The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-09-27

you. and in Wnlch you are described
as belonging to the Rebel army ~
4 should reckon I did. Didn't
write it and put it in every blessed ar
ticle I thought we Rebs. as you call
MS. could get and make use of p
/ looked at Colonel Buchanan and
saw a pallor slowly creeping over his
face.
"Do YOU mean to say, sir," he asked,
uthat this prisoner did not voluntarily
meet Won people, and of his own free
will agree to sell and deliver the arti-
cies mentioned in that paper?' The
witness threw his head back and
launched boisterously. The old Colo
ners face changed from white to an
apoDlectic red, and he again rappedl
for order. and said sarcastically,
s.Please restrain your merriment and
answer my question; remember this
is a court room, and not a theatre"
ssBeg pardon, Colonel, but if you'd
seen how the old sinner trembled /
when I showed my six-shooter under
his nose and told him I'd blow out his
brains if he didn't sign it, you'd want |
TO laugh, too. The six-shooter hadn't
nary a charge, but he didn't know
that. You see, the way we got hold of
him was this: Some of our boys live
in Baton Rouge, and they know the
old fellow has always been considered
bigger Yankee than old Greeley him.
self. When we saw him inside our
lines. near the Ferry, where we
learned he had been to visit some sick
relative, we made up our minds we'd
got pretty good thing. We knew he
was a rich old cock, and that his store
carried one of the biggest stocks of
goods outside of Orleans. / decided
| that / could scare him into signing
most ANYTHING, but it was tough work.
I thought at one time I'd really have
| to load I'D and give him a flesh wound
to make him ante up. Then just as
he had signed the paper you Yanks
swooped down upon u.s."
ssDo you mean to say, on your oath
-on your oath, SIR said the Colonel
| imperiously, s'that the prisoner did not
send word to you that he would meet
you at that Ferry and furnish you
| certain information and contraband
articles for certain sums Of money!
The young Confederate jumped up,
and balancing himself on his foot,
cried out, with the most intense scorn:
| ,A0Q you Call lulS ddANCC SOoA =
of Justice! Couldn't any of you take
i trouble enough to find out what KIND
! of a man YOU were trying? Why, any
i child in Baton Rouge could have told
you who old Jew Isaacs was, and
/ twice he's had rope round his neck
and been nearly chOked into Kingdom
Come by our boys because he wouldn't
fell where you'uns were camped-and
III ell y071J1 q g
Hang away Couldn't you find out
through some of your smart witnesses
that my own capture was due to the
plucky old devil, who was brave
enough and loyal enough to you Yanks
to send word to your Captain by his lit
tie son when and where he had agreed
to meet us, in spite of my oath to hin
that I would shoot him down like {
dog if he breathed a word to any one?'
And the indignant Southerner sanl
down in his chair, wiping the perspira
ton from his face.
That the dramatic part of this start
ling denouement was partly arranged
by the lawyer has always been m!
conviction. He knew from the frs
that he had a sure ease and he hat
been greatly nettled by the SHARP
words and rulings of President Buchan
an. At any rate, the effect was al
that he could have wished. Never be
fore, in his long military career, hat
the old Coloners pride received such ;
blow. His boast had been that he hal
presided over more than fifty court
martials and had seldom had his find
ings disapproved, as he claimed t
know all there was to know abOu
military law.
The room was cleared and the Colo
mel, after few words of explanation
added, "Of course. the case will be dis
g missed at once and the prisoner re
d leased. desire to confess to you ger
tlemen that for my part fear | hav
e allowed my prejudices to influence m
f judgment, and that I have been neare
o than ever before in all my military lif
l. committing very grave and seriou
e error. We are none of us too old t
o learn"
I After adjourning the court, the nj
BILE old man went into the adjoinin
Il room, shook hands most heartily an
J. courteously with the lawyer, the Con
g federate Captain and the old Jew, an
T, said that none of them could be MOI
L pleased than he that any suspicious b
may have had were found to be falls
:, As was arranging my papers, som
q one touched me on the shoulder, an
Il looking around / encountered Isaac
u swarthy countenance. He said, in h
broken English: ST see you are
le Mason" Answering in the affirmativ
le and learning that he was one, aske
why he had not made himself know
le before. ooh, no." he said, mot viii
| was under charges, but now | a.
le very glad to know you as one. wal
70 :, you to bring some of your arm
!. friends and dine with me next SUI
Z day." handing me his card. | accente
10 his invitation and had an experien'
u for the first time of dining in the far
= lily of wealthy Jew.
He had invited a number of b
y friends, and the board was preside
8 over by his only daughter, the mo
o. lovely Jewess l had ever seen. 81
was tall and graceful as a swan, wi
lg a clear, olive complexion throus
d. which burned the glow of perfe
lg health. and she looked at me wi