The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-08
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

nopulist party to select a portion OF the
| delegates from the state at large to the
constitutional convention, said:
at is very much to be hoped that Judge
| Gaston's proposition will be accepted. In
brief it provides that if the democracy
will permit the popuist organization to Sc
lect five delegates from the state at large,
TO be voted for by the democrats, the popu-
lists will endorse the twenty eight demo-
Gratis from the state at large and will en-
dorse the call for the convention and both
parties will untedly support the same
! ticket The merit of this proposition Is
! that it affects a practical consolidation of
| both political parties in this campaign ana
| secures an almost solid white vote In favor
| of the call for the convention. This would
| remove every possible doubt by the fact
! that the call for the convention was fairly
| carried and would restore an era of good
! feeling and fellowship among the white men
| of Alabama which has not existed since
Governor Seay's day. The proposition is
| just and liberal. 1t may be and Is UNI
| doubtedly true that the democracy will be
able to elect all of the delegates from the
| state at large to the convention, and 1t Is
| equally true that in all human probability
| the call for the convention will be sus-
tanned"
"These facts, however, ought not to in
terfere with or influence the proposition
| that the re-uniting of the white vote in
Alabama in such crisis and such a cause
/ is of great practical Importance ana will
undoubtedly result in much advantage to
| us in the future. l know that SO far as
| Judge CASTOR himself is concerned, and
many others who have Joined him in the
proposition, that the offer is made with the
| utmost sincerity and the most perfect
| good faith. Judge CASTOR is, perhaps, the
| ablest of the young men of Alabama out
side of the democratic organization, and 1
| am sure he is as much and as deeply inter-
! ested in the publication of the ballot sys-
| tenn by the means of a change in our suf-
| frage laws, as any man in the state. The
| only practical consideration is whether at
| the state convention we can find 1t possible
| to get five districts in which the demo-
cratic candidates will be willing to retire
| in favor of the populists. That this would
| be difficult to do ordinarily is certainly
| true. and l fear it will be
great difficulty in this case. Human nature
under such circumstances. Still, it is
| greatly to be hoped that the convention
| will be able to solve the question in such
a manner as will reunite the white men
| of the stated"
"The Age-Herald today refers to the pres
ence in the city of Judge William Richard
| son, of Huntsville" observed a man in the
| judge was once condemned to be shot at
sunrise of a certain day. and that he was
rescued an hour before the time fixed
| for his death. Judge Richardson was badly
| wounded at the battle of Corinth, and sub
| sequently was made prisoner by the fed
eral troops. He was taken to Louisville,
KY, and thrown into prison. A family
there knew of him and knew his family,
| and they obtained permission of the prison
| authorities to remove him to the family
home. Upon arrival there he was given a
| new outfit of clothing, and additional
clothing during his stay of two months.
| Finally he was ordered, along with other
| captives, to Camp Chase, the fam
| GUS federal prison. He went up the Ohio
| river on a steamboat; and through the ef-
forts of a wel-wisher on board he was
| enabled to escape to the Indiana side. He
made his way through Kentucky as best
he could to Bowling Green where he
boarded train for Nashville Ascertain
| ing on board that it would be dangerous
for him to enter Nashville, he left the train
at Edgefield Junction, and lay around there
for some weeks, suffering all the time from
his wound Finally he slipped into Nash
| vii trbar fritz ~ n
him. In the end he was placed in charge
| of famous confederate spy called Paul
| The two started across country southwark
on horseback. On the McMinnville turn
| pike the two were captured and thrown
into Jail at Murfreesboro.
| Judge Richardson was then only eigh-
| teen years old. He and Paul were tried
| by federal courtmartial and condemned to
| be shot. There was no evidence against
| young Richardson except that he was with
| Paul. and the latter bore his person
| proof that he was spy Richardson pro-
| tested his own innocence OF all offense ex-
| cept that he was a confederate. Paul as
| sured the court that he knew nothing
about that boy; that he merely agreed
| to take him along as company. But the
two of them received sentence of death.
| A confederate sympathizer carried the
| news to Forrest, who was at McMinnville,
forty-five miles distant. Forrest, who was
deeply interested in the spy, received the
Information at 8 O'Clock Saturday night;
| the execution was fixed for sunrise Sum
| day morning. Not minute was to be lost.
| Forrest put his cavalry in motion and they
| covered the forty-five miles by or
| o'clock Sunday morning, going around the
federal lines and entering Murfreesboro
before the enemy were aware of his pres
ence. The federal guard set fire to the
| Jail and fled, leaving Richardson and the
| spy to their fate. Forests men made
straight for the Jail and rescued the two
men condemned to die within an hour. The
| Jail was burning fiercely, and Forests
men had to make desperate efforts to break
in. Getting In, there was no apparent way