Evening star., 1899-04-18
PRIVATE SMITHS CROW.
An Abandoned Maine Bird That Was
Tried by COurt-NartiaI.

From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
When Private George Smith of Company
L. lst Maine Volunteers went to Augusta
last July ID be mustered into the service OF
the United States he took along a young
crow. The crow was hardly two months
old at the time, saucy, greedy bird with
a great desire to advertise himself and an
uncomfortable fondness for stealing brass
buttons, rings and silver money Accord
ing to time-honored custom in Maine. the
crow was named Jim. For a week or SO
he was called dear Jim or "saucy Jim
or dandy JIM" according to the way his
conduct impressed the soldier who address,
ed him. Later, when his gluttonous and
thievish propensities had become bromi-
nent, his Christian name was made the
ccnterpiece of various profane words
which attempted to convey the contempt
in which the regiment held him. After be-
ing in Camp Powers two weeks Private
Smith was taken down with measles and
was sent to the hospital whereupon Jim.
freed from all moral restraint, pursued his
vicious course industriously that nearly
every man in the regiment had heavy bill
of damages against Smith by the time he
had recovered.
Il can't pay it, boys" he said. as he
looked over the long list of articles which
the crow had stolen. whats more. 1
wouldn't pay If | could Catch Jim and
him guilty shoot him.
The next day Jim was tried by court
martial, found guilty every count and
sentenced to- be shot in the presence of the
regiment. They trlssed his wings TO his
sides, hauled a glove over his head to blind
fold him, and tied his feet to the head of a
cracker barrel, which was placed twenty
rods down the field. Just as the detail was
marching out to shoot him Brigadier Gem
eral Newcomb asked for a half hours de-
lay, saying that the governor intended to
grant a pardon. A few minutes later the
pardon arrived, and Jim was taken back To
camp in triumph and gorged with hardtack
and molasses until he was too heavy to fiy
Private Smith was still weak from the
effects of measles when his regiment was
ordered to Chickamauga. so he was trans
ferred 10 a company of light artillery and
sent to Fort Poplism, near the mouth OF
the Kentucky river While stationed here
Jim became SO immersed in the delights Of
clam digging that he forgot to steal In
December, when the company was ordered
to savannah, Ga, Jim went along and be-
tween that time and February when the
men were sent to Havana, he stole enough
to make up for ten years of righteous be-
havior. In Cuba he stole gold watch he
longing to staff officer and was shot and
badly wounded in the side while trying to
get away with his plunder. Everybody ad-
mitted that the punishment was Just but
as it had not been administered in due
military form, Jim was placed in a cage
and put to board with a colored family un-
I'll ne recovered. Late in February the
members of the light artillery company
were discharged and sent home Knowing
the depth of depravity which Jim could
display upon slight provocation, Smith re-
fused to take his crow back to Maine and
as the colored family had become attached
to the bird, he very gladly left him with
them The day Smith reached home his
father addressed him thus: See here
George, you've been away having a good
time for nearly year. You've seen Cuba
and Havana, and you've worn good clothes
and talked to whole lot Of bigbugs Now
you'll just strip off those store duds Of
yours and go out and tap the maple or
chard."
In two days he had tapped and inserted
spigots in more than 800 trees At first
the harvest was bad, but after a rain
storm, which barred the hills, the san flowed
freely keeping him employed all day and
FAR into the night. One warm morning this
week, when he was very tired and sleepy.
he heard some newly-arrived crows caN-ing
and scolding among the woods This led
him to remember the abandoned sinner
which he mad left in Cuba a few weeks be-
fore. 9e whistled a few bars of military
music ana then gave a fairly good imita-
ton of taps. All the crows but one few
aloft and made wide circles overhead The
solitary exception croaked suspiciously for
minute, and, spreading his wings, flew
down and alighted upon Smiths shoulder.
Hello, Jim, said Smith patting the
prodigal upon the head. I'VE are both in
disgrace, so 1 reckon we'd better fight n
out together. Let's go home and see IL
they'll use you as tough as they have me-"
At least this is the way Smith accounts
for his action In bringing a crow home