The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-27
A HAZARDOUS
 EXPEDITION
WAS THAT OF WALKER AND HIS BAND INTO NICARAGUA
 FIFTY YEARS AGO.


 by lot of venturesome spirits-the ex- petition of Walker and band into Nica- ragua about 1850. Hardin was the last
 of the one hundred men who set sail from New Orleans with that widest and most daring of leaders. the gallant Tennessee an, who thought to invade the South
 American country. conquer 1t with
 handful of men ard establish himself at
 the head of the Go Nenment. It was one of the most hazardous expeditions ever | attempted by contemplating and fooihardy l men, Yet the little band of adventurers. I most of them wild and scatterbrained | sons of prominent families throughout | the country, stepped aboard the ship at New Orleans that day with a confident air and gay salaies to those who watched them embark for the dangers that lay ahead. Nicaragua was at that time in a state of ferment owing to the dissatisfac- ton of the people with the Government. Walker was a remarkable man in many respects He was a military genius and served with distinction with Houston. Crockett. Bowie and Travis in the war for Texas independence. and was engaged in an attempt to overthrow the Costa Rican Government He was known as the 'gray-cyed man of destiny" and was just the leader for such an enterprise. His plan was to invade Nicaragua. gain
 
 | the help of the rebellious party over throw the government and establish a republic with himself as president. The story of that expedition is romantic in I the extreme, reading like a chapter of ad- lvcntuYe from some novel, but the end was only what could have been expected 1 from so daring and risky project. Wal xer and his band of filibusters gained several victories with the aid of some t.<ex q. t.n 1hn axAA hay &Ao Inevitable happened. In the midst of their triumph, wild with success which had been theirs, the natives whom they though were friends, betrayed them. The whole band was captured in des- perate fight in which they killed three times their number, and condemned un- conditionally to be shot. At least that
 was the first edict and then the humanity that lies in the breast of every man.
 whether he be North or South American. came to the rescue, and 1t was decided to give each man a chance for life. But how to do it? Each was equally guilty, there fore no cleniency could be shown one above the other. It was finally fate or luck or whatever 1t Is that decided they should draw lots and let rules or desti-
 nies, decide who should be spared and who die. The sixty captives were taken from prison at sunrise and marched ur-
 
 dew and all the beauties of newly awakened day to an open field where life or death met them. Drawn up in line with Ieveled guns and dark faces full of hatred all around them, the Ameri- cans awaited the last move in their ad- venturous campaign. The soldiers count ed twelve black beans and one white one for each dozen and dropped them into
 bag. These the condemned men were to al w pick one of the precious white beans would be given liberty and life. Walker was the first called up. Unhesitatingly he stepped up and without tremor or the slightest hesitation put his hand into the bag and drew forth one of the fatal black beans. With the bravery and daredeviltry which had always characterized him, he poWeo as if his enemies had conferred favor upon him, and returned with firm step to his place at the head of the line. Some of the other men who kept their wits about them were luckier One was Ill., tle Irishman from Hardin County. who noticed when the beans were counted into
 the bag, one of the white ones was the
 thousandth part of a fraction smaller
 than the rest. When his turn came ne
 felt around for it. and although ne was kicked and cursed and ordered to hurry he took his time ad drew out white bean. Another man from Bowling Green -a mere boy--saw a small indentation no larger than a pin point on one or the lifesavin gbeans. He, too, took his time about drawing the lot, and soldier, im- patient at the delay, thrust bayonet into his side But in spite of the wound he waited until his fingers closed over what he thought was the right one and ioyfully held up a white bean. The plucky aff Fd dur ing the Civil War while fighting with the famous Orphan Brigade, and the Bowling Green man met a similar fate at the battle of Hartsville Ben Hardin, whose death at Bardstown broke the last living link between the disastrous invasion and the present time, and to the day of his death he carefully preserved the little talisman that saved his life He was a member of the well known Hardin family | of Kentucky. being a grandson of the fa- | nous old Ben Hardin. His adventures | changed him from wild and wayward | boy to a steady and reliable man, who, l after serving with distinction during the | Civil War, represented Nelson County in | the State Legislature. Among Walkers | flibusterers were a number of Kentucki- | ans, three being from Mercer County | alone They were Felix Matheny, Walter | Scales and John Springer all members of
 
 some reason never learned, Springer and | a man from Nelson County, named Mer- ! rifeld, were strung up to limb by their hands by the natives and literally skim ned alive, thus suffering untold tortures Scales was shot by order of Walker for insubordination, but the fate of Felix Matheny has ever been mystery. The last words directly from him were eight or ten lines written from New Orleans on the eve of his departure for Nicara- qua. They were to the effect that he had enlisted with Walker and did not expect to return home until he could do so a
 rich man with money enough to retrieve the family fortune, which his ways had done much to diminish. Although his rela-
 tives afterward followed every clue and
 made every effort to ascertain If he met death in the general slaughter of his comrades, nothing was ever learned of
 him. His mother, whose idol and pet he
 was, he being the youngest son, never | lost the hope to the day of her death of his returning. Every night through
 many weary years she said. with a faith sublime in its steadfastness. that she
 knew her boy would come tomorrow. But tomorrow. and many tomorrows came and went, and never a word or a sign
 of her wandering son. On her deathbed in 1882 she said to the family gathered
 about her: "Be good to my boy when he comes. for his mother won't be here to
 welcome him" Whether he drew one of
 the fatal black beans and met death at the hands of the Nicaraguan soldiers; whether he escaped and far from home kindred braa thed hiS Iaat