The Washington herald., 1915-02-14

| lney were ODlgeq 10 COnCedl theIh-
selves in the underbrush while the
damage to the track was repaired by
the FederaIs and the train proceeded
on its way.
| 1t now was determined to return to
Canada. The five Confederates, all
believed to have been in citizens dress
proceeded to Buffalo and thence to
Niagara City. on the American side OF
| the Suspension Bridge. There. after
several hours wait, train for Toron-
to was boarded. Just before it pulled
out of the station, Beall noticed that
young Anderson was missing. Hurry
| ing back to the waiting room. he found
the boy asleep on a bench. He awak-
ened him and the two were moving to-
ward the train, when they were sud
denly seized by two policemen who
had become suspicious of their actions
and who believed them to be escaped
Confederate prisoners. 1t was then
about 10 o'clock in the night of De-
cember 16, 1864.
Knowing that his life would be in
danger if his identity were known,
Beall encouraged the idea of his being
an escaped prisoner. But young An
derson, unthinkingly admitted. that
his companion was Capt. Beall." The
familiar name led the FedcTals to
suspect his true identity, and the clerk
of the steamer Philo Parsons. one of
the craft BeaIl had captured in Lake
Erie, afterward identified him as the
leader of that expedition.
Beall was sent to New York City
Sunday evening. December IS. and
! lodged in the Jail at police headquar-
ters. The authorities at once began to
gather evidence against him. On jan
uary Beall was removed to Fort La
fayette in New York Harbor because OF
an attempt on his part to secure his
release by bribing one of the jail off,
cials.
In the room in which he was con-
fined on his removal to Fort Lafayette
were several other Confederate pris-
oners, including Roger A. Prior, whose
capture on the Petersburg lines in No
vember had caused a considerable stir
both at the North and South. A warm
friendship sprang up between the two
men, and one OF Beall's dying requests
was that some memento of their COM
panionship be presented to Prior.
Condemned to Die.
In spite of various attempts. some
of which were frustrated by Gen. Dix.
Beall was unable to do much toward
gathering testimony in his behalf. On
January 20 hS~was called before a mill
tary commission at Fort Lafayette,
comprising Brig. Gen. Fitz Henry
Warren. Brig Gen. w. II. Morris. Col.
NJ. S. Howe. Third u. S. Cavalry: Col.
H Day. Lieut. Col. r. +. O'Bierne,
Fourteenth Infantry, and Maj. G. w.
Wallace, Sixth Infantry, with Maj.
John A. Bowles as judge advocate.
Beall appealed for the right to have
Confederate counsel represent him, but
this was denied. Finally, after several
delays, his trial began. with James T.
Brady. a prominent New York attor-
ney. who had volunteered his services.
as counsel Beall was charged. first
with the violation of the laws of war
in the capture of the two steamers in
the Lake Erie raid. which was held to
be piracy. and second with acting as a
spy. both during that raid and in the
subsequent raid in New York State.
Bears defense was that he was a
regularly commissioned captain in the
Confederate service and that he was
acting under orders of an accredited
Confederate commissioner in Canada,
Jacob Thompson. He contended that
though he was not dressed in regula-
tion Uniform at the time of his eX-
ploits, he. nevertheless. had about him
sufficient insignia-brass buttons and
the like-to Offset the claim that he
was in civilians clothing.
Bealrs trial ended February .. He
was found guilty by the court, and on
the 14th Mai. Gen. Dix issued a formal
order that Beall be hanged on Febru-
ary IS. between the hours of IL and 2
in the afternoon.
The prisoner had many influential
friends in the North, and as soon as
news of his conviction became known
appeals were made both to President
Lincoln and Gen. Dix to stay execution
of the sentence until proper testimony
leading to a new trial could be obtain
ed. Among those who approached
President Lincoln were James A. l..
Mcclure and Andrew Sterrett Ridgely.
of Baltimore; Francis l. Wheatly, OF
Washington: former Senator o. H.
Browning, of Illinois, an intimate per-
sonaI friend of the President: Rev. Dr.
Bullock. of Baltimore. and several
other men of political prominence in
Washington. But. in spite OF every ef-
fort. BealI was left to his fate.
The Closing Scenes.
Gen. Dix suspended execution Of
sentence from February IS to Febru-
ary "a on account of a defect in the Of
ficial record This delay allowed
Bealrs mother TO come from the South
to bid her son a last farewell. This
over. Bealrs remaining hours were
spent in conference with his friends or
with the prison chaplain.
Hope was entertained of effecting
BealIs escape. and two fine saws were
sent to him between the soles OF
pair of shoes; but cold weather had
frozen over the waters of the bay.
preventing the near approach of boats,
and the project was abandoned.
By this time BeaIl had been removed
to Fort Columbus on Governors Island:
and here a little past l o'clock on Feb
ruary "a the last scenes OF Beall's life
were enacted.
Beall had requested that when the
time should come. he should be put to
death as quickly as possible. But.
after undergoing the terrible ordeal of
marching from his cell to the scene Of
his execution, where the black gallows
was erected and the coffin laid out
ready to receive his body, he was
compelled to stand there nine minutes,
owing to a hitch in the proceedings.
Then, on being conducted on to the
scaffold, which was surrounded by
nearly 500 morbidly curious people,
many of them being women. there was
another long and apparently unneces-
sary delay. involving the reading of a
long official document from Gen. Dix.
Even the executioner at last became
impatient. and cried out: Cut 1t
short! Cut it short! The captain
wishes to be swung of quick" This
brought low murmur from the
crowd. r--..
The reading over, BeaII rose from
the chair in which he had been sit
ting, faced the South-for- a moment
and then. turning toward those with
him on the gallows. said In a firm
voice: ct protest against the execution
of thias aantence- II In FnurderI I die