Putnam patriot., 1910-10-14
The Famous Libby Prison Death Lottery.

"S unmuus Livpy si'sV" us"s" LouSsy
 Resiving reeolections of one of the most dramatic episodes Of the Civil war, the celebrated "lottery of death in which 72 Federal officers, 10 satisfy the pique of General Windet of the Confederate army, drew lots for their own hanging, Captain George V. War. ner, Captain of Company c of the Eighteenth Connecticut Regiment, Is m object of interest to thousands of army men throughout the country.
 Aside from his part in the lottery, he was l0-months' "boader" inside the walls of the terrible prison, where men fought each other for the possession of horse meat to keep them from starva- ton.
 In addition to surviving these hor- TOTS, this slight little man, who is now
 to be seen daily on the quiet streets of New Bedford's suburbs, was also one
 of the adventurous spirits who con.
 ceived and carried through to compile ton Inc Libby prison tunnel through | which hundred men, half of whom
 were Iecaptured, made dash for lib-
 efty.
 It is because of his participation in the "lottefy of deathn that interest par
 ticuiafly attaches 10 Captain Warner, and the story that leads up to the cpl sode is one characteristic of the days of | the war.
 In the early part of they year lsoa, | General Burnside, who was in com
 mand of the Federal forces in kentuc. | ky, apprehcnded two Confederate cap. | tasns. tpon investigation il was de.
 cided that these men were spies. ! Against the sturdy denial of both of. ticers that they were guilty of the charge, the nen were taken out, tepe slipped ahoat their necks, and they
 were hanged,
 in spite oI tho confusion at the time
 at which this hanging was carried out, | tiie status and social prominence of | these officers led to an investigation
  ernment their lale and revenge was
 sworn. As if In answer 10 this oath of revenge, within a few months a large | number of Federal officers were cap tured at Rome, Ga, and Winchester, Va, These men were summafily
 thrown into Libby prison al Rich | mond.
 Some time previous 10 the capture of
 the Federal officers, a Kentucky cavalry captain had been captured. His cap. ture followed within few weeks of
 the untimely death of the two spies. At tirsl Inc Confederate government
 declared that this captain should pay
 the penalty for the death of one of the Confederate spies.
 The capture of the large number of officers, however, halted this action. With such fine collection of officers from which to make . selection, the Confederate government hesitated. The result of this hesitation, As Gap tain Warner relates, was the invention of the death lotterv.n
 aAhout the first of July, lSsss," says Captain Warner, .therc were nearly loo men tn Libby. On the morning of the eih the whole prison was arous. cd over the news that . hag of truce boat had arrived at City Point. This boat. scsording 10 tho runnps shas taa through the prisoo, wts fos the pes- pee q !! !'skihs fsdsssl prlsnsr .o An, nApolls.
 ~Ect monshs snoSs q ns hs4 boa draggins aicos. half way hsswsea ssarsatien and sutcide. No co tn tAess unsss thinks of . prison sxeeps e plans of oonnaement.
 "ln Libby men wess eonnnea end