LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2265, 6 July 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

THE TRAGEDY OF MASON’S ISLAND. • National KopnbUoan. ’ ( Concluded .) At'first the Lieutenant demur el, hut finally acceding to my wish, we r> -ascii down the carriage drive underneath the overhanging trees, and making our way up to the building with the utmost caution, found that the light came from a small window on the side neatest the river, and which opened into one cf the larg r st of the dungeon-like apartments in the cellar. From the Interior came the murmur of voices. Falling upon our hands and knees, we crept up until wo canid look through tho cracks between the boards partially covering the window, and gazed within. Had it not been for my hand placed hastily, and I fear, rather hastily, over my companion’s mouth, he would have cried aloud and I must confess that it required all my self-control to keep from uttering an exclamation of horror at what we saw. In the further corner of the dungeon, partly reclining upan a pile of army blankets, fay tho one for whom all Washington had been searched through and through. _ His hands were bound fast, and a short piece of wood, wrapped with canvas, was held firmly between his distended ;jaws by cords, preventing any successful attempt at outcry. There was a wild pleading look in his eyes, coupled with a settled expression of horrsr, which it seemed to mo must have moved the heart of even the most relentless savage. His face was pale aa tho face of a corpse, and there were marks of violence visible npon it, giving fearful evidenco of moat brutal treatment. In front of him, at about tho centre of the cell, around a box, upon which burned two tallow dips, were seated four men, or beings having the forms of men, ploying cards A black bottle stood near at baud, from which in turn each helped himself. I heard the click of the lock as the Lieutenant cooked his revolver, and was just in time to prevent him from shooting the miscreants, or one of them at least. My next step was to withdraw him from tho acme. When we had retired a short distance a hurried consultation was held, and it was decided that an effort should be made to capture the gang. I went to the guard houss and easily procured the services of the men off duty, and led them back to the mansion, pasting a sentinel wherever thero was necessity for so doing in order to prevent an escape. The lientenant, with the remainder of our force, passed around to tho rear, where there was an outside entrance to the cellar, prepared to arrest any who might attempt to flee by that route ; or, if necessary, to break In the door and gain admission to the interior. I reaumed my station at the window, and, when satisfied every arrangement had been made, called out— 1 Yon are surrounded ; yield yourselves prisoners or you will be fired upon. ’ In an intant the lights were extinguished, and the next moment I beard a d*ep groan and a gurgling, half surpassed cry of mortal agony. Thera was a confused rush toward tho back of the house, succeeded by a few heavy blows, a short, sharp struggle, curses groans, a thud, a fall, and when I reached the Lieutenant he was bonding over the prostrate body of one of the villains, clutching hla throat with what would have proved a death grip had I not interposed. AH four of the rascals were now securely fastened (one of them had been bayoneted through the body Is hla endeavor to escape and died in a few minutes) and our next thought was of their victim.

Groping my way inside, I struck a match and relit one of the candles. As I did so the Lieutenant, who was close beside me, gave one bound to the side of his brother, who was lying back upon the blankets, and took him in his arms. Then ho became senseless. I hastened to his side and unlocked bis arms from the slender form, and as I did so saw for the first time what appeared to be an ugly knife wound in the youth’s left breast. Hastily tearing open the garments to discover the extent of the injury, I made another discovery, which sent a thrill through every fibre of my being. The Lieutenant’s supposed brother was a woman. But the cruel knife had too well done its work. She was dead. Gathering the clothing over the pulseless heart, I laid the unfortunate creature down, and, calling in one of the men to help, bore the Lieutenant outside, where he soon revived. ‘ l ulu ! Lulu ! Oh, God !’ he moaned. ‘Dead! dead!’ lie seemed for several minutes completely overcome by his great grief, aud with no more strength than a child. Suddenly ha aroused and sprang to his feet with the leap of a panther. Walking to the aide of one of the villains, lying prostrate and helpless upon the earth, he bronght the heel of bis boot down in his face, crashing his features ont of all semblance of humanity. Before 1 could intervene he had reached the second, who, turning his head juat in time, received the ironshod heel upon the cheek, which was laid open to the bone by the glancing blow. Then, giving way to another fit of weeping, the Lieutenant entered the cellar, * following close behind. He took the dead form in his arms, removed the cruel gag, kissed the swollen lips, the ashen cheeks, the dark curly hair, and, spurning my proffered assistance, bore her out beneath the stars and laid her tenderly down upon the grnns, not far removed from her murderer?. Then ho Hang himself down by her side and wept as strong men seldom do. After some little time I went to him, laid a hand upon his shoulder, saying—‘Lieutenant, what are we to do with these men ?’ He sprang to his feet at the sound of my voice like one suddenly awakened from sleep. ‘Yes, it is time for vengeance, ’ ha grated out between his set teeth ; * J am ready.’ ‘ But what do you intend doing ?' I queried. ‘ Shall I turn the prisoners over to the guard ?’ ‘No, no,’ he hastily responded. ‘This night’s work muse remain a secret with ourselves, and—call np the men and instruct them that not a word be whispered of what has transpired.’ I did as he commanded, aud, at hia request, sent back to quarters all but two, upon whom I knew reliance could bo placed, and these were dispatched after a small boat kept by the ferrymen for use on occasion, and which was soon moored at the edge of the island to the northward of the mansion, Still acting under the Lieutenant’s infractions, the prisoner?, including the body of one that had been slain, were born down and placed in the yawl, and tho Lieutenant himself soon followed, bearing their victim. I brought up the rear. When all were embarked the soldiers took tho oars and palled steadily up the river, keeping near tho centre of the stream, and observing the utmost oauthm in order to avoid detection. Passing under the aqueduct, wo struck over to the Virginia shore and kept on our course until wo reached the rapids just below Chain Bridge. There we ran the boat into a small sequestered cove on the south side of the river, and made a landing. The Lieutenant was the first to step ashore with his ghastly load, after which the rest of ns followed and lifted out the prisoners. The darkness was intense, but by the aid of an occasional match we succeeded In groping our way up to the base of an over hanging cliff of rocks, and there, with our hands and the bayonets of the two soldiers, we at length managed to dig a shallow grave, well above high-water mark, in which we buried tho poor creature whose life had gone out under each tragic circumstances. The sad duty accomplished, the lieutenant, who had thus far spoken scarcely i» word since leaving the island, advanced to one of the prisoners and, before I had time to interfere or utter a word placed his revolver against the man’s head and pulled the trigger. I sprang forward and caught the'hand holding tho weapon, bat it was wrenched from my grasp with such force as to nearly throw me over backward Into tho water. ‘Stand back! stand back!' cried tho lieutenant, ' or by Heaven I’ll kill you ! Stand back, I say!’ I called upon the two men to assist me in disarming the madman, as he seemed to be ; bat before we could gather round him two more pistol shots rang ont upon the night alr ( and there were four corpses where there bad been but one upon landing. ‘Now help mo dispose of this carrion,’

said the Lieutenant, in a strangely altered voice. ‘ Into tho river with it.’ We loaded the bodies down with rod** and sunk them in the deep water of th ■ cove, and entering the boat, hastened from the scene, reaching our quarters about daylight. Our comrades of tho night previous, who had witnessed tho first act of tho tragedy, were anxious to know tho ending, but wn were dumb. Rumors of the affair reached head-quarters, and we were ordered up am closely inteirogated, but divulged nothing The occurrence had begun to die out of mind somewhat, when the heavy freshet succeeding the Ball’s Bluff affair brought many dead bodies down upon its turbid tide One day I was on the island in command of a squad eugoged in retrieving the corpses from the water. One caught upon the ferryboat and I went out with a boat to bring it in. Aa the lino was being made fast to tho body the face cams uppermost, and I recognised one of the victims who fell beneath the Lieutenant’s avenging bullets. That same evening two others came floating by, wore dragged to land, and all three were buried near the centre of the_ island, not far from where the c ime for which they suffered had been committed. I soon lost sight of the Lieutenant altogether, hn going up the valley with Shield", Ito tho Peninsula. Before wo separated I approached him on several occasions with a view to discovering a key to tho mystery enveloping the affair in which I had played an unwiling part, but could get no satisfaction. ‘lt is nobody’s business but my own, he would reply. ‘You may rest assured, however, that she was worthy of any man’s love and respect. Hhe did not cast off her right to either when she cast off her woman’s garments.’ He would make no further explanation. One thing seemed to puzzle him as much as the whole matter did myself. He could not conceive what led his companion into the association which proved so fatal, nor could I. To me it was a mysterious affair throughout, and remains so to this day. My belief is, that tho unfortunate woman was the Lieutenant’s wife. I can give no reason for thinking such be the case further than this— One day I came upon him suddenly and unexpectedly. He was in the guard-tent waiting for Grand rounds. I entered to notify him that the men were ready, and found him sitting, Jhis elbows on the table, his head supported by his hands, and lyiog open before him a letter, the wrifcingthat of a woman I barely noticed the caption It was dated July 30ch, 1861, and addressed to ‘ My Dear Husband.’ Upon becoming aware of my _ presence, he quickly folded up the missive and placed it in an inner pocket, over his heart. Within a week we parted never to meet again. Now that he Is dead, I am, if anything, more than evor inclined to cast over his memory tho mantle of that charity which believoth no evil ; and yet in this narrative have simply given the outline of facts whicn brought ns two together in one of the most thrilling episodes of a not uneventful life an episode, too, which helps to prove the old saying that * truth is often stranger than fiction.’