months she
returned to Leavenworth for her chill
dren. Taking them TO Washington,
she placed two of them in school and
took her daughter Clara in the detec-
ing service of the government Ali
through the civil war she was in al
most constant service, and during the
time did special work in nineteen diff
ferent states and Canada, Drawing the
crude methods of travel and the ex-
posure to all kinds of weather for love
of country and hope of ultimate re-
venge for the murder of her husband.
She was personally acquainted with
many of the noted generals, as her fire.
quent changes from one locality to an
other brought her under their direc-
ton. She faced death many times,
and her repeated escapes were general
ly due to her ready wit and cool nerve.
Therin, also, lay the secret of her sue
cess as spy
On one occasion she was arrested at
jefferson City, Mo-, charged with be-
ing a spy. Her horse was taken from
her and she was escorted to Gen. Price
for trial. So well was she informed on
Confederate affairs, however, that she
succeeded in making the general be
lieve that she was a Confederate spy,
and not only did she secure her free
dom, but she was given better horse
and firearms and seut on her way.
One dark night when Mrs. Stiles
and her daughter were out on a long
ride ON the Kansas Missouri border the
daughter fell asleep on her horse.
They were riding thus when sentry
grasped Mrs. Stiles horse by the head
and aftemnted To arrest her. The