Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-03-18
oner to JEFF Davis down in Virginia

na!- ma! ma!
After wondering for an hour or two
whether the scout was natural fool
or a crazy man, it was decided that he
was out of his mind. a surgeon over
hauled him, but could find no traces of
a wound, and he was held prisoner to
see what would develop. All the de-
velopment that occurred was more
laughter. He laughed jus, as heartily
for the confederaics rs l:r had for the
federals, and it did no, take them
much longer to get tired Of it. Opin-
ions were divided as to what allied him,
but he assured them he was all right
and never in better health, and was
simply ticlllct at the situation in which
he found himself.
While the rules of war cannot make
a spy of soldier in his own uniform,
even if he penetrates the encmy's camp,
the rules of war did no, always count
in such case. Thurston was forward
ed to CORPS headquarters after a few
days, and il was Gen, Longstrect him
self who took him in hand and led off
with:
"Now, then. my man. l have little
time to devote to Your case. Either an
swer my questions frankly and hon
estly or YOU win he buried aside of an
hour! Who sent you out scauiing?"
Gen. Devins, was The reply.
"1iave you been sick or wounded ?"
mo, sir"
~ laughing. You appear 10 be in good
health, and you look and set like an
intelligent man. What sort 81 game are
you trying to p.;;s y
No game, general You see, it's all
so funny-so very fgnny-l,a! la! hal"
And 'rhurston exploded, and any man
who saw his red f:icc. the tears in his
eyes and the workings of his jaws
must have been satisfied that it was
genuine laughter.
Whats SO very funry?" queried the
general after Tie "ti," had passed
| away.
"Why-~why, being down here and
| prisoner" answered the scout. "Just
| four weeks ago tonight was chasing
a spotted hog around our barnyard up
| in Connecticut. | want TO be serious,
| general, but when think of these
things lila! ha! hal"
II believe you TO be SPY, and shall
order You to be hung!" said the general
If You hang me ! can't help it. I'll
try not TO laugh while they are doing
it, but if happen 10 think of anything
funny know s!laii-ha! ha! hal"
Gen. Longstrcct gave him up Here
was man whose laughter had brought
about his OWL capture. He would
laugh at the most trifling things-he
would laugh in TIE face of death. He
must have wheels in his head, or else
he was n Yankee spy playing deep
game. If he hadn't been n laughing
man he would have been shot or hung
with but little time to make his peace
with God. Giving him the benefit of the
doubt he was sent on to Richmond and
confined at Belle Isle. None of the
ragged, half-starvcd prisoners within
that stockade could find anything to
laugh at. but Thurston did He began
TO laugh the moment he entered the
| gate, and he kept it up until deputa-
tion OF his fellow prisoners said to the
commandant:
This man is dead-crazy and we don't
want him among us. We have tried
every way TO make him stop laughing,
but that guffnw of his can be heard
! from morning till night. 1t sets us on
edge, and you either take him out or
We'll kill Aim!"
Thurston was removed to Castle
4. Thunder as q sort of non-combatant.
Ia 1ar n1 L{e r.
laughed as he entered the gloomy pris-
on. 1t amused the prisoners for cou,
| pie of days, but after that the novelty
wore off and they began to complain.
The commandapt sent for the scout,
looked him over and said:
III hear any more complaints about
you FL put you in solitary confinement
What the devil do you mean by such
conduci?"
SIS 1t against your rules to laugh o.
asked Thurston, whose face was al.
ready twitching
j ut is against The rules to kick up
disturbance, sir"
VI did not mean to disturb any body
It's all SO funny, you know-ha! ha!
ha!'
1 stop that or I'll put you on bread
and water for month";"
''I'll stop, of course; don't mean tc
, laugh, but when / think that only two
) or three-months ago / was putting new
, hinges on the smoke-house door al
home, and now I'm in Castle Thunder
. way down here. why-I-I-hai ha,
, hal"
Under the idea that Thurston had LOS
, his mind he. was put among the frs
for exchange. He laughed at the idea
t and he laughed on his way into oul
/ lines, and we heard him laughing ever
before we caught sight of him. Thu
10 men in company b drew up pro
| test TO the captain, and the captain
went to the colonel. and one day Thurs
! tons discharge papers arrived. They
read for general disability" but as ,
, matter of fact he was turned out O
the army for laughing.
Its SO funny" he said, as he wa
, ready to go. Only yesterday l was
: soldier in this army. and to-day I'm Oh
! my way back TO Connecticut TO mill
). the cows and feed the hogs-ha! ha
hal"
4 And be roared and gasped and CUR
i gled, and we heard that ha! ha! ha
r until he had put full mile between US