Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-05-01


ders. He was armed with two ivory
handled Colts navy revolvers and a
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 a short, heayy-Set,
sandy compleXioned, 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, ap-
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 o'clock
in the afternoon
Young HegWer, after eating little
breakfast, hitehed up the two mules,
and plowed a 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 them to the wagon AMI
drive them up to the house about
o'clock The wagon was loaded with
large cans of milk, cornbread, mush,
potatoes, fried meat and other eata-
bles. Jack and Mike drove the team
through the field in a southerly direc-
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 big haul that day, and had got
seven more. I'VE will have to start
now in very few days, as 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; 4 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 trem-
bling voice:
IL reckon you and l will have to take
that food to them niggers. Jack and
Mike must have got into some sorter
trouble" They started with the wagon
as it 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
dim light a short distance ahead OF
them. They came to a bayou about
80 feet wide with foot bridge across
it. There the old gentleman stopped,
cot out of the wagon and went in tho
direction of the light. In short time
he returned, another with him, and
introduced young Hegwer to him as
new member of the gang. They each
gathered I'D some of the boxes and
cans and started in the direction or
the light. Young Hegwer was bound
to see it all tied the mules to tree.
gathered up box and followed them.
To his great surprise, there he found
what he was looking for. A large log
cabin about 80 feet long, 20 feet wide,
with about 40 negro men and women
and boys Il or Is years old, all chained
to the walls, their chains fastened
! round their ankles, lying on beds of
straw with some covering. They were
, fed all they could eat and drink. There
, were two guards standing over them
with whip and pistol in hand. AS soon
as the wagon was all unloaded they
: started back to the plantation. Jack
and Mike arrived there about the same
time. They reported that they had
been followed by some spies, and in or
. der to mislead them they had to go
way around, as they did not dare to
come directly to the plantation for fear
of being discovered.
Next morning young Hegwer was
sent out to finish the blowing that he
had begun-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
exnecting to leave for the South in the
next two or three days. handed it 70
one of the drivers of 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 all taken prison
ers. Young Hegwer escaped through
the back door and hid out until the
rest had been loaded into a govern
ment ambulance and started for Atchi-
son. The troopers were commanded by
Bob Madden, First Lieutenant, Go. II,
9th Kansas Cavalry.
Young Hegwer took one OF the
horses that belonged to one of the sol
diers that rode in the wagon with the
prisoners and led the way to the cabin
in the woods where the negroes had
been kept The cabin was surround