Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-14
CEN. TR0S. F. ECKERT.
He Was Sentenced to be Hanged
in North Carolina.
June TO- 1851, Fixed as the Time. anu Troy
tho Place of His Execution Saved by
Alex. IL. stevens His subscqent Career.
(By j. c. L. Harris.l

4
North Carolina. The county of Mont
Somery, together with the counties Of
rowan Cabarrus, is full OF gold and a
NUMBER OF mines are now being work
cd Before and up to the beginning of
're war of 1851 gold mining was one
OF Inc chief industries of this section
oil the country. There were Il number
OF companies capitalized and developed
oN men residing in the Northern Stntes.
IN almost every instance these COM
| N1nies sent down men to take charge
VI me working OF these mines who were
| eAper!enccd gold miners. There is not
~ ihuch being done in gold mining as
!nere was in 1851, although the earth is
Just as iull OF gold. but the ore is so
situated that as yet there has been no
iIollaple way devised of getting ii
/ INTO 4 salcabic dust at much less thnn
~ intrinsic value OF the gold. The
owners Of these lands have been hoping
! mat MI Edison or some other wizard
Woul0 invent some process whereby the
counties mentioned would be speedily
oeNe'oped into California or Aus
traiia. II this is ever done there is
! enough sold in these counties to supply
| the civilized world.
Near this town is situated what is
known as the "Tobc Sanders" gold
mine. When the war broke our i'm 1851
1 =
northern company. and General Thos.
1, Eckert. now the president of the
Western Union Telegraph Company,
was superintendent and manager of the
mining operations. The writer was in
| New York city Il few weeks ago and
while there acquired the following in
cidents concerning General E.ckert
while i'll this state Leiore the war
| broke out:
The most picturesque character of
mi. T..'
pany is that Of Gen. Thomas r. Eek
crt. the president thereof He is nov
~ years old and IA ;ls hale and hearty
| MS he was twenty years ago. He is at
lis desk every day. and by his polite.
polished and cheerful manners charms
an who come In contact with him.
either on business or otherwise He is
| simply one of naturc's noblemen.
| In working this mine General EcSert
had quite number of hands under
him ana he was SO kind and fair 10
them in his dealings with them that
they an had the greatest regard Tor
! him Mr.. cckert. as he was then
known. introduced considerable ma
chincry into the mine ard when the
war brought his operations to an end
| he was making large dividend Tor his
| company.
lie was from the North and, there
| lore. Yankee" AS soon as The
| ~ SS9'ph Nut FEVER cot anroad IN the
| laHd every Yankee so-caIled no.
cause OF his former resilcnc. In some
Northern state. was suspected pf trea-
| son To the ConfcderaCy if hn had not
declared himself a seceas !onists AID n
war man, and did not wear "A secession
| cockade. superintendent Eckert had
not had anything to do with the war
FEVER lie had not made himself OBJ
noNious to either side. lie was simply
attending to his mining operations.
II appears that MIR. Eckert was nj
thls time well known to the gentleman
| VINO was president OF the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad Company. which
WIS greatly IN need OF man to take
charge of the large force then employ
ed by that company. The president re
memhering Mr.. Ecltert wrote him n
letter saying that if Eckert would nc
cept it, the president would put him in
command Of his forces" This letter
fell into the hands of the Confederate
authorities and they construed II 10
mean that Eckert was to have COM
mand of an army to operate against
| the Conlederacy, whereas tho real
| meaning was simply to have general
| charge of the railroad company and all
it's employees. This was considered as
| treason to be in secret correspondence
| with the public enemy. Hearing of this
correspondence and before any official
action was taken by the Confederate
] authorities, four men came to the mine
one day, All armed with riilcs, and in
timatcd to Eckert that it was time for
| him To leave the State. In order TO i'm
press he idea OF leaving they suggest
| ed to Eckert that If he would hut up
| Il target they would show him their
| Skill as marNsmen. The target was put
! up ut distance of one hundred Yards
| which was the usual distance for the
| squirrel rifles. which the ordinary
hunter used in North Carolina and the
| four men fred several times, showing
that they were experienced marksmen.
although they did not hit the bulls eye.
| During this proceeding Eckert had
| kept perfectly cool and collected and
| had not indicated that he was afraid of
any harm being done him. After the
four had shot all they desired. T9ckert
remarked mat he had Just received
new gun which he had not fired and
if his friends had no objection. lie
would try it al the target.
Eckert had never fired n gun M 10
| THIS moment. and he knew that he was
taking great risk in joining in the
trial of skill. but he did not intend to
be run away before he got ready to
no objection on the part OF his
friends" Eckert got his gun which
| was entirely new, and showed that IL
had never been fired, and was n differ
ent pattern from anything of the XII
that his Confederate friends" ha
ever seen Very carelessly Ecie,
raised the gun to his shoulder and fred
instantly placing the bah in The cen
| tire of the hui'seyc There was aston
| ishment and wonder at this shot. Mr.
Eckert then suggested that the target
be moved TO a distance or two hundred
yards and he would see what his gun
would do 1T that distance The target
was moved and Ecliert got one of his
! friends TO lie down not far from the
/ target so rs TO paint out where the
bullet went These arrangements were
/ made and Eckert fired again as before
! n M r.lLL lh. hall In L., L..ll.--.- - =