The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-18


dangerous thing to DO, a foolish one In
fact or course | ran no risk OF any one
knowing me personally. but the story l
| had 10 tell vas a most improbable one
Still I passed the lines and wen: around
| for a day or two before ! was picked up.
| In that time / learned enough 20 verify
| the dispatch. One day / VAS arrested
They asked me where ! was from, and /
/ told them / was from Mexico. ana had
| come Up there with the intention of buy
| ing some land. They did not believe me
| for a minute. They searched ne thor
ougly. but they did not find a thing. They
| examined my clothes to see IL they had
| been made In the North. There they were
| fooled too. They had been made in Eng
| land Then they turned me over To the
! tender meTcies OF some Texas troops. The
| Texans talked TO me in Spanish, and they
soon found out that / knew more than
| they did. Then they questioned me about
| the geography OF Mexico. and about the
| public men in the province | said / hailed
| from | could have written a book on the
subject. And they did not get NE there.
| Finally they turned me over 10 the officer
/ WHO had put me in their charge.
We think that this man is a spy. they
/ said az they glared at me 'Stin he tells
such a straight story that he seems to be
| sort Of a fool. He either ought 10 lie
! taken out and shot right away, or else he
ought to be turned loose. Now We don't
/ think man ought be shot simply because
| he is d suspicious character and SO We
wash our hands of him. you can do what
| you please with him.
! The officer who WAS
| puzzled He kept me for a week. and had
me watched like a hawk Then they de-
| cided to turn me over 10 the Union
| forces. They sent a squad OF about TWEEN
| ty men with me under a flag of truce.
| The men had orders to shoot me If the
| least sign of recognition passed before
they released me. The first regiment
We struck was one from Pennsylvania
| Not d soul Of them knew me
" Here's a burned fool that's been wan
dering around in our camp for some time
| said the Confederate officer 10 the Captain
Of thePennsylVania company that cameOut
| 10 meet Us. We don't know what 10 make
| Of him. and We don't want TO shoot an
| innocent man. Maybe were making
mistake in turning him loose. He says
| he hates the North, and if you fellows
| want to shoot MIN you can do So
Then the Union troops were in a fix
| They thought that / was d Southern
spy. and wanted to shoot me at once
/ They asked me my name. and 1. told
them / would not tell them. They asked
NE what | had been doing, and l told
.hem to go to the devil. l said that /
had been sent out on special work by
| the President, and | would report to no
| one but him. After 9 long discussion
they decided 20 send me to Washing
| ton under the guard of the Captain from
the Pennsylvania troops. That was all
/ wanted.
Questioned by Stanton.
But there was one difficulty in my
way. If / was unable to prove my iden-
tity they might take me for a man who
wanted to assassinate the head of the
government. The Captain and his squad
took me straight to Stanton. TIE grim
old Secretary of War was a distant rela-
tive Of mine. but We had never met. /
did not want 10 appeal 10 our ties of
blood in this case, and was bent on keep
ing my name from him We went into
his office and the Captain OF the Penn
sylvanias told him what he knew of the
matter. Stanton looked at me for about
five minutes, but / met his eye, stare for
stare.
What is your name% ne demanded at
last
"TIl not tell you l answered.
What is the business you have been
engaged in?'
. IN tell that to no man but Abra-
ham Lincoln
stanton was puzzled He was afraid
that | was an assassin. and ne was afraid
that / wasn't. Finally he turned TO the
Captain and told him to take me over TO
the White House. with instructions 10
shoot me if | made the least suspicious
movement. He told him to ask the Presi-
dent if he had employed me to do any
work for him. On the way owe" the Cap
tain and | discovered that We were both
Masons He then asked me if | really had
been employed by the President. l told
him that the deal was on the square, and
he was satisfied. He then let me do as 1
pleased. | passed all the guards at the
" bite House and got 10 the President :
office upstairs. | showed aside the sentry
who stood at the door, and went in. The
room was vacant. l knew that he was IN
his little room next TO 1t, and l burst III
there.
Lincoln Was Asleep
He was laying on the couch asleep. l
have often thought how easy it would
have been TO have killed him. Maybe one
would not have always passed the doors
as easily as | did. But as | came in he
woke up. The room was trifie dark, and
ne could not see me very well. He stood
up until it seemed TO me that he reached
the height of seven feet. and he Numbered
out in 4 ringing voice:
who are your
at scared me for moment and brought
the guard TO the door
I'm Captain HOyt Didn't you and
talk a little matter over a short time
ago? Then he saw me more clearly. He
told the guard 10 leave Us. and he came
and shook me by the hand.
I didn't know you in that strange
disguise he said as he took my hand in
both of his. But / was frightened for
moment; not on account Of YOU, but be
cause Of a troubled dream. / Just dreamed
that l was about TO be assassinated. 1t
is no wonder that l have such nightmares
Tor Stanton is always telling me to look
out Besides, your message was not al
all conducive 10 my peace of mind
I've sat and talked for half an hour
and when l left the President came 10
the door and told the Captain who had
brought me that l was one Of his friends.
Then the Captain and / went back TO
Stanton. and l told him who l was. ii
" ent back 10 Illinois shortly after that.
When / looked upon the face of Lincoln
again he was In his coffin. The dream
had come true"
Starvation in Havana.
Frsn LesIle's
The crowds around the stations Of re-
lief ere composed almost entirely Ct ne
r.rnA .ErL.Er IL