The National tribune., 1902-01-30
WAsNGTdE c. THURSDAY JANUARY 80 1902

" ~ - Ssy ~AA
Cheatham was the first man of our party
who explored their !rescsSes. His private
negotiations with one of the military
guard for liquids of stimulating proper
ties-which he thousht would benefit his
health-were not only unsuccessful. but
were discovered by the High Potentate,
and the Captain WAS dragged to n loath-
some dungeon where -he remained "a
hours, coming out wiser on the subject of
prison discipline, and Infinitely sadder than
when lie went in. s.u,5
1.-The next victim WAS: Maj. Higley. One
of the keepers was rerlghr to him, and Hig-
ley used strong language in return. Dis
respectful language 10, or about officials
was not tolerated, and poor Higley '"ame
to grief He also remained i'll the dun
geOn for the space of a solar day. He
was a man Of lean habits and excitable
temperament when in his best state OF
health. and he returned from the dungeon
looking like a ghOs, of dIssipated habits
and shattered nervous system. Pale and
shaking, he gave us Il spirited and humor-
Gus account of his interview with the SUI
pcrior gaolers, and his experience in the
dark. sitting cell
Shortly after Maj. Iiglcy's misfor-
tune Capt. Cheajham was again hnnorcd
with an invitation to inspect the dungeons
aud take up his quarters in one of them,
He with great mOdeSty protested that be
had done nothing to deserve such dis
tinction, hut his scruples were Overruled
and ne was induced to go. The offenSe
charged was this: An anonymous letter
ridiculins the prison officials had h"en
picked up in the hail. Merton. the War
den, fancied that the handwriting resem-
bled Chcatham's There was no other
evidence. After he had been confined in
the dungeon, where he remained AZ hours.
and it became known HpOn what charge.
and that he denied it, Gen. Morgan first,
and soon many others, demanded that, If
another prisoner had written the letter he
should own it and suffer for it. With four
exceptions there was not man in the
IS OF our party who would have permit
ted a comrade to be punished for an Of
fcnse committed by himself. Cant. Cheat
ham always denied having written the let
ter. and the true authorship Of it was
never aScertained.
DEATH OF COL. CLUKE.
after we had been in the pententiary
some three or four weeks. Col. Leroy Cluke
and another officer were taken out and sent
to Mclean Barracks, to be tried by court
martial upon the charge of having violated
some oath, taken before they entered the
Confederate service. They were acquit-
ted and Col. Clukc was sent to Johnson S
Island. where during the ensuing Winter
he died Of diphtheria Col. Cluke had
been exceedingly popular in Morgan's Di-
vision. He was 4 man of frank, generous
and high-tOned nature, and possessed high
soldcrly qualities. In the field he was
extremely held and tenacious, and when
threatened by dangerous opponent no
one was more wary and vigilant. He dis
played great viGOr and judgment on many
occasions. both as 4 regimentai and bri-
gade commander The news of his death
excited universal sorrow among his com
radcs.
CHANGING PRISONS.
Shortly before Col. & Cluke's removal
Mai Wchber and Capts.l Sheldon and Nc
Cam had been brought to the Peniten-
tiary from Camp Chase. They declined
the tOns0rial ceremonies, and in conse-
Guence were remandefl to the camp. in
the course of two or three weeks Capts.
Rcnnett and MerriweathGr were sent from
Camp Chase to the PeBitcntiary for hav-
ing attempted to make their escape, and
with them came Capt, Sheldon again, for
the same .Offense. This time no qucs-
tions were asked-Teachi being treated to
Il close shave nndYa Aair-cut' all right,
Somewhat later Mai. ,Webber was also
sent back from taIan Chase and placed
in solitary cOnfinemcnt4n The auth"riti"s
had taken exception 10 n letter containing.
very vigorous languageiT (which the Ma'r
had written aud uflhc$iatingly admitted
that he was the autlpl>o oand declared EN-
that the litter expressed his
.e .ss--- 81 g.. ...
! here give, in his own. words, Ma
Wcbbcr'S graphic description of his initia
tion into the forms aud ceremonies OBJ
served in the Ohio Prison:
''ln the Office of the Penitentiary | was
Of my clothing and closely
searched. Everything in the way of pa
pcrs. knife, money, toOth-pick, and ever
an old buckeye, which | had carried in
my pocket ali through the war, at the
request of a friend. were taken from me
| was then marched to the wash-roOm.
stripped again and placed in Il tub of
warm water. about waist deep. where
convict scrubbed me with large, rough
lorsc-brrsh ard soap. while II hangdog
looking Scpundrcl stood around urging the
convict to scrub the - Orsethief, and
in varionS dcmoniacal grins Gnd
,esticrlatiOns of cXuitation at my suffer
ngs and embarrassment"
Maj. Webber Away; had strong Ian
suagr a-plcnty at command, and I shall
not quote him further but leave the read
1r to ina. .ine how vigorously he gave vent
10 his frc,i"~s" ~ "yt"'e"
(To be coutinued)