Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-09-28
The Last Victim of the Gauntlet.

| The Last tlcum VI tuc UuunsiCts
An imperial rescrpt, bearing the date Of tn
goth of August, 1864, and the signature OF tn
Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria, has abolish
ed forevermore, within the realms OF the who
Austrian Empire, that terrible chastisemen
running the gauntlet. Terrible it was indeed
cruel and barbarous remnant of those dark an
dismal times called the middle ages. witness
ed the last execution of this kind, and record
for the benefit of those who still cling with grea
fondness even to the worst legacies of by-gon
centuries.
On an autumn morning in the year 1851 tn
garrison of the fortress of Theresienstadt, on tn
Eyer river, in Bohemia, was formed in larg
square, drawn up in file, stood q company of
Rifle Battalion, to which the delinquent belong
ed. It was unarmed, each private (there wer
three hundred) being provided with switch
placed at small distance from his next man.
At the tenth stroke of the clock the drum
were beaten, and amidst q silence deep and op
pressive the prisoner was marched into tn
square. 1oE s4.as
He was as fine looking man as ever hav'
set my eyes upon; tall, powerful and well form
ed. His handsome features to which blacl
moustache gave bold and martial expression
shone forth In the full glow and vigor OF man
hood, only they were of deadly paleness.
He was q non commissioned officer, and du
ring the last campaign in Italy, in 1s49, he hat
distinguished himself in such manner that hi
superior officers had recommended him for pro
motion. Austria is more generous than Eng
land towards those who shed their blood in hel
service, and be would have been made com
missioned officer long since-in spite OF his hum
Bile origin and poverty-if it had not been Tor
fatal impediment. This impediment was his
own passionate temper; he was very cholerfc
man harsh and brutal towards his superlors
whenever they deemed it necessary to check OF
rebuke him. He was hated by the men to the
utmost. There was not private in the whole
battalion that had not vowed him revenge. lie
had never made one friend, nor did he care to
have one. Strict in the performance of his mil
itary seryice-the most minor duties OF which
he discharged with the utmost exactness-he
went his own way, proud, reserved, solitary
Innumerable were the punishments which he
had brought upon the men; for however slight
the offence might be, he was sure not to pass it
over in silence.
His superior officers respected him for his
usefulness, his ability, and his exactitude; but
they did not like him. The evident lack of hu.
manity in the man made him an object OF doubt
rather than that of love- Moreover, there was
vague rumor about his having once struck at his
own officer in the midst of pell-mell caused by
a hand to. hand encounter with the enemy. The
report never took clear shape, the officer hav-
having been killed in the engagement, and the
gossippings of few wounded soldiers having
been much too incoherent and contradictory
to lead to q formal investigation OF the matter;
besides it was at the victory of Novarra. lie
had greatly distinguished himself, and old Field
Marshal Radezky had-with his own hands
affixed the golden medal on his breast. The
rumor, however together with the knowledge
of his harsh and violent temper, caused his name
to be erased from the list of those that were
for higher promotion.
When this incident was made known TO him,
he became even more sulen, more rigid, more
cruel than ever; hut always-as it was well un-
derstood-for the benefit of the service; the
slightest demands of which he performed with
the same immutable strictness as he enforced
them to be done by others.
Afew weeks previous to efearful punishment
which he had now to undergo, he was mount
ipR guard in the outworks with some twenty or
twenty-five men of his own company. 1t was q
chilly, rainy night; and, when the sentres were
relieved, they were glad to stretch themselves
wet as they were-upon the floor near the
large stove in the middle of the guard ROOM
The floor not being very clean floors seldom are
in these localities, and the white uniforms Of
the men being wet it was no wonder that the
dirt adhered to them with tenacity that de-
fed all exertion to get it of, when the wearers
were reused by this serjeant to prepare for
standing guard once more. The more they tried
to rub their clothes clean, the more sturdily he
lent helping hand to their endeavors by an sp-
plication of the sad equipment Of every Austrian
non- commissioned of1cer-the stick Whilst he
was fully at work, cutting away at the men
with powerful arm, the door opened, and the
officer on duty entered the guard room.
"Attentionl" commanded the serjeant; and
saluting his superior made the usual report
that nothing worth remarking had happened
The officer, q young ensign, fresh from the mill.
tary school, and almost boy, took no notice
whatever of this important news, but asked the
serieant in q brisk and somewhat impetuous
manner: "What he was again striking the
men for2"
The serieant, already much annoyed at this
interference, gave surly and unwilling answer,
and when the officer rebuked him in severe
and somewhat naughty manner, the violent and
passionate man, losing all self-control lifted up
his hand against his officer.
It was but one fatal moment, quick as light
ming. The uplifted hand never descended; i,
was caught by dozen powerful arms. He was
felled to the ground and disarmed. Half an
hour afterwards he found himself in irons in the
casemates.
Lifting the arm against q superior is consider
ed CAPITAL crime. In this case it had beer
committed whilst both parties were on duty
and the Austrian military laws are the very las
in the world to be triHed with. The following
day he was tried by court-martial, and sentenced
to be shot. When the sentence was Forwarded
to the competent authority for ratification, i
happened to be the superior's anniversary day
capital punishment was commuted, the crlmlna
had to run the gauntlet.
A cruel act of grace was this Communication =
When the first sentence had been read over II
him. he remained cold and impossible: not
muscle of his proud face stirred. He did no
fear death he had looked it in the face many
time without finching, and to die in the opeI
air. pierced by dozen balls-a soldiers deatl
what should he care much for thatf Bu
when he was informed that he had to run th
gauntlet twice through his company, after hav
ing been previously degraded, he trembled 70
the first time in his life. He knew OF some tina
had even married afterwards, and brought uul
families of children; he wasfully aware that tn
issue of this terrible torture depended entlrel.
upon the dispositions of the men. Dreadful re
Aection! Above all, he thought of the shame
the dishonor-and his proud heart was wei
nigh giving way.
On the evening previous to the punishment
the Second rife Battalion of Kherenhuller In
fantry would have been unfit for service; tn
men were drunk. They had got mp carousa
in ioy and honor of the coming day. But il
ths morning they were sober enough. I'm
drums ceased to beat as soon as the prisoner ha'
arrived in the middle of the Square; his escor