Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-10-08
THE, LAST victim, OF rHE
AUNTIET

=
otthe 2O,h of August 854a aud, The sig :
nature Of tue Emperor Francis Joseph Of
Austria, has abolished for evsrmore
within the realms OF The " huls Austrian
empire that, terrible chassis
ming the gauntlet. Terrible it was. in
desd-a cruel aud barbaEuus remnant OF
those dark aud dismal times called The
middle ages. Witnessed the last execu
ton OF this kind, and accord it Tor. the
benefit of those, who still cling with Il
strange fondness even TO the worst lega
clrs OF by gone centuries. ra .ao.
On an autumn morning. in the year
1851. the garrison Of the fortress of The.
reseiustadt. on the Eyer river, in Bohem
ia. was formed in large square ON the
spacious place before the residence Of the
cummandant. In the middle of the
square, drawn up in file. stood company
oI q rifle baLLAllion. to which The delin.
quent belonged. 1t was unarmed, each
private there were three hundred) being
provided with switch. and placed at u
small distance from his next man. Al
tue tenth. stroke of the clock the drums
were beaten. aud amidst silence deep
aud oppressive the prisoner was marched
luIO-G Gue S4uhIe' ..r. -E..s
He was as fine looking man as ever
set eyes upou-tali, powerful, aud we'll
formed. HIS handsome features, to which
IA black mus ache gave u bold aud martial
expression, shune ior.h in the IulI glow
and vIgVr Oi mgnnood, only they were ot
deadly palrneSs. ...
He was non commissioned officer and
during The last cUmpaIsn in ltaIy. III
1919. he had dISlIns sui>hed himself IN
oucn manner that his superior officers
! had recommended him tor promotion -
Ausir is more generous than Ell gland
towards those that shed their blnOd 10
her service. aud he would have been
made Il commissioned officer long slrce-
in spite OF his humble origin and his pow
eruy-it IL hai not been tor fatal lmped. .
| Uncut. This impeachment WAS his own
passionate lempet; he was very cholerIc
man; harsh anh biu;al towards his inIrr
nrs. murose and stubborn towards Ills SUI
perior> Whenever tn. y deemed II nccesSA
~ lu check or rrOuke hin. Ils was ha
Jed by the mrn t. the utmost. There
vas not Il private Ia the whole battalion
that had not vowed him revenge. He
had never made one trirnd, nor did he
care to have one. S.rict in the pcrfor>
nance of bis military serVicu-lhe most
minor duties OF " hIch he discharged with
the utmost exNctnvSS- he went his own
way, proud, reserved, SO itary. lnnu
ntrable were the puniShmrnLS which he
hal brought upon the ;ncn; Tor however
| slight the uurnct mi sht be, he was sure
not 10 pass il over iu silence.
! His superior otfic RS respected him for
| his usefulness. his ability, and his txncli.
Iude. but they did not like him. The ev-
ldenL lack OF humanity in the man made
hlm AN object vi doubt rather that love-
| Moreover. there was vague rumOrs about
his having once struck at his own oCh Gel
in tho midst Of u pell nell caused oy a
hand-Lo hand encounter with the enemy
The report never took clear shape. the
officer having been killed in the engage
mcnt. and the gossippiugs OF lew "Oun'
dcd soldiers having been much too lnco'
herent and contradictory 10 lead To Il Tor
nal investigation Of the matter; besides
it was at the victory OF Navarro. lie huu
greatly distinguished himself. and ole
FIeli Marshall R4delzky had. with hi.
own hands. affixed The gold, II med or
his breast. The ruInor, however. togeth
er with the knowledge uf his harsh ant
violent temper. caused his name to b,
erased from the list If those that wer.
recommended for higher prom"liou. rs
When this incident was made known t
him he became even more Sullen, more
rigid, more cruel lhau ever; but always
as it was we'll understood, for the benet
Of the service. the slightest demand 0
: which he performed with the same Immu
table slricIness as he enforced them to b.
done by others.
A few weeks previous to tha dreadful
punishment which he had now to underg
he was mounting guard in the Outwork
with some twenty or twenty five men O
his own company. 1t was n chilly. rain,
| night; aud when the sentries were relIev
ed they were glad to stretch themselve
wet as they were-upun the hnor nea
the large stove in the middle Of the guard
room. The ho0r not being very clean
(hoors seldom are in these localities AM
and the white uniforms o[the men brin!
wet, it was no wonder that the dirt sdher
I'd to them with tenacitV that dr6ie'
all exert ons to get it off. when III
AeareIs were aroused by this sergeant t
prepare for standing guard once MORE
The more they tried t" rub their clothe
clean the more sturdily he lent belpin
hand to their eudeav"rs By An appIica'i 10
Ot the sad equipment at every Austria
nol-commisSl pned officer - the stick.
Whilst he was tully at work. cutting ava
At the men with apnwertuI arm, the doc
opened. and the officer on duty entere
the guard .ronm. ..
"A tenti"o - commanded the sergeau
and saluting his superior, made the uSua
report that no, hing worth remsrAiny ha
haupened, The otfi:er. a young ensign