Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-23
Henry Malone Dies in the Hos.
pital at Last.
STORY OF JEFF DAVIS
Malone was Present at the Capture
and Repndiates the story that the
Confederate President was Dis
guised as a Woman Making for
His Horse and Arms-NO Coward
says Malone.

Henry Malone, the Hermit Of the Prairie.
died at an early hour last Saturday at the
Lewis Hospital. in Bay City, Mich, Of
pneumonia, after an illness of a week, and
thereby ended unique life, as is told by
the following story:
Malone lived in a lesu-to shanty. isolated
from the rest of the world on a forsaken
prairie that runs alongside the Saginaw
River for many miles.
The hermit's shanty is not more than six
feet wide by uine feet long. In summer the
front and only dooris not supposed to close.
To enter one must FIRST surmouut a pile Of
chips and shavings and then drop foot as
the threshold is crossed. There is no win
dow to admit light sufficient to afford a good
view of the interior. hole over the door,
that is boarded in winter. admits light and
air in the warm months of the year.
One evening in November the writer
managed to make friends with the old man
and held quite a conversation with him
"Yas. he said, in reply to an inquiry, II
was one Of Lieutenant-ColOnel Pritchard's S
company of the Michigan Fourth Cavalry
that ketched jeff Davis was right thar
How did it happen?"
He was campin' in a tent and we came
upon him. That's about all there was to
it,"
What about the story Of jeff being
dressed in a woman's clothes?"
"Thar's no truth to il, tall. The man
that says that is teliin something he don't
know nothin' bout"
What was the real truth Of the capture?"
Wal, twas just like this. Davis was no
coward, not at all. He was brave enough but
he didn't have the strength some of US had
and couldn't keep out of our way. He had
to rest and he rested once too often. He
had pitched his tent near Irwinsyille in
Georgia. Colonel Pritchard--we used 20
call him captain-had been followin with
US men on hossback and we struck Jefs'
campin' spot jest about daylight We made
our advances in the night so as to not be
suspicioned. jeff knowed thar was some
thin up when our hosses halted and we
dismounted He peeked through rip in
the canvas and knowed his jig was up
Ha Federals,' he shouted to the people in
the tent with him. There was his wife,
her brother and sister, two children, Miss
Howell and some others there. Things
was so excitin' couldn't see everything,
but / heerd Miss Davis say, kind of excited
like, Then you are captured, but he put
on a bold front and run his hand over his
head, wonderin'. Mrs. Davis was smart and
quick-witted, Jeff slept in loose wrapper.
somethiu like after the mother Hubbards
the women wear nowadays. She ketched
an idee quick She tied the wrapper about
his waist, and standin' still you co.. 'du't
see his feet, but if he was walkiuL ooots
stuck out. Her idee was to pass him off
fer a woman and Miss Howell was goin to
help her Miss Howell threw a shawl over
his head aud told him to bend over so as to
look like an old woman
When we was comm to the door of the
tent, and was walkin in, we nearly runned
into Jeff. We had orders to stop every
person who tried to escape. There was an
old darkv woman with Jeff. They had
buckets IN their hands and when the was
stopped Mrs. Davis says, says she Let
poor old woman 60 cause we saw for some
water But we didn't let the poor old
woman go, cause we saw Jeff's boots and
snatched the shawl off his head too quick.
Now, that's all there is 10 It. Jeff never
had any wOman's dress on, no hoops, nor
nothin' they tell about"
do you think he would have escaped,
had he not been stopped as he came out2p
Sartin, sar. He was headed for his
hosses and arms, which we're near the
spring, an II ne got there ned been away
instanter."
Did he offer any resistancef"
Never a bit. Twas no use. Strange
but JEFF didn't have the sign of FIRE arm in
his tent If he had, there might "a been
some blood spilled"
is it true that JEFF offered you money il
you would let him escapep'
No, not that way. Mrs. Davis brother
offered US $4,000 in gold if we'd let him
get away. They said they had a chest full
Of IL"
Seven years ago MalOue's brother, John,
a rich farmer. after considerable persuasion
succeeded in getting him to his home in
plymouth, but the old hermit couldn't
stay there, preferring his shack on the
prairie. He received a pension of sI2 a
month, and had lived alone for 40 years