Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Other Man.
Copyrtght 1sOs by G. B. Lewis. !


brought in than one of them proved TO
be the double of a private in g New
York regiment.
The name Of the Confederate was
Wakefield, while that of the Federal
was Thomas. The former belonged TO
a Louisiana regiment. When placed
side by side they seemed to be twin
brothers. Each was about twenty-five
years old: each was about five feetNfve
inches high; each weighed 40 pounds.
Their eyes and hair were of the same
color. and even their voices were the
same except that the southerner had
little more drawl. The pair were as
much astonished as the officers and
surgeons who were called to look them
over.
You will not be surprised that advan-
tage was taken of this curious coinci-
dent to send Thomas into the Confeder-
ate lines. AS a preparatory step he
was given q week in which to pump
Wakefield. The prisoner did not know
the object. and, being of n garrulous
disposition, he was ready to talk on
any subject. Thomas got from him his
family history complete. then the name
of the town from which the man hail
ed, with incidents of people and streets;
then the names of his officers and COM
rades. with incidents of campaigning.
The Federal had been an actor before
enlisting and had cultivated n wonder
full memory. When he had stored up
thousand different things in his mind
he bought the uniform worn by the
Confederate and was ready to set out
on his mission.
One night Thomas was taken down
to the front and made a bolt for it.
In other words, it was made to appear
that one of the Confederate prisoners
was making a dash for liberty, and the
picket opened a sharp fire. but took
care not TO aim at the running man.
On reaching the Confederate lines
Thomas was sent to the headquarters
of General Malone. The general seem
ed a bit suspicious, and Thomas, play
ing the part of Wakefield, asked that
his captain be sent for. 1t was a cou-
pie of hours before the officer arrived,
and the general at once said TO him:
Captain, this man who has come
into our lines tonight claims to be 4
member of your company. Is he or is
he nOt?"
He certainly is, sir" was the prompt
reply.
whats his name"
John Wakefield. sir"
That settled it.
After three or four days and under
pretense OF visiting cousin in a Vir-
ginia regiment Thomas covered the
front and had look at guns and forti- |
fcations. When he returned to camp. |
to take the first opportunity |
to escape. he was at once put under |
arrest 1t appeared that Wakefield |
and some of his comrades had raided |
q store of a lot of eatables, and the |
proprietor had ascertained their names |
and now demanded their punishment
When the merchant and Thomas |
were brought face to face the latter |
declared that Thomas was not the man |
he represented himself to be. Why he |
should have made such a declaration |
is puzzle. but he seemed to be guided |
by intuition. He was ridiCuled and |
laughed at, but he stuck to his assertion |
and even denounced Thomas TO Gener- |
al Malone. AS stated after the war, |
the general had felt doubts of Thomas |
down to the sense of intuition.
The name of the merchant who had |
been despOiled was Saunders. and he |
was Of an implacable nature. Being |
put on his mettle by the sneers and |
he determined to prove his |
case at all costs. AS the accuser he |
had the general ask hundreds of ques-
tions- He knew the town and the peo-
pie from which Thomas as Wakefield |
claimed 10 hail and in the course of the |
day had trapped him a dozen times
over. AS an Offset all the officers and |
privates of the company asserted that |
was Wakefield and that there |
was no room TO doubt. He went at it |
and related every incident of camp life |
for a year past and told of things which |
1t seemed impossible for a stranger to i
know.
General Malone was clearly puzzled |
over the case and took two days to
think II over. AT the end of that time
was escorted back to find a
soldier In Federal uniform in the gener-
ais tent. and there were also two civil
ians in waiting. 1t was little surprise
for the spy. The man in Federal uni
Iorm Claimed 10 nave known Thomas
as Federal soldier under the name of
Brown, and the two civilians claimed
that he had never been a resident of
their town.
Thomas realized that the pinch had
come, and he braced himself TO make 4
fight for his life. General Malone
treated him in the fairest manner. and.
acting as his own counsel, he went at it
and soon had the supposed Federal sol
der all twisted up and out of the run
ming. Then he tackled the civilians, and
they proved TO be as easy game. In
stead Of being cornered up he cOrnered
his accusers, and ii was so well done
that he was complimented by the gen.
eraI. When the case had been conclud-
ed. Malone leaned back and looked at
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