Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-22

ficer rode up to headquarters and dis
mounted. Entering the generals tent,
seeing the inspector" he stood in
mute surprise. AS for the inspector"
he turned a shade paler. The new
conner was an old army acquaintance
IN ante beIum days, both having serv-
ed at the same post.
chandler. what are you doing here
and in this uniformT'
at came here to benefit the cause I
serve or die. III luck in meeting you
turns the scale for death"
There was a commotion In the Con-
federate camp at this discovery that
the inspector" and his orderly were
spies and that had it not been for a
timely arrival they would have got
away with ample information to In
sure the defeat and possibly the cap
ture of their whole force. They were
both arrested drumhead court mar
tial convened and within an hour after
their detection were sentenced to be
hanged at daylight the next morning.
Owing to their former acquaintance
and service together as brother off,
GERS Colonel Albert, the officer who had
recognized Chandler, made a strong
effort to save him. He appealed to
Richmond in his behalf by telegraph,
but the authorities there seemed to
think that If either should be spared
it was the orderly, who was little
more than a boy.
Meanwhile both men, being under
sentence of death, were permitted to
communicate and to write letters to
those who would mourn them. When
Colonel Chandler had signifed his
willingness to undertake the mission
the officer who had arranged 1t sug-
gested that he take with him an or
DERBY, both as becoming his supposed
rank and because if the principal were
detected the orderly might possibly
carry the information he had acquir-
ed. Volunteers were called for, and
the young man who was now await
ing execution had been selected from
among those who had volunteered.
Up TO this time Colonel Chandler was
ignorant even Of his orderlv's name
The young man wrote a farewell let
ter to his mother, addressed IL and
laid 1t on the pine camp table on
which he had penned it. Colonel
Chandler noticed the superscription,
and a look Of anguish crossed his
face.
Soon after midnight came news that
but one Of the two should be executed
as a warning to spies and which was
to suffer should be determined by lot.
Colonel Chandler begged that he
might be made the victim without re-
sort to the wheel of fortune. His ap-
plication was considered and a reply
returned that inasmuch as the order
from the secretary to determine by
lot which should die was specific the
general did not care to take the re-
sponsibility of disobeying it. The ap-
plication was forwarded by telegraph,
but no answer was received before the
hour that had been fixed by the court
for the execution. So Colonel Chan
dler was informed that the matter
must proceed in conformity with the
outstanding orders.
At daylight in the morning the
provost marshal of the Confederate
force entered the tent whci the two
spies were confined, carrying a hat in
his hand. Having read to them the
order bearing on their case, be said:
I'm this hat are two brass buttons,
the one with raised letters L. s. A.
stamped on it, the other bearing the
letters c. s. \. You will turn your
backs. put out hand in rear and
take a button. He who draws the c.
s. a. button viii go forth 70 execu-
ton"
Colonel Chandler stepped up TO the
officer holding the hat, thrust in his
hand, drew it forth. looked at the let
tiers on a button he held in it and
handed it TO the officer. 1t was stamp
ed c. S. 4.
Any man thus imposing upon a fel-
low human being the task Of deciding
whether he shall live or die will nat
urally be under considerable emotion.
The Confederate officer holding the
hat was so moved that he threw it
down without paying any attention to
turned for the hat to give it 70 its
owner, and. feeling for the button.
failed to find it. He hunted for it,
turning up the lining, but it was not
in the hat.
Colonel Chandler was taken out and
hanged. When his body was let down
his right hand was found TO be tightly
closed. The fingers were forced open
and owe r.''~' en- '-7f'~1 slammed With
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