The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-05-29

Take him ard lock him up" Carter
told me, then come to dinner"
After dinner Carter called me and said:
''Those two you brought in still claim 10
be citizens, though no one here seems to
know them. Now, don't want to keep
a citizen locked up. for he can make it
hot for me if do
''They are deserters, sir. don't know
them. but one of them, at least, knows
me; | have found that out" l thought
a moment, then said: "Send the Sheriff
with me, sir, and I'll find out who they
are. T.
Il will. but don't abuse them; it would
only react on me, should we have made
a mistake
Lieut.. Carter called the Sheriff. who
seemed to make his headquarters here,
and told him to let me see those men
again, and he and / going over to the jail,
he got his short ladder, which was kept
outside, and then opened the door As
he did SO, both negroes made jump for
him. He had no pistol on, but | showed
one of mine over his shoulder square in
their faces, and they SUNK back. Then
handing this pistol to the Sheriff, l drew
| the other and threw up the hammer, and
the negroes began to yell and beg me not
to shoot them: 1.-The law won't allow me
to shoot you" told them. "That, how
ever. is the laws fault, not mine. But
you whenever he happens to think of it."
Yes" the Sheriff told them, "aBd the
first one of You that winks now, I'll put
ball plumb through him." And they
took good care not to wink.
We put the ladder down now, and
called the small man up. Il want to know
your troop now" / told him. II know YOU
to be deserter, so what is the use of your
trying to hide it?r
Il have told you before. CorDoral. that
am no deserter."
How do you know I am Corporal?,
He pointed to my leg stripes.
Those are Sergeant's stripes, not Cor
poral S; you know me well enough. Take
off your clothesr
What for!'
Get them off, I did not come here to
answer questions; expect you to answer
the questions"
He began to undress, first taking off his
shoes: He had Oh pair of our wooden
stockings, but they can be bought by any
one. Next he got off his upper clothes,
and stood there now in his shirt and
drawers. THAT will do told him, 81
have found out now all I need to know.
You belong to Troop A." He had on a
pair of canton-Hannel drawers that had
marked on the waistband "a a." the
laundress' mark.
VI should have thrown the - drawers
1t would not have helped you any If
you had. 1 should have put you in the
sweat-box and kept you there a week. or
found out what / wanted to know" This
was meant for the other man; had no
sweat box nv
called the other one now.
1T is not worth while for me to como
up" he said, 81 belong to A too"
came back and told the Lieutenant
How did you find out?' he asked.
i, "A smart trick. | should NOT have
thought of that. Well, we have done well
SO 1ar, and you have about your share of
them now. Corporal"
les, sir; am satisfied to let some one
else get few now; though ! sban't miss
any may run across. That old horse of
NINE got here all right, did he not, sir?'
les, you have good horse, and Won
pose You do"
/ took better care of him than ala -.
myself. ''u Vi
We started home next morning loadinp
our 10 prisoners on the wagon that had
brought them there. We got to ClebourDe
ihe nrst day, and here put the prisoners
iii jan again for safe Keeping over nipbt
and got another one here. the Sheriff firm, |
ing him over to us. This man had been
arrested only the day before, charged with
80 "'N"iiho, anu III OTuef TO get Out af |
TINS scrape he had told the Sheriff that
ne was a deserter. He would be worth |
S'bU to the Sheriff now as deserter and
mite or nothing as horse-thief. so we oot
him. He made II, and was the last one
we got. We picked up the rest of our
men men mere. then went halfway to Weather
i ioiu next day, stopping at a ranch, and |
Keeping our prisoners under guard in ,
corn crib. and next day took them to
Weatherford.
There was small brick Jail here. but
Few days before this a negro prisoner had
tried to burn it, and had only succeeded in
burning the roof off and burning bimseJf /
to death. We nut the nr;sonors =, 80,