The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-21
SECRET SERVICE STORIES.
Some Interesting Adventures That
Were Carried on UNDERGROUND.

r. NJ. Boyd, of Racine, Wis, was in
the Army Signal Service, and part of
the time under General John G.. Park
hurst, of Michigan. A short time ago
General Parkhursts old regiment, the
Ninth Michigan, held a reunion. Boyd
was invited to tell some of the things
he knew about the secret service.
The speaker began by telling a story
about some Michigan scouts, Will Law
ton, Billy Iddings and VIII Long.
These, with several others, secuted
from Chattanooga to Rome, Ga, and
raided the postOfflce. Besides the mail
they captured the commission and uni
form of a Confederate major. Lawton
appropriated the uniform and COM
mission, and after that was a busy
quartermaster Of the Southern army,
buying horses, mules, forage and pro-
visions for the troops. He could go
where he pleased in that uniform, and
was well entertained in the best of
homes. Being a handsome young fell
low he naturally attracted the atten-
tion of the young ladies, who were only
too anxious to aid him.
While in Lookout Valley, some thirty
miles from Chattanooga, Lawton
formed the acquaintance of a Georgia
belle, a type Of Southern beauties
very abundant in that valley She was
not the child Of rich parents. She did not
live in a mansion, was not waited upon
/ by a beYy of slaves, but she was a
Reconsideration Of feature. black
eyed, perfect of form, grace itself Her
home by the roadside was of logs, and
had two dOOrs-one facing the road, the
other the deep, dark woods. Lawton
fell in love with her and she with him.
Like all the women i'm the valley she
was an earnest advocate of the Con-
federate cause. Her father and two
brothers We're in the army of that
cause.
CONFIDED UNWISELY.
Lawton and the Georgia belle were
| engaged within ten days. Apparently
there We're never two people who loved
| better orwere more to each other. Law
tons cOn1ldnCe in his ladyloVe was
complete; he felt that he could trust
| her without reseTvs--that it was not
| necessary to keep back anything.
| When it was nearly time for him to re-
turn to our lines to make a report,
LawtOn was unwise enough to cOnfide
to the Georgia belle that he was i'm the
secret seTViCe--a serVanJ Of the United
States. This confession did not seem
to startle the young woman. She inti-
mated that she had mistrusted as
much. Her devotion TO the bogus Con-
federate officer was more intense than
ever. Lawton was to start for the
Union camp on Friday. Thursday even
ing he was to make a farewell visit,
expecting to return within a month.
Captain White of the Confederate
| army, a dashing young cavalryman,
was the young lady's real lover. Early
Friday morning she sent word to Cap
| tain White that her game was about
ready to trap, and requested him to be
present. He was there. When Lawton
opened the door to enter the abode of
his adored a revolver was clapped
against his neck, the trigger touched,
| and that was the end of a spy who
made only one mistake in a long and
successful career and a pretty woman
had a hand i'm that one mistake. In that
instance she was better spy than the
professional.