Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-07-15
TALE or THE CIVIL VAR
The Thrilling Experience of d
URi9niSf.

Dr. L. T Watson Is q retired phys
ician of Springfield, No, who enjoys
very comfortable fortune accumulated
years ago in the practice of medicine.
Al the outbreak of the civil war he
was located at Hartville, Wright
county. No. just beginning his pro-
fessional career The people Of that
section OF the county were about
equally divided Oh the issues Of the
war. and both sides soon became bit
terIy proscrip;ive in. Their spirfo and
methods The pa tisans who attempt
ed to stay at home found less security
than the men in the opposing armies.
No man who dared to express his
views was safe for a moment, day or
night Secret FOES iUTksd in every
ravine along the headwaters Of the
Gasconade. and the aim of the am
pushed assassin was more dreaded
than the open frs of regular battle.
Dr. Watson was strong advocate
of the Union cause. He openly de-
nounced the secession movement from
the start, and thus became a targes for
the vengeance of she confederate TO-
lowers about Hartville. He VS.
warned aga.n and again that such
course of Iashness would bring dis
asrer upon his head. but the young
physician refused to bride his tongue.
He continued to visit the sick and
mixed with his prescriptions usually
q free disDensation of loyal sentiment.
Finally the doctor was taken sick.
He. had a slow fsver which confined
him TO his bed for several days. Al
ready the confederate part.sa1s had
decided the Union physician should
no. live. The illness of the doctor de-
layed the execution of vengeance As
soon as the sick man should become
conval descent the decree had gone fOrth
that DR.. Watson was 10 be hanged. He
had been such an obnoxious Unionist
that special ignominy was considered
the proper feature in his taking off.
The rope was a more degrading in
strument of violence than a bullet and
used in dealing with an especially
hateful enemy.
The progress of the doctors recov-
cry was noted from day to day by
spies who found access to the sick
chamber.
The word went out that the coava-
1escing victim was getting abCu,
strong enough to hang. II was dan
gerous to give the doctor mare time
He might hear of the deadly plot and
escape
So the men who had agreed 70 re
move the Union physician went 10 DR..
Watso1's house one night to do their
fatal work The doctor had suffered
2 slight relapse and was more feeble
than his Intended executioners had eX-
pected TO find him They decided TO
give the man one more night, out Il
would not do now to leave him alone
since the plan OF vengeance had been
exposed. A few members of the party
were detailed TO act as guards and
watch the doctor till morning Il was
a chilly night and the men sat close
to the fire as it burned lower toward
morning
The sick man knew the mission Of
his visitors They mad not attempted
to conceal from his ears thsir purpose
Near the bed was door on back
porch. The doctor could reach the
hook of the door from h-s bsd- He
watched the doing guards as they sat
around the fireplace. While the chick
ems were growing for day he carefully
Iifsed the hook and ths door swung
open without noise. The doctor rolled
out of bed IN his night clothes and
craw,ed through the door. He was
very weak, but the hope Of escape raj
lied every latent energy of body ana
viii He crept out into the little VII
laga. All was still. There wes yec no
pursuit. It was half mile down to
the ford of the Gasconda. where
Un:on friend lived. The doctor man
aged . reach this house. Here he
quickly told his story and got SUIT
of clothes.
At the next house up the river
horse was procured. and the decor set
out for Springfield Before daylight
the Steering guards awoke and saw
tha1 their pr.sonec had fled They
hunted all about thu house. never
thinking that the sick man could have
gone far. By sunup. Dr.. Watson was
riding through the woods toward
Springfield. while his baffled enemies
searched the houses in Haplville, *
pseting to find him concealed il the
home Of some Union friend. The
sick fugitive reached Springfield the
next night following his fight. AID
never returned to Hartville till after
the war. All the old people in Wright
county tell this story today as one of