The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-05

W1S oeuteuceO 70 Oedtu I0r Dc1n8 q Spy
he was usually executed. However,
Senator Henderson began his efforts
In behalf of the prisoner by laying the
case before the secretary Of war. Mr..
Stanton made an investigation Of the
case and decided that the sentence Of
the accused was deserved and must
be carried out.
Then Senator Henderson appealed to
the president.
Mr.. Lincoln during the war was re-
garded by those high In command as q
stumbling block to military discipline.
So tender hearted was he that he
could not refrain from interfering In
the case Of deserters from the Union
army and such persons ON the Con
federate side as were caught SNUG
Cling contraband goods or information
into the south. Often, where the &C.
cusatons were clearly proved, the pres
ident would defeat justice by q par
don. 1t is related that Secretary STAN
ton, to whom was given great power
to thwart this interference on the part
Of the president, on presentation Of an
order from Mr.. Lincoln In behalf Of
some luckless individual would tear It
up. thus declining to respect It But in
this case the president overruled the
secretary and ordered . new trial for
the condemned man.
The hopes that were raised In ALI
mon Vaughan by this Interference
were doomed to disappointment The
officers Of the court, refusing to per
NIT their feelings to influence them,
returned a second verdict Of guilty.
Again the president was appealed to,
again he ordered another trial. and
again the same verdict was returned.
Naturally these three trials con-
sumed a great deal Of time. and when
the last verdict was returned the
spring of 1865 had opened, and the
end of the war was In sight. Senator
Henderson refused to be discouraged.
There was one means Of saving George
Vaughan's life that bad not been util-
ICED. President Lincoln possessed the
pardoning power in such cases, and
the senator resolved to make an ef-
IOFL III tOdt ulTeNtlOn
Visiting the White House, he OBJ.
tained access to the kind hearted pres.
ident and solicited a pardon for the
condemned Confederate, urging the
fact that the war was practically over
and such an act OF clemency would
60 far to bringing the Confederates Of
Missouri back into the Union fold
"See Stanton" said Mr.. Lincoln, "and
tell him that this man must b re-
leased"
II have ssen him." replied ths ssn-
ator. "and be will do nothing"
"See him again" said the president,
land II he Will do nothing come back
to me-"
| Again Senator HsndersOn sought the
iron secretary, who set his square
jaws and refused to interfere with the
verdict of the court martial Had
Allmon Vaughan known Of this final
effort to save his brother from an q.
nominious death and OF the sha1ow
that was then hanging over the only
man who could save him he would
have lost all hope
It was the 14th Of April 1895. Sen
ator Henderson called upon ths pres
] ident to report the issue of his ilna
effort with the secretary of war. The
senator was shown to Mr.. Lncoln'i
private rp0m, where be found him
dressing for the tbeater.
"Mr Stanton VIII DO nothing sad
Henderson. There u no hppe"
Mr.. Lincoln shook his head: then
without a word be seated himself a
. desk and, taking up pen and paper,
began to write.
No other such scene fraught with MI
aud death occurred during those darh
days Of wnr. Placed on canvas By ar
artist II would be: The long. gaunI
president. sitting az his desk about tG
write pardon for one Of his coun
try's enemies, his face wearing an ex
preston Of mAgnanimity. Near by
would stand the senator, silently won
dering what the writing would be and
hoping for victory. Overlooking the
president Is tho Shadow Of Death, wear
ing q mingled expression Of disappoint
ment and satisfaction disappointment
at being cheated out Of one victim,
satisfaction at the certainty Of secur
ing a far more important one in th<
man who was robbing him Of the other
When Mr.. Lincoln had written few
lines he handed the paper to the sen
ator. Henderson scanned II with q
look Of mingled pleasure and triumph
II was a pardon for George Vaughan
and an order FOR his release.
Having ex essed his gratttu0e te
Mr.. Lincoln tie Rtor hurried 10 the
telegraph to fias ne good DewB to
Missouri, relieving the strain on tn
condemned Confederate and gladden.
the hearts of his brother and Others
who loved him.
But the president, shortly after thhs
act OF mercy. descended to a car.
riage and was driven to the theater
1 "a vrhaf<x stttipr, L., kta cholr v~cocth,x