Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1901-10-02
J. General rsksrt Escaped Hanging.

N. General Eeksrt Eseaped Hanging.
AZ Troy. Montgomery Co.. n. G. In
/ gold-ribbed mountains of North
hiollaa occurred one OF the most ro-
&sntle episodes In the early life OF that
siuresque old veteran. General
sonas r. Eckert. who Is now the
ssiden, Of the Western Union Tele-
Eaph company. says the Philadelphia
ines. While Mr.. Eckert was super
k,sndlag 4 gold mine near Troy Ia
sl an osiiciai OF the Louisville 4
Nashville railroad company wrote Mr..
kkts letter. saying. among other
&it >, that II Eckert would accept
d. president would put him in com
&and u his forces" This letter fell
H. the hands OF the Confederate Su-
0iiies. and they construed IL 10
ian ,ha, EckeFt was 90 have com
and Ul an army TO operate against
y coafederary. whereas the real
saslng Was sIinpiy 20 have general
barge 0, the railroad company and all
employees. A drnm-head court-mar.
r ras organized and Eckert was
la. and. notwithstanding be eI-
slhtd what the letter meant. he was
gai guilty and was sentenced 10 be
nseI on tbs 10th day Of June. 1851.
Eas confined In this Jail in Troy.
tlass had now got 70 be serious. and
u lAls dilemma Eckert remembered q
b yslslan who lived In the county Of
Aalolph. who was his stAnch friend,
teni FOR this doctor. who by some
saHs Induced the military authorities
n accep, bail for Mr.. Eckert In the
E o; tao hundred dollars. 10 return
the Aay appointed and be hanged as
bond required he should do, The
oiolph doctor signed the bond and
kcTt made him safe against the de-
#mlneI forfeiture Of IL. Eckert then
4 and wcut 10 Salisbury. and made
way from there to New York by
sy o! Ashcyllie. Hot Springs and
&noSyil!e A short while after his
ape from North Carolina Mr. Bckeri
y OCCASION TO visit the city Of Allan
and as he went Into the hotel a
&ob Sas In front, and he observed a
pa hanging 10 the lamppost. He
fqulred the cause. and found tina; the
~ man vas q Yankee" spy in the
kath, and that he had been hanged
l'hout judge or Jury. Mr.. Eckert
~ registered in his right name and
8om some town in the north, A. for
fne would have Il, as he registered
observed the name OF Alexander II.
*ephona on the book. and being per
FnaIly acquainted with MIR. stephens,
asked aud was shown TO his room.
r. Georgia statesman was glad to see
4 Eckert-hIs Yankee" friend, and
~ entered into general conyersa-
~ Very soon there was knock at
door and It was opened by Mr..
Esphens. Several men were present
presenting the mob down stairs.
ey told Mr. stephens they desired
~ he should send Mr.. Eckert hts
4 ankec' friend--down stairs. as they
~ "a little business" to settle with
~ that would not require much time.
70 was a second proposition to hang
Eckert, and MIR. stephens SO un-
fstood IT, lie politely but firmly
A tho mob representatives that MFR.
Aert was his personal friend, and
pen they got through with their bus
ss Mr.. Eckert would come down
US After some time had elapsed
'phens and Eekert went down and
FhgIed with the mob. but no violence
rs offered. From Atlanta Mr.. Eckert
NV home with Mr.. Stephens in order
escape from the mob. and from
{ere he made his way to the north,
Rere he remained until the war end
Early in 1862 Mr.. Eckert was APP
fnted by President Lincoln assistant
fcretary OF war, and while exercising
Rese duties he acquired the title of
neral General Eckert is now 81
Rars old.