Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-04-12

real prosecutors are masked and
and do not appear.
FINK CAPTgRED MOsBY.
George W. Fink, until the 9th
day of last March, was big chief in
the councils of the democracy OF
Juniata county. Ga the da.e above
mentioned, he left Port Royal, the
place where lie lived many years,
and with q 'aree colony of Tuscarora
and Lost Crt elk Valley people. start
ed to make q new home in North
Dakota. If George continues in
good health, and does not change
his politics it will not be many moons
till he will he making the welkin rin G
for the unteiriied in the region to
which he bas gone. His may
friends in Juniata wish him success
in his business undertakings and
agricultural pursuits and if he can
shake a nice plump plum from the
democratic plum tree in the far of
breezy plains of North Dakota they
will all rejoice with bim. But the
purpose of this article is to intro.
duce and preserve in print an incl
dent in his military life. When the
Juniata colony bound for North Da-
kota, entered the Pennsylvauia rail
road station at Pittsburg, on the
night of the 9th day of Marcb, 1899,
a representative Of the Pittsburg
Leader Was there and in an inter
view obtained from Fink the follow
ing highly and important informa-
tion how soldier Fink had captured
the famous Confederate chief Mosby
and how Mosby made his escape.
The Leader of the 28th of March
contains Fink's account as follows:
The man who captured Colonel
John Singleton Moseby, the most
famous of the Confederate guerillas
during the Civil war, was in Pitts
burg last night. He is George W.
Fink, until last week resident Of
the rich farming region around Port
Royal, Juniats county, Pa, but who
is now on his way to North Dakota,
where in company with party of
120 Of his neighbors he will continue
his agricultural pursuits. The fact
that Mosby was q prisoner under
Fink for on!y a short time, not more
than half an hour, in fact, does not
take away much from the glory of
his achievement, ss may be seen
from the circumstances of the Incl
dent as related by Mr. Fink at the
Union station when the special train
in which the colonists lay over while
for the transfer from
the Pennsylvania to the Fort Wayne
were being made.
At the outbreak of the war Fiuk
enlisted in Troop A, of the FIRST
Pennsylvania cavalry and went with
that command almost Immediately to
the region of the Shenandoah valley,
where their field of operations con-
tinued to be- In 1861 Fink was one
day a member of scouting party
sent cut to reconnoiter, and in that
travelled a considerable dis
tance from the spot where the camp
Jad been pitched It was learned
from some of TIE Union sympaihizers
in the region that small party Of
were concealed in
house three or four miles away, and
a detachment was sent after them.
Fink himself rode up to the door and
entrance which was re-
fused him by the woman who an.
swered his knock on the door. She
denied vigorously that any soldiers
were within and loudly protested
against the intrusion of the scouts.
She WAS brushed aside, howe YER, and
after sentinels had been posted
around the house searchers were sent
inside.
In one Of the upper chambers two
officers, lieutenant and a captain
were found lying under the bed, and
were triumphsntly dragged forth,
covered with dust and lint from the
floor. In another room third man
dressed in civilians clothes, but very
evidently connected with the army,
WAS found and placed under arrest
IN company with the others Their
arms were taken from them, and un-
der the guard of Fink and one com
panion the return to the camp was
begun.
On the way thick wood WAS pass
ed through. The man in civilians
clothes was riding at the front of the
little party. When the middle of
the grove was reached he wheeled
his horse, plunged the rowels into its
side and dashed off to the right
Fiuk promptly raised his carbine
and fred at the rapidly retrea ting
form. The horse fell dead, but the
rider leaped free from the animals
body and ran like the traditional
white head farther into the woods
The cavalrymen could not leave tn.
two prisoners, who remained, and
who were watching with breathlesl
interest the fight of their comrade
go the journey to the camp was con
tiDued without chase having beel
made.
| When headquarters were reache,
the two officers were turned over t,
the commander. On their way t
tie guard house they turned to Fin
and one of them said:
"You may be interested in know
/ ing that the man who got away wa
Colonel Mosby." Then he starte
on with his companion. Fink. i
telling the incident, said:
II was feeling sore enough ov.
tie escape as it was. but when
. teard who my prisoner was, I fe
like going to the guard house ma,