Charlevoix county herald., 1906-08-18

over his own signature, 10 ueii'eI W
You, and in which you are described
as belonging to the Rebel armyW
I'll should reckon ! did. Didn't
write II and put 1t in every blessed ar,
ticle | thought We Rebs, as you call
us, could get and make use Off
| looked at Colonel Buchanan ana
saw u pallor slowly creeping over MS
face.
do you mean to say. sir,0 he asked,
"that this prisoner did not voluntarily
meet YOU people, and OF his own free
will agree TO sell and DELIVER the aru-
cles mentioned in that paperT Inc
witness threw his head back ana
laughed boisterously. The old colo
pel's face changed from white 10 an
apoplectic red, and he again raped
for order, and said sarcastiealiy,
"Please restrain your merriment ana
answer my question; remember inns
is court room, and not a theatre.
BEG pardon, Colonel, but IL you'd
seen how the old sinner tremDled
when l 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
nary a charge, but he didn't know
that You see, the way we got hold OF
him was this: Some of our boys I'VE
in Baton Rouge, and they know the
old fellow has always been considered
a 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 weu
got "A pretty good thing. We knew ne
49, Ill IL. a hnt Store
carried one of the biggest stocks OF
goods outside of Orleans. ] decided
that | could scare him into signing
most anything, but ii was tough work.
| thought ut one time Id really have
to load up and give him n flesh wound
~ make him ante up. Then just as
he had signed the paper you 1anks
swooped down upon us
do you mean to say, on your oath
on your oath, SIR said the Colonel
imperiously, that the prisoner did not
send word to You that he would meet
YOU ut that Ferry and furnish you
certain information and eontraband
articles for certain sums OF money!
The young Confederate jumped up,
and balancing himself on his foot,
cried out. with the most intense scorn:
"And you call this Il Yankee court
| of Justice. Couldn't any OF you take
trouble enough to find out what KIND
/ of man you were trying! why, any
child in Baton Rouge could have told
YOU who old Jew Isaacs was, anu
! twice he's had 4 rome round MS neck
and been nearly choked into Kingdom
Come by our boys because he wouldn
tell where yOu'uns were camped-and
all the old fellow would say was,
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 IanKs
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 him
that | would shoot him down like a
dog if he breathed a word to any OneT'
And the indignant Southerner sank
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 my
conviction. He knew from the first
that he had Il sure case and he had
been greatly nettled by the sharp
words and rulings of President Buchan-
an At any rate, the effect was all
that he could have wished. Never be
fore, in his long military career, had
the old Coloners pride received such q
blow. His boast had been that he had
presided over more than fifty court
martials and had seldom had his find
ings dlsapproved. as he claimed to
know all there was to know about
military law.
The room was cleared and the Colo
mel. after q few words of explanation,
added, "Of course, the case will be dis
!. missed at once and the prisoner re-
leased. / desire to confess to you gen
tlemen that for my part | fear l have
!, allowed my prejudices to influence my
judgment, and that l have been nearer
than ever before in all my military life
committing a very grave and serious
!, error. We are none of us too old to
learn"
After adjourning the court, the no
bic old man went into the adjoining
room, shook hands most heartily and
courteously with the lawyer, the Con
federate Captain and the old Jew, and
; said that none of them could be more
, pleased than he that any suspicious he
may have had were found to be false
AS was arranging my papers, some
one touched me on the shoulder. and
looking around l encountered Isaacs
swarthy cOuntenance. He said, in his
broken English: Il see you are Q
Mason" Answering in the affirmative
and learning that he was one. ! asked
why he had not made himself known
before. -J"Oh, no. he said, mot while
1 was under charges but now l an
very glad TO know you as one. / want
you to bring some of your army
friends and dine with me next Sun
day." handing me his card. ! accepted
his invitation and had an experience
/. for the first time of dining in the fam
lily of n wealthy Jew.
He had invited q number Of hi
friends, and the hoard was presided
; over by his only daughter, the mos
> lovely Jewess ] had ever seen. Sh'
was tall and graceful as n swan, will
: clear. olive complexion through
!. which burned the glow Of perfec
3 health, and she looked at me will
4 eyes which. even out of the dim haze
. of Years | can see distinctly to-day