The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-25

| the house together. Before going
| in Randlett changed coats with the
guard, and the prisoners supposed he
was one of Quantrill's men. They
| told Randlett that The Yankee pris-
oner oughth to be hanged at once.
When Randlett came out Quantrill
asked him what he thought of the
| prisoners. Randlett said. he believed
| they were thieves or spies. Shortly
after Randlett arrived again at the
| house where he was stopping he
heard a volley; he never saw the
prisoners again; no one even men
| toned them after that; Randlett had
no doubt about their having been
| shot, and very little doubt but that
they deserved it.
| AS nothing could be heard from
the federal authorities about the ex-
change, Quantrill proposed to parole
Randlett for a period of ten days and
send him to Leavenworth to see if
he could effect the exchange. This
| being agreeable TO Rand;ett, Guam
trill marched to Independence. It
| was a rainy winter day. On the road
| man stopped the band and said he
| had something for the men. He pro-
| duced from a capacious bag swung
| to his saddle horn a corpulent jug of
apple jack and gave each man lib
| eral drink.
"Quantrill told him to give Randlett
some. This. it seems. he had enter
tanned 10 notion of doing but upon
! being directed to do SO replied: Yes,
l will give the some
and handed Randlett stiff drink,
which he relished greatly. At indie
pendence Quantrill left Randlett in
hotel at the northeast corner of the
public square. Before he went out
he wrote on a sheet of paper secured
from the hotel table the necessary pa
pers for Randlett to take with him to
Leavenworth in the matter of his ex-
change. Having done this Quantrill
and his men rode out of town and
were gone several hours.
THE rain had driDped from Rand
let's overcoat and soaked his shoes,
making his feet cold. AS he sat at a
stove trying to warm himself Rand
lett noticed that men began to gather
at the hotel to see the prisoner.
They drank whisky at the hotel bar
and soon became boisterous. Whoops
and yells could be heard in the streets
and Randlett heard threats made to
go in and kill the prisoner. 1t was
the way and he determined to leave
the hotel at once. let the consequences
be what they might
HE got up and walked to the in
terror of the house lobby or general
room in doing which his attention
was called to man leaning on the
bar. He was an old man and said
nothing, but pointed to the door which
in the dining room. The old man
came in soon and told Randlett he was
in great danger, and said L am
friend of any soldier He went to
the doors of the room and after a
little while told Randlett that the
coast was clear for a minute and led
him into an alley, then through sew
| eral alleys anG finally to a large stable
just off the northeast corner of the
| public square.
There he told Randlett to get into
| a, manger. and after Randlett had
done so. he filled it with hay. say
| ing that if anyone came he should
pull the hay up over him and conceal
himself; that the horse would be eat
! ing the hay but would not injure him.
In a short time he brought the post
master TO see Randlett The post
master handed Randlett letter from
| the military authorities in Kansas
| City. Randlett inquired why it had
not been delivered to him. The post
master told him that he had heard
| the letter read by the colonel who
wrote it, and knew that its delivery
meant the death of Rand1ett.
| when Quantrill returned with his
men to Independence. Mr.. Perry (the
| old man who had been Randlett's
| friend all day. hunted him up and
told where Randlett was and how he
came to be there. Quantrill and this
old man were friends, though Perry
was openly a Union man. He car
ried letters to Kansas City for Guam
trill and was useful to the guerilla
| in many other ways. Quantrill
thanked him for his care and discre-
ton and requested him to see Rand
lett safely off for Kansas City the
next morning.
Perry had a large tavern build
! ing in which he lived. but which he
was allowing to remain idle, having
closed out his business. But he and
his wife lived in the building. and
Perry was running stable which was
Quantrill remained with Perry until
late in the night. and Mrs. Perry pre-
pared a good supper for her husband,
Quantrill and Randlett. Quantrill
left the house about 10 o'clock at
night and marched his band out of
town.
1.-The next morning at o'clock Rand
I lett was called up by Perry, and found
his mare saddled. He and Perry rode
to Kansas City together. There Perry
left him and he went at once to Col
onel McNeilPs office on Union avenue
When Randlett reported to the colonel
and made himself known Mcneil
abused Quantrill but said he was busy
and requested that Randlett return al
s O'Clock. When Randlett returned to
the office he found the colonel and a
captain standing before a big map
which was hanging on the wall. The
colonel said as Randlett entered, Here
he is now Then he told Randlett that
| the captain was to be sent out with a
company to destroy Quantrill, and that
| Randlett was to go along as guide.
"Randlett said he would not go; that
he was in honor bound to carry out his
agreement with Quantrill and would
not go with the captain Words rose
high and Randlett said to the colonel:
I will not go and d-n you you cam
make me CO. and with that he left the