The leader., 1899-08-09

Everyone in I.ston knew that the uni
Versal position of anchored ships was
pointing northeast, on account Of the
northeast winds. The Columbus and
the Independence, two other WarshipS,
anchored in the harbor in the custom
arv way, bore mute testimony to this
well-kpown fact, and higher and high
er ran77he feeling of the MiddleseX
county men against the daily insult to
their political faith. 1t was, too, Il dan
gerous time to tritie with mems be
IiefS. for the romantic revival was still
at high tide and ideals were the main
spring of action.
1t was under these circumstances
that Capt. Dewey, then hardy young
sailor of 2S years, determined to avenge
the fancied insult Consulting but one
other, who took no part in the deed it.
self. Capt. Dewey chose enc stormy
night. when the rain beat in torrents
and the lightning and thunder were
continuous, to steal out with Il small
saw in one of the boats belonging to
BILLY" White, who then Kept IL num-
Der of skffS and sailboats near the
Charlestown bridge. Muffling his oars
with pieces of old shirts, he roWed
quietly out into the shadow thrown by
the black hulk of the Constitution.
Gliding up to the side of the vessel, he
stopped near the war ropes amdIlips,
and, securing his boat, nimbly climbed
up on the ships deck. There was no
sentinel outside, the rain had driven
him to shelter, and Capt. Dewey safely
reached the shelter boards which
had been placed under the spirit the
dav before. There was still danger in
the execution OF the, plan. for the Co
lumbus' ships light and that on the
Independence We're thrown on the fig
urehead as precdut;on against amy
such attempt.
Lying down, however. on his back,
hidden by the shelter boards, Capt.
Dewey could still, by reaching out and
up with one hand. reach the neck of the
| figure with his saw. In this crampcd
position he worked three hours on the
sticky southern pine. and finally got
the head off. not the entire head. for "A
huge collar of the old fashion reached
well up on the back of the jackson
head, and the portion sawed off was on
"A plane with the mouth and ears. This
was. however. enough for the intended
purpose. Then, after surrounding the
difficulties of the return, such as find
ing his boat nearly full of water and he
| tide so low that he had to wade quite a
way through mud TO the shore, the
adventuresome sailor reached land in
| safety.
One can now but family imagine the
tremendous cry which went up on the
discovery of the Disagreement. Wings
howled with delight. MiddleseN was
wild with joy, but from the navy de-
partment in Washington came a storm
of vindictive protest. Try as the au-
thorities would, however, no trace was
found of the man who did the deed.
Excitement had not yet subsidized when
Capt. Dewey decided for some reason
that it would be a good thing to present
the head to jackson himself, and, ac-
cordingly, set off for Washington with
it. In philadelphia he met Wiley Z.
Mangum and John Tyler, who had been
appointed by the president to investi-
gate the affairs of the United States
bank. He knew them both, and the
story was too good TO keep; so he told
them. Continuing then to Washington,
he arrived there in February, and fes
two months tried TO see the president.
-. SMITH ID. FRY,
A German army officer estimates that