Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-23
A NOTABLE EVENT
SENATOR AND MRS. s. n. HARPER
ATTEND UNIQUE GATHERING
IN DIES MONIES
Major s. H. M. Byers, Before Assem-
bIed Guests, Demonstrates His Es-
cape from the Confederate Prison At
Columbia, S. c.-story of Affair.

Senator and Mrs. s. H. Harper were
among the guests at an unique gather
ing at the home of Major s. H. M.
Byers in Des Moines Saturday even
Ing. A Des Moines paper has the fol-
lowing interesting story of the affair:
Before his assembled guests, in
Guiding three of the governors Of
Iowa and their wives, a number of the
senators of the state of Iowa, and
their wives and prominent Des Moines
people, Major S. II. M. Byers demon
strated at st. Helens Saturday night
his escape from the confederate prison
at Columbia, 8. c. Not only was the
majors brilliant descriptive power
brought into use but among his cur
los Major Byers has the hole through
which he escaped. This he sawed out
OF the old prison some months ago.
To the entertainment of his guests
Major Byers crawled through the hole.
describing the scene which occurred
over forty years ago during the war
Of the rebellion. This hole, preserved
In a section of the original wall of the
old prison, is Major Byers' most treas
ured possession and it's exhibition Sat
urday night is the first time that even
his closest friends have been shown
the means of his memorable escape.
There were present Governor and
49, y. w AilAniL 1Ldlld USS anu uduSHltT
Governor and Mrs. A. B. Cummins
Governor and Mrs. Frank D. Jackson,
Senator and Mrs. Warren Garst, Sem
ator and Mrs. Lewis, Senator and Mrs.
is. H. Harper, Mr.. and Mrs. w. H.
Bailey, Mr.. and Mrs. W /. E.
Odell, Mr.. and Mrs. Homer Miller, Mr..
and Mrs. j. G. Berryhill, Harvey Ing
ham, Mr.. and Mrs. Edmundson, Miss
Kirby. Mr.. and Mrs. Freeman Coma
and CSro11Io Tn1n of
ids.
THE story of his capture and his
Imprisonment is a favorite story Of
Major Byers. He has told it before to
his many friends during the reciting
Of his war experiences, but never was
i told with more force and yigor
than last night.
Description Was Informal.
THE description of his escape was
informal. He was showing for the
first time to most of his guests the
huge slab of native lumber as sawed
from the old prison by himself a few
section is the roughly hewed hole over
which the major and his few fellow
prisoners worked necessarily with
what crude tools they had at their
command. This was found by him
on visit to the south few months
ago, and securing permission from the
owner sawed out the portion Of the
wall and freighted his treasure north.
THE hole suggested the story and
called upon by the assembled COVER
nors and solons Major Byers told its
He related it in all its details and in
describing the final escape the major
crawled through the hole in the same
manner, but under different condi-
tons, as the same act was done forty
years ago.
1.-THE gathering at Major Byers'
home, st. Helens, Terrace road and
Grand avenue, was notable one. one
governor and two former governors of
Iowa, and their wives were present,
three senators and their wives, and
the rest were those prominent in a
local and state way"