The National tribune., 1901-02-28
SPY OE THE REBELLION.
Continued from first page.

| IttVutSltup anu tuItHtt, IL
reached the oincerS OF the rebeiGorcrhnen,
! anu received their consideration III time to
| nave been OF avail, had there been one
spark OF manly sympathy anImating IN,
breasts of those who were the leaders OF
Il we conspiracy 10 destroy the nubiest
Government under the blue canopy oi
heaven.
II cctng that all had now been done that
was possible TO save the lives of my men,
and bcIpvIng that the hate and mailgnlts
OF the rebel otncers would not carry tneui
TO such Il numerous extent as this, a
| awaited the result of our mission WITH
painful soiIcitude.
| aiIer the Ga, of execution had been
hXcu, Mrs. LawIon was permitted to WISH
| " cUster III the IuUin 10 v nich lie mad been
ASST .ned. DurIng All the TIME lhat the
! tIlaI had been IN progress they had never
/ been aiIOwed In communicate WIN cach
other. and the noble niue woInHn had been
| coin, ,eiied To suiIer i'll silence, wnile web
ster was undergoing the palnlui expert
enCes of the INV estISatlon, which had re-
suited III hIS beng condemned to be hung
as spy.
| ne meeting between Webster and Mrs.
) IawtuH Was Il most affecting one. Tears
MED the eyes OF the taItnlui woman as
sne gazed at the paIe and enlaclated form
ui tne heroIc Webster. Their hands were
ciaspeu in Il wa In pressure, ana ner words
| OF heartfelt $! mpalhy ami gIlet were
cnukeu Dy The Subs which shook her frame.
Even III the excess OF ms despair, wen
SIer fortItuue never for u moment for
SOCK him. lie bore the burdens winch had
been imposed upon hlm with Il courage ANA
| iIrmuesS that impressed All who wItncSs-
/ ed it.
DEVOTION OF MRS. LAwToN.
Under Mrs. Lawton direction the room
| in winch ne was cVnnueu was soon made
cheeIIu and CIean; with her own hands
she pIepaI ed Tor nm suun ueilcacIeS as lie
| needed most, ana ner words ot cOmloil
| We're OF great erect III soothing ms lnInG
anu III preparing INN Tor the III Ieadiui fate
WnICn he VAS Gained upon TO meet.
NOR uId MIS-. LawLon stop mere. She
sought an interview witn JeireIsUn DAVIS
but, nnulns hrnI engaged wiln uen. Lee
she obtained the ptINncEe OF visiting tnr
NIIe Oh the IcDci EIeSiuenU. wan Nils.
LAWS she pieaued long and earnestly III
behalf OF the Conuenined man. BesouShl
ner Dy every hoiy tie Oh her own lie 10 IN
IerceGe for the pardon of the Door in
Vauu, whose nIe nunS uy SO slenucr ii
thread.
All IN vain, however. While fully sym
pdLAiling wan the fate of The unfortunate
man, AlIs. DAVIS deciinCd to interfere Iii
matters OF state, ana MIS-. Lawton lett the
mousse utterly hopeieSs of being aOie 10
avert the dreadful fate which lmpended
lover Webster.
he hours flew swiftly by and the day
of execution drew near, ana stlil ray Oh
nope giistened through the gloom which
surrounded him. IL Mcclellan only sue
ceeded III capturing Richmond ali wouiu
be well But as the days passed and I'M,
result seemed furtner from accomplish
ment than ever, even that tIckerlng emDri
OF hope died out, and ne prepared TO NEE,
mis- late like a man.
one thing, however, impressed the
doomed man more than anything else-the
thought of beng hung. Any other mode ol
punishment would have been accepted with
JOY, but TO be hanged ike murderer was
Il disgrace which he could not bear 10
think about. The day before his execution
he requested II visit from Cen Nlndei,
and that officer, evidently expecting rev
eiatIon from the lips OF his victim, sooL
made his appearance at the prison.
As he entered the cell where Webster
was reclining upon his couch, he roughly
accosted him:
Webster, you have sent FOR me; what
is it that you desireT
Gen. Winder," replied Webster, Il
have sent for you to make an appeal to
your manhood; my fate Is sealed L know
that too WE'LL am 70 die, and L wish to
die like a man. / know there is no hope
for mercy, but, sir, L beseech you to per
NIT me to be shot, not be hanged like a
common felon-anything but that"
am afraid that cannot be done, said
Winder, coidiy.
lit is not much to ask" pleaded Web
ster; Il am to die, and am prepared, but,
sir, for Gods sake let me not die like this;
change but the manner of my death, and
no murmur shall escape my lips"
Il cannot alter the sentence that has
been ordered.
Mrs. Lawton, who was present, and un-
able further to restrain herself, ex-
claimed:
General, as woman, appeal to YOU
you have the power and can exercise it.
Do not, pray you, condemn this brave
man to the odium of u felOn's death.
hink of his family and his suffering. Let
the manliness of your own heart plead for
him. 1t is not much that he asks. He
does not sue for pardon. He seeks not to
escape your judgment, harsh and cruel as
| it is. He only prays TO be allowed to die
like brave man i'll the service of his coun
| try. You certainly can lose nothing by
granting this request; therefore, i'll the
name of justice and humanity, let him be
shot instead Of the dreadful death you have
ordained for him.
While she was speaking the hard lines
| about the rebels mouth grew still more
harsh and rigid. He did not attempt to
| interrupt her, but when she had finished,
he turned coolly upon his heel, and, as he
reached the door he said:
| His request and yours must be denied.
He hangs tomorrow"
Then" CALCULATED the undaunted
woman, 'he will die like man, and his
death will be upon your head-a living
curse until your own dark hour shall
Gomez
| Without deigning to notice them further,
he passed out of the cell, violently closing
the door behind him.
| The shadows of the night came down
over the prison, the last night on earth to
brave man who had met death in a hun
dred forms ere this. How many times the
gaunt repulsive form of the fatal scaffOld
appeared to the vision of the condemned
man, as he sat firm and rigid in his dark
cell, we may not know. How many times
he lived over again the bright scenes OF his
past life; the happy, careless days of child
hood, when the fond eyes of loving
mother beamed upon him in his sportive
gambols; his school days, the lessons con-
ned by the evening lamp in the dear old
home of long ago; the merry days Of
youth, which glided away amid scenes OF
mirth and jollity; the first dawnings Of the
passion of his life, when soft hand
nestled lovingly in his, and earnest eyes,
full of love and trust, seemed to speak a
world of affection. Then, the stirring
scenes of active life; he, man among
men, battling with the world, performing
HA