Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-02-24

their luck and praying for fair hight
and no favor, back the fourth time
went the army. Then came the sum-
mer, the race for the Potomac, and the
rush at last to the high-water mark
of rebellion on the shores of the Sus-
quehanna-
But meantime there had been scene
or two at Washington, never men
toned in the chronicles of the day
and in the midst of alarms and dis
fractions such as Washington had
never known before. Such matters
as the pubic cowhiding of an army
officer almost in front of the white
house would be 'scare-headed' from
Maine to Manila to-day, but the papers
had no space for it then. Squire Ben
ton had touched up McKinnon's new
uniform to the tune of 80 lashes before
the police could step in and spoil the
sport, and only in a local journal and
one or two in the far west was the
affair referred to.
Paul Ladue, convalescent, had been
twice subjected to rigid questioning
with the hope of establishing the guilty
connivance in his escape of certain
Baltimore household, as well as GER
tain union officer, and with the result
of establish ing nothing beyond the fact
that even in his weakness he had more
strength and sand than the prosecu-
ton. Then he was rendered release
on parole, for long investigation had
failed to unearth a thing to warrant
detention as a spy.
romantic turn in the tide of affairs
had come when certain senator called
70 hoy
that the discriminating papers which
Benton had refused to surrender and
which Miss Benton now would be will
ing to show, if necessary to save the
prisoners life, were personal letters
and nothing more. Stanton knew this,
probably, as well as the senator, but
was wroth that any one else should
know it, and furious that an officer
should dare refuse to surrender them,
no matter what or whose they were.
Then Ladue's Baltimore friends had
sent word across the line that Ladue
was to be tried as a spy and hanged
whether convicted or not, and an Ala
bama brigade declared in reply that
they would hang the first Yankee lieu
tenant they caught if hair of PauIs
head were injured.
One thing, it was said, that had
made Stanton SO forceful prosecutor
in the past was the ease with which
he could always persuade himself of
a prisoners guilt, the jury following
as the night the day. Something had
to be done, he had said, to stop this
wholesale transmission of state and
military secrets to the enemy, and
victim was demanded. He had INJURED
this confederate officer, caught in
civilian dress, in Old Capitol prison,
and if he wasn't spy, then he must
have neglected his opportunities and
deserved to be hanged" What made
Stanton so hot against Ladue was that
SO many women, clergymen, church
people, and others took to pleading for
the lad. Then it was that McKinnon
began to find favor at the war de-
partment Then it was that Capt.
! Benton's limits were restricted instead
of being enlarged Then it was that
soft-hearted surgeons at the Old Cap
itol hospital were replaced by men of
sterner stuff Then it was that the
Chiltons were notified that they must
leave Washington forthwith, and the
UuIStlHS Will Ntdlu dI DOIuS
forbidden to see the doctor and his
daughter, had had brief conferences
with Fred, now almost fretting his
heart out at the barracks; had learned
| through an officer of rank in the reg
ular service that beyond possibility of
| doubt Maj. McKinnOn was at the bot
tom of all these new and most oppres-
siVe orders; had gone to the white
| house with a demand TO see the presi-
dent; had been promised an opportun-
| ity Immediately after cabinet meeting
| that afternoon; had met McKinnOn
sauntering down the avenue in COM
pany with a fellow soldier-lawyer, and
| had hurled himself upon him then and
| there, to the end that the major was
| picked up and carried to Wizards,
! the squire escorted to the police sta
| ton and the interview didn't come off
| 1t is recorded of the president that
when told of the incident that evening,
| his sad face frightened for the first
| time in week. Il wonder if the
| squire would let me make him gen
eral,'' said he. AT least he fights -
That night a soldier of the regular
service did thing that, had Stanton
| known it, would doubtless have sent
that soldier to close arrest, if not to
| cell He was an officer of rank, a
gentleman of gentlemen, and a fellow
beloved of his fellow men Entrusted
| with an order to- see that Dr. Chiffon
| and daughter were safely sent to the
steamer for Old Point Comfort, suit
able guard going with them, he had
called on the kindly old Virginian late
| in the afternoon.
There had. been a brief, courteous