The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-09-21
/ HE DISPATCH
THE LAST vIOTIM OF Thu
GAUN rLEr

TUESDAY MORNING 49,. SEPTEMBER q Isss
THE LAST vIoTIM OF THE
GAUNrLE
An imperial re.cript, bearing tha d.,s 80 -.
ZV'n OF August, 1854 and the sign.tnre ~ ~ ~
Emperor frapcis Joseph Of Austria. has shoIishad
.oIesermore, within the realms Of the whole Irs.
.hs napae' that terrible chastisement, running
ne eAuntiet. Terrible IL was indeed 4 crnel : M
ua1pArons remnant Of those dark and dis,r.i
times called the middle ages witness.d ,h ,.as
e Aee".on u this kind aud record IL for the h.na.
| Ut ol thoss who still cling vfth = strs.a. 80
ness even to the worst leracies ~ hr,s. iouu-
turies e"o'es VI eygone CEN
on 40 autumn morning in the year 1881 ,ha
Essr rivs me fortress OF Theresienstad, on the
Ike. RIVER, IN bohemia, was formed IN i.r.a
square 90 the spacious place before the resids.ce
~ .ne eommandant. In the middle of The sonars
Pss~n R.,ssI,op up - IN nie stood company Of i.fs
| os.'aIion, 10 which the delinquent belonged r.
/ was unarmed, each private (tbere v.ra ,hsS ~
areol ocing provided with a SWITCH and ni.csd :,
email distance from his next man. A. tha -. ~
| stroke OF the clock the drums were beaten. Ana
amidst silence deep and oppressive, the nr;,ons-
was marched into the square. s''
lie was as me looking man az ever haye sat
eyes upon tall, powerful and we'll formed. His
handsome hi features, to which black moustachs
gave bold and martial expression, shone forth in
| the foil glow and visor of manhood, onIy tbey
| were of deadly paleDess.
| He Was a Lon commissioned officer. and during
the last campaign In Italy, in lS49, he had distin
guished himself in such a manner that his suue
| rior officers had recommended him for promotion
| Austria is more generous than England towards
| those that shed their blood in her Service and
| he would have been made commissioned officer
| long since-iu spite Of his humble origin q, his
poverty-if it had not been for fatal impedi.
! Inept. This impeachment was his own passionate
| temper: he was very choieric man; harsh and
brutal towards his interiors, morose aud stubborn
| towards bis superiofs whenever they deemed 1t
| necessary TO check or rebuke him. lie was hated
| by the men to the utmost There was not pri-
vate in the whole battalion that had not vowea
| him revenge. He had never made one friend nor
did he care to have one. Strict ia the performa
| Il his military service-the most minor duties of
which he discharged with the utmost exactness--
| he went his own way, proud, reserved, solitary -
| IDnnmerable were the punishments which he had
brought upon the men; for, however slight the OF.
fence might be, he was sure not to pass it over in
| silence.
His superior officers respected him for bis useful
ness, his ability, and bis exact,ude; but they did
not like him. The evident lack of hum anity in the
| man, made him an object of doubt rather than of
love. Moreover there was vague rumor about
his having once struck at his own officer in the
midst ofa peil-mel, caused by hand to hand
eUcounter with the enemy. The report never
took clear shape the officer having been killed
| he engagement, aud the gossppiDg of lew
| wounded soidiers having been much too in
coherent and contradictory to lead to a formal
investigation OF the matter; besides it was at the
| stctory of Navarro He had greatly distinguished
himself, aud the old Field Marshall Radezky had
| with his own hands-affixed the golden medal On
| bis breast. The rumor, however, together with
| the knowledge of his harsh and violent temper
Caused his to be erased from the list of those
that were recommended for higher promotion
When this incident was made known 10 him, he
| became even more sueD, more rigid, more cruel
| than ever; but aiways-as it was well under,tood
-for the benefit of the service; the siightesr de-
| mands Of which he performed with the same
| immutabie strctness as he enforced them to be
done by others.
few weeks previous to the dreadful punish.
ment ~hich ne had now to undergo, he was mount.
| lug guard in the outwoIks with some twenty or
twenty hve men OF his own company. 1t u
| cniiiy, rainy night; aud, when the sentries were
! relieved, they were glad to stretch themselves
| wet AS they were-upon the fvor near the large
stove In the middle Of the guard room. The fuor
| hot being very clean floors seldom are in these
localities and the white uniforms IF the men be.
lug wet, 1t was no wonder that the dirt adhered 10
| them with a tenacity that defed all exertions to
get II cf, when the wearers were reused by this
| eergeant to prepare for standing guard ouce more
fhe more they tried rub their clothes Clean the
| more sturdiiy he lieut. helping hand to their en-.
deaVors by an application OF the sad equipment Of
every Austrian uon-con uIissionsd oficer-fhe
stick. Whilst he was fully at work, cutting away
at the men with a powerful ann, tho door opened
and the ofiicer on duty entered The guard room
| "Attension!" commanded the sergeant; and.
saiuting ms superior, made the usual report that
nothing worthsremarkiGg had happ \ d Yieoffcsr
young ensign, fresh from the military school,
| and almost boy. took no notice whatever oi
| this Important news, but asked the sergeant in a
brisk and somewhat impetuous manner: .Wbat he
| WAS again striking the men f0rf"
The sergeant, already much annoyed at this in.
| terfereEce, gave suriy aud unwilling answer,
aud, when the young officer rebuked him. in a
severe aud perhaps somewhat naughty manner, ,the
violent aud passionate man, losing ali selfcoutrol
| lifted up his hand against his officer.
1t was but one fatal nc meut, quick as lightning
ihe upiifted hand never descended; it caught
oy dozen powerful arms He Was felled to the
ur la4r meh Half hn,,~
he found himself in irons in the casemates
Lftlpg the arm against superior considered
capital crime. In this il bad been com m L.
| ted whilst both parties we're on duty and the Aus
trian military laws are the very last in the world
TO be trified with. The following day he was tri.
by court martial, and sentenced TO be shot. When
| the sentence was forwarded to the competent au
thority for ratification, it happened to be the
superiors anniversary day; capital punishment
| was commuted, the criminal had to I T. the guan. !.
let.
| cruel act of grace this Communication
When the first sentence had been read over To him
| he had remained cold impassable not a musel le OF
his proud face stirred He did not fear deathhe had
looked IL in the face many time without hinching
ana TO die In the open air, pierced by dozen balls
"a soldiers death-what should he care much for
| THAR But when he was informed that he had to
run the gauntlet twice through his company.
| after having been previously degraded, he trem.
bled for the first time in his life. He knew
| of many soldier who had run the gauntlet
| thrice through whole battalion aud not even the
| worse for il after all; he knew OF some that had
sven married afterwards, and brought up families
Of children; he was fully aware that the issue of
this terrible torture depended entirely upon the
dispositions of the men. Dreadful reflection,
Above ALI be thought of the same the dishonor-
aud bis proud heart was well nigh giving way.
| On the everiDg previous to the punishment the
| second Rifle Battalion Of Kherenbuiler Infantry
! would have been unfit for service; the men were
drunk. They had got up carousai in joy aud
nohor OF the coming day. But in the morning
they were sober enough. The drums ceased to
psat as soon AS the prisoner had arrived in the mid
die OF the square; his escort fell back. He stood
alone near the right wing If the company There
was dead silence; not u respiration was to be
rom all the thousands gather ed ON the spot
| The commanding officer read the sentence over to
him Tor the second time. This done, he eyhorted
the HieB according TO CUSTOM to dispense with all
feeiings VI compassion, and TO do their duty cor
! ioruiabiy 10 the law. The colonel went through
| this part Of the formalty In quick and hurried
| manner, as ii he we're unwilling to perform it,
| SO he was he knew but too we'll that, in this In
stance, there Was no need whatever for exhorfa-
| lion. These preliminaries being over, the prie-
oner was delivered into the hands OF the provost
| When the latter tore off from his uniform the
golden lace and galoons-the marks Of his militia
| ~ tank-throwing them, together with the gold
medal, at bis feet the face OF the unfortunate man
became purple, and his dark eyes flashed fire.
| when he was stripped of his Coat and shirt. and
placed ut the entry of the terrible street through
which ne bad TO pass, he became pale again. Two
soldiers went ahead Of him; they marched back
! ward, with their bayoBets presented to his breast
| 80 as to force him 70 keep measure TO adrum which
| brought up the rear. The drum mufRed; its
Glow and small beats sounded like the music of
| funeral procession.
| When be received the first stroke his features
/ assumed an expression OF pain, and his f1rm-set
lips quiveTed slightly. This was, however, the
only sign of sensation. Crossing his arms over
his breast and pressing his teeth close together his
! proud face remained benceforth immoyabie. His
| merciless enemies erjoyed but an incomplete
triumph after ALL they might slash his body 10
pieces but his proud indomitable spirit they could
not break. The blows descended with q fearful
| violence upon him. After ths first dozen blood
L CANA. hut nAyer did hA utfar ain1ia eyclana.