The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-08-28
A TYPICAL SOUTHERN GIRL.
Adventures of a Heroine of the Six.
ties.

Ties.
The daring deeds of slender blue
eyed Southern girl, who lived and
loved and fairly terrorized Federal
soldiers in Boonsville, Mo-, in the STIR
ing times of the early sixties, still are
made the subject of many a reminis-
cent story.
Mary Carroll, of Boonsville, was as
fearless as she was pretty, as defiant
as she was clever and resourceful.
She could, says the Kansas City Star,
ride a horse as we'll as any calvary
man and she could walk, too, when
the occasion demanded. She snug
gled arms and ammunition to Con-
federate soldiers, right under the
very noses of the Federals. She
aided in the escape of three prison
ers who were under sentences of
death. Finally she was imprisoned
herself, but her ready wit won her
release. So it is only natural that
those who were neighbors of this
>dauntless 19-year-old girl should still
have vivid recollections of her.
Today Mrs. Mary Carroll Brooks
lives quietly with her son in Kan
sas City at 634 North avenue. She
is 70 years old, but her mind is alert
and her clear eyes have not alto
gether lost their laughter.
Brother Condemned as Spy.
In the winter of 1868 Dennis Car
roll, a brother of Miss Mary, was
arrested by Federal soldiers on the
charge of being a Confederate spy,
and, together with two other men,
Mastin Patrick and Lieut.. Charles
Brownlee, was imprisoned. Col. D.
w. Ware, in command of the Boon
Vile post, ordered the three men
shot, but on account of the sudden
illness of Patrick the execution was
deferred four weeks.
Carroll and Brownlee we're held in
prison and when Patrick recovered
he was placed in the same cell with
them.
Mary Carroll obtained permission
from Col. Catherwood, in charge OF
the post, to take meals to her broth
er and his friends and to give him
any sisterly relief she coulo.
So day after Gay, morning and
evening, Mary visited the Federal jail
with a basket Of provisions on her
arm. Ia was almost dark in the cell
when Miss Mary brought the even
ing meal. This caused her brother
to devise a plan of escape. Snug
gle me in file and crowbar when
you come tomorrow night he whis-
pered in his sisters ear one night.
well break out the bars on the win
dow and escape
Brings Crowbar and File.
So the next evening Mary carried a
short stout crowbar and file dan
Cling from her waist beneath her
hoop skirt. She left them in the
dark cell unobserved by the guards.
But that night the three men were
caught in the act of breaking out
the bars and the work had to be
done all over again, under greater
difficulties now, for the men were
thrown in chains and placed in a
cell without windows.
For some reason or other Miss
Mary was not suspected at the time
of being responsible for the presence
of the crowbar in the cell of the
doomed prisoners, and from then on
she worked with more assurance.
The only hope of escape now was
to obtain key that would unlock
the cell door, and Miss Mary unhes1-
tatingly set herself the task of pro-
curing such key.
Being a comely young woman, 1t
was not strange that the Federal SOL
diers about the prison should pay
her marked attentions on her visits
to her brother.
Sergeant Proposes to Her.
Luckily for Miss Mary and her
brother the man who was hardest hit
was the young sergeant in charge of
the jail-he who always carried the
precious key at his belt.
One day, as the execution time was
drawing near, the young sergeant
asked her if he might accompany her
to her home.
why, no. 1 wouldn't be seen on
the street with a Federal soldier,
replied Miss Mary, archly.
Then, may 1 visit you at your
house tonight" persisted the soldier.
"Wen, perhaps 1 wouldn't object