Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-04-24

large 12-inch blade knife and a black
snake whip about five feet long. From
| all appearance he certainly was the
leader of the gang Mike Walden, the
| other man, was short, heavy-set
sandy-eomplexioned. long hair. with an
Irish brogue; also armed with two re-
yolvers, knife and whip The next
morning when young Hegwer got up he
found no one ON the plantation but
the old man and oldish-like lady, APP
parently his wife. and an old negro man
and negro woman. Jack and Mike had
got up early, left the place on horse
back and returned again about 3 o'clock
in the afternoon.
Young Hegwer, after eating a little
breakfast, hitched up the two mules,
and proved 4 patch Of ground for po-
| tatoes. at the request OF the old gen
tleman. When Jack and Mike return
ed, they had young Hegwer to feed the
mules and hitch theih to the wagon ami
drive them up to the house about 4
o'clock The wagon was loaded with
/ ~
potatoes, fried meat and other eata-
hles. Jack and Mike drove the team
through the field in southerly diFec-
ton, and did not return again until
about 10 o'clock that night.
The next morning it was the same
thing over again; they returned about
the same time, loaded the wagon and
| drove off In the same direction When
they returned that night. Hegwer heard
them tell the old man that they had
made a big haul that day, and had got
seven more. I'VE win have to start
now in a very few days, us we have
about all we can handle"
The next morning Jack and Mike left
the same as before. When o'clock
came, they did not return; o'clock
came. and still they were not there.
The old man was getting very nervous.
He chewed his tobacco much faster
and he spit his juice much farther and
talked much louder He finally came
up TO young Hegwer and said in a trem.
bling voice
Il reckon you and | win have to take
that food to them niggers. Jack and
Mike must have got into some sorter
trouble" They started with the wagon
as 1t had already been loaded and pre-.
pared to go. They drove in the same
direction through the field and in a
very narrow path through the woods
until finally they came into sight of a
dim light short distance ahead OF
them. They came to a bayou about
30 feet wide with a foot bridge across
it. There the old gentleman stopped
got out of the wagon and went in TIN
direction of the light. In n short tim,
he returned another with him, anC
introduced young Hegwer to him as {
new member OF the gang. They eacl
gathered up some OF the boxes ant
cans and started in the direction o
the light Young Hegwer was boun,
TO see 1t all tied the mules to tree
gathered up a box and followed them
To his great surprise, there he founC
what he was looking for. A large loi
cabin about 30 feet long, 20 feet wide
with about 40 negro men and womei
and boys IA or Is years old, all chained
TO the walls, their chains fastened
round their ankles, lying on beds o.
straw with some covering. They were
fed all they could eat and drink. There
were two guards standing over then
with whip and pistol In hand. As soor
as the wagon was all unloaded they
started back TO the plantation. Jacl
and Mike arrived there about the same
time They reported that they had
been followed by some spies, and IN or
der to misIead them they had to e
way around, as they did not dare &c
come directly to the plantation, for fcaI
of being discovered.
Next morning young Hegwer was
sent out to finish the blowing that he
had begtn--the other end of the field
was near the road that went to Atchi-
son. There he wrote the letter to his
brother. stating that he was well, had
found everything necessary and was
expecting to leave for the South in the
next two or three days, handed II 20
one of the drivers Of a team that was
going to town for to be mailed. That
night everything went as heretofore
and all preparations were being made
for the start for the South The next
night. nearly midnight, a troop Of cav
airy was heard coming up to the
plantation. 1t surrounded the house,
and the inmates were alb taken prison
ers. Young Hegwer escaped through
the back door and hid out until the
rest had been loaded into govern
ment ambulance and started for Atchi-
son. The troopers were commanded by
Bob Madden First Lieutenant Co. II,
9th Kansas Cavalry.
Young Hegwer took one Of the
horses that belonged to one Of the sol
dlers that rode in the wagon with the
prisoners and led the way to the cabin
in the woods where the negroes had