Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-02-13

l and when he was turned over at the reserve picket one Of the men reported:
 Say. captain, we've either captured a damn fool or crazy man, and shuck my hide if I kin say which it isl"
 Thurston preserved his gravity of countenance long enough 10 give his name. regiment, and so forth, but az the officer questioned him farther he broke out with:
 Well, this is all so funnyl It doesn't seem but two or three days since l was making a new trough for the hog pen up in Connecticut, and here I am pris- oner to Jeff Davis down in Virginia ha! hat hal"
 After wondering for an hour or two whether the scout was a natural fool CT a crazy man, It was decided that he was out of his mind. A surgeon over hauled him, but could find no traces of wound, and he was held prisoner to see what would develop. All the de velopment that occurred was more laughter He laughed just as heartily for the confederates as he had for the federals, and it did not take them much longer to get tired of it. Opin- ions were divided as to what ailed him, hut he assured them he was all right and never in better health, and was simply ticlSled at the situation in which he found himself.
 While the rules of war cannot make spy of a soldier iii his own uniform. even if he penetrates the enemy s camp, the rules of war did not always count in such a case. Thurston was forward ed to corps headquarters after a few days, and it was Gen. Longstreet him. self who took him in hand and led off with;
 .sNow, then, my man, I have little time to devote to your ease. Either an- swer my questions frankly and hon. estly or you will be buried inside of an hourt Who sent you out scoutfng2"
 Gen. Devins, was the reply.
 '.Haye you been sick or woundedP"
 ''No, sir"
 'They tell me that you are continual ly laughing. You appear to be in good health, and you look and act like an intelligent man. What sort of game are you trying to play?"
 No game, general. You see, it's all so funny-so very funny-ha! ha! hap
 And Fhurston exploded, and any man who saw his red face, the tears in his eyes and the workings of his jaws must have been satisfied that it was genuine laughter.
 What's so very funny?" queried the general after the lift" had passed away.
 Why-why, being down here and 1 prisoner" answered the scout. Just four weeks ago tonight l was chasing a spotted hog around our barnyard up in Connecticut. l want 10 be serious, general. but when I think of these things Ill ha! Ina! hal.
 T believe you to be q spy. and I shall order you to be hdng!" said the general.
 If you hang me l can't help if. I'll try not to laugh while they arc doing it, but if happen 10 think of anything funny know l shall-ha a!halha!"
 Gen. Longstreet gave him up. Here was man whose laughter had brought about his own capture. He would laugh at the most trifling things--he would laugh i'll the face of death. He must have wheels in his head, or else he was Yankee spy playing q deep game. If he hadn't been n laughing man he would have been shot or hung with but little time 10 make his peace with God Giving him the benefit of the doubt he was sent on to Richmond and confined ut Belle Isle. None of the ragged, half-starved prisoners within l that stockade could find anything to l laugh at, but Thurston did. He began 10 laugh the moment he entered the gate, and he kept it mp until deputa- tion of his fellow prisoners said to the commandant:
 'Ths man is dead-crazy and we don't want him among us. We have tried every way 10 make him stop laughing, but that guTaw of his can be heard from morning i'll night. It sets us on edge, and you either take him out or we'll kill him!"
 Thurston was removed to Castle Thunder as a sort of non-combatant. He laughed over his going, and he laughed as he entered the gloomy pris- on. It amused the prisoners for cou- | pie of days, but after that the novelty wore off and they began 10 complain The commandant sent for the scout, looked him over and said:
 If hear any more complaints about you I'll put you in solitary confinement What the devil do you mean by such conduct?p
 'Is # against your rules to laugh?'' asked Thnrston, whose face was al- ready twitching.
 Tt is against the rules 10 kick up disturbance, sir!"
 q did not mean to disturb anybody. It's all so funny, you know-ha! hal hal"
 Stop that or I'll put you on bread and water for a month!"
 ''Pll stop, of course; I don't mean to laugh, but when I think that only two or three months ago I was putting new hinges on the smoke-house door at home, and now Pm in Castle Thunder way down here, why-I-I-ha! hal hal"