The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-01

muster rolls were produced, and we were
called forward as our names appeared
upon them. One Of the Mexican officers
seemed to take especial delight in the hes
itation Of some Of the men when they put
their hands into the vessel, for even the
bravest felt some reluctance to draw when
he know that life or certain death depend
ed upon the color Of the bean he might
select. Whenever there was the slightest
hesitation this officer would say in appar-
entity the most conmlserating tone: Take
your time my child; don't hurry yourself,
my boy; be careful, my poor fellow, you
know II you get a black bean you viii
be taken out and shot in ten minutes II
that Mexican had ever fallen into my pow
er I'll tell you how 1 would have served
him. l would have bought bushel Of black
beans, cooked them about half done In
big pot and made him sit down upon it
and cot until he burst.
Those who drew black beans seemed to
care very little about il. Occasionally one
would remark as ne drew out the fatal
color, Wen. boys, the jig Is up with me,
or something of a similar character and
then give way to the next man in line
apparently as unc0ncerned as If he had no
interest wha in what was going on
around him. Ny name, beginning with
W, was, of course among the last on the
roll, and when 1t came to my turn to draw
SO many more white beans had been
Drawn out tnal tneft COuIQ nave Dtc0 10
great number of each still remaining in
the pot. I observed twenty-four white
beans drawn out in succession. The
chances of life and death for me, therefore,
were not so very unequal. At the time the
drawing had been going on, l stood pretty
close to the scene of operations, and 1
thought I could perceive a slight difference
in the size of the black and white beans
that the former were a shade larger than
the latter. This difference may have been
purely imaginary When I first put my
hand in the pot 1 took up several beans
at once in my fingers and endeavored 20
distinguish their color by the touch, but
they all felt exactly alike. 1 then dropped
them and picked up two more, and after
lingering them carefully for an instant l
thought that one of them seemed little
larger than the other. I dropped that one
like a hot potato and drew out the one LETT
1t was a white one, of course, or should
not know be here to tell my story. But 1t
looked to me as black as the ace of spades.
1 felt certain for a moment that my fate
was sealed, but when l handed 1t to the
Mexican officer / saw him put 1t on the
wall with the white beans, and not into
his waistcoat pocket, as he had done with
the black ones.
Among the last to draw was an Irish
man, a fellow noted for his wit and hu-
NOR, as we'll as for his reckless, dare
I
pot. and, feeling around, discovered that
there were but a few beans in 1t.
'Arrah, now, my hinnies.' he said and
is this the way you would thry to desave
an innocent man to his destruction? Faith,
and there's not a dozen banes in the pot,
and II not draw one at all, at all
"He was ordered to take out one i'm
mediately.
oh, it's for murtherin' me We are, We
bloody spalpeens, said he, without judge
or jury. 1 see that as plain as me nose
| on me face. Divn take such a lottery,
say l. But I suppose there is no help for
il, SO here goes and the Irshman drew
forth his bean. 1t was a white one, and
! l believe even the Mexican officers them
selves were glad of his good luck.
When the drawing was completed those
| who had drawn black beans were kept
| separate from the rest of US, and In a
| few minutes they were marched off in two
! squads, and shortly afterward we heard
repeated volleys of musketry, and we
! knew that their cares and troubles were
| forever ended in this world. One Of them
| however, a man by the name of Shep-
! perd, as We learned subsequently, had q
| most miraculous escape for the time be-
| ing. When they were fired upon by the
guard Shepperd fell and pretended to be
dead, though, in fact, he was only slight
| ly wounded He was left on the ground
when night came on he got up and went
off without being observed. He wandered
around for several weeks without being
recaptured, but at length he was discov-
cred, taken to Saltillo, and shot to death
on the public plaza and his body carried
out and left unburied on the commons"
The surviving Texans were taken to the
City of Mexico, where Capt. Cameron was
| shot by order of President Santa Anna
During their stay In the City of Mexico
they arranged TO make their escape from
| the prison in which they were confined al
night by digging tunnel from one oil
the cells and under the foundations Il
the outer world. The tunnel was finish
ed after many weeks of labor and nine
of the prisoners succeeded in making
their escape before the plot was discov.
cred. The foreign residents of the CITY
| OF Mexico made up a purse to be uset
in buying each of the prisoners a new
pair of shoes. Walace's foot was so large
that there was not a par of shoes in The
whole city big enough for him. This fac
caused him to receive the name Of Biz
Foot Wallace. Several months later he