Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-09-24
The L.s. Victim Of the Gauntlet.

realms of the whole Austrian empire that terrible chas
DEMONSTRATING the gauntlet. Terrible it was, in
ded-a cruel and barbarous remnant OF those dark and
dismal times called the middle witnessed the last
execution Of this kind and record it for the benefit of
those who still cling with strange fondness even to
the worst legacies of by-gone centuries.
On an autumn morning, IN the year 1851, the garr
son of the fortress of Theresensad the Eyer river
in Bohemia formed in large square the spacious
place before the residence of the commandment In the
middle of the square, drawn up in e stood company
of rife battalion, to which the delinquent belonged
1t was unarmed each private There were three hundre
being provided with switch, and placed at small dis
lance from his next At the tenth stroke of the
clock the drums beaten and amidst silence deep
and oppressive the prisoner marched into the
He was as fne-looking man as ever have set eyes
upon-ta[, powerful, and well formed. Mis- handsome
features, to which blank moustache gave bold and
martial expression, shown forth in the tul glow and
vgor of manhood, only they were of deadly paeness.
He was nonAcommissoned officer, and during the
last campaign in Italy, in 1849, he had distinguished
himself in such that his superior officers had
recommended him for promotion. Austria is more gen.
erous than England towards those that shed their blood
in her service, and he would have been made commits
stoned officer long snce-in spite of his humble origin
and his pOverty-f it had not been for fatal lmpedi
ment This impeachment his own passionate tenn
per he a very cholerc man harsh and brutal to-
wards his interiors, morose and stubborn towards his
superors whenever they deemed it necessary to check or
rebuke him. He was hated by the to the utmost.
There not private in the whole battalion that had
not vowed him revenge He had never made one friend,
did he to have Strict in the performance
of bis military servicethe most minor duties OF which
he discharged with the utmost exactnesshe went his
way, proud, reserved, solitary. 1nnumerable were
the punisbments which be bad brought upon the
for however slight the offence might be- he not
to pass it over in silence.
His superior officers respected him for his usefulness
his ability and his exacude but they did not like him.
The evident lack of humanity in the man made him an
object of doubt rather than love. Moreover there was
vague about his having once struck at his own
officer in the midst of pelmell caused by hand-to
hand encounter with the enemy The report never took
clear shape the officer having been killed in The
gagement and the gossppngs of few wounded soldiers
having been much too ncoherent and contradictory to
lead to formal investigation of the matter besides, it
was at the victory Of Novarra. He had greatly dis
tinguished himself and old Field Marshal Radezky had
with his own hands, affixed the golden medal on his
breast The rumor, however, together with the know
edge of his harsh and violent temper caused his name to
be erased from the list of those that recommended
| for higher promotion
When this incident was made known to him, he be-
even more suen more rigid more cruel than ever
but always, we'll understood for the benefit of
the service the slightest demands of which he performed
with the mmutabe strictness he enforced them
| to be done by others.
A few weeks previous to the dreadful punishment
which he had now to undergo he mounting guard
in the outworks with twenty twenty-five of
| his own company. 1t chilly, rainy night and
when the sentres relieved they glad to stretch
themseves-wet as they were-upon the floor near the
large stove in the middle of the guardroom. The floor
not being clean, floors seldom in these ocalities)
and the white uniforms of the being wet it
wonder that the dirt adhered to them with tenacy that
defed all exerons to get it off, when the wearers were
reused by this seeant to prepare for standing guard
once more The more they tried to rub their clothes
clean the sturdly he lent helping hand to their
endeavors by application of the sad equipment OF
every Austrian non-commissioned Offcer-the stick
Whilst he fully at work. cutting away at the men
with powerful arm, the door opened and the officer
duty entered the guardroom.
"Attenton !" commanded the sergeant and, sautng
his superior made the usual report that nothing worth
remarking had happened The officer young ensign,
fresh from the military school, and almost boy took
notice whatever OF this important news, but asked the
sergeant in brisk and somewhat impetuous manner,
! What he was again striking the men for?"
The sergeant, already much annoyed at this interior
ence gave sury and unwilling answer and, when the
young officer rebuked him. in severe and perhaps some
what naughty manner the violent and passionate man.
losing all sefcontrol lifted up his hand against his Off
GER
1t but one fatal moment, quick as lightning. The
upfted hand never descended it caught by dozen
powerful arms. He felled to the ground and dis
armed. Half an hour afterwards he found himself in
irons ih the classmates.
Lifting the against superior is considered a
capital crime In this case it had been committed whilst
both parties were on duty, and the Austrian military
W
The following day he was tried by courtmartial, and
sentenced to be shot, When the sentence forward
ed to the competent authority for ratification it hap
pened to be the superors anniversary day. capital pun
ishment was committed, the criminal had to run the
gauntlet.
i A cruel act of grace was this communication When
the first sentence had been read to him. he had
manned cold and impossible; not muscle of his proud
face stirred. He did not fear death he had looked it
in the face many time without inching and to die in
the open air. pierced by dozen balsa soldiers death
what should he much for that? But when he was
informed that he had to the gaunty twice through
his company, after having been previously degraded he
trembled for the first time in his life He knew of many
a soldier who had the gauntlet thrice through a
whole battalion, and not been the worst for it after all
he knew of that had married afterwards and
brought up families of children he fully that
the dispositions of the Dreadful reflection Above
all, he thought of the shame, dshonor-and his proud
heart was well nigh giving way.
On the evening previous to the punishment the second
rifle battalion of Kherenhuler infantry would have been
unfit for service; the drunk. They had got
up carousa in Joy and honor of the coming day. But
in the morning they were sober enough. The drums
ceased to beat the prisoner had arrived in the
middle of the square his escort fell back. He stood
alone the right wing Of the company. There was
dead silence; not respiration to be heard from all
the thousands gathered on the spot The commanding
officer read the sentence to him for the second time
This DONE he exhorted the men, according to CUSTOM
dispense with all feelings of compassion and to do their
duty conformaby to the law The colonel went through
this part of the formaty in quick and hurried manner
as if he unwilling to perform it. So he was he
knew but too well that, in this instance there
need whatever for exhoraton These preminares being
over the prisoner was delivered into the hands of the
provost.
When the latter tore of from his uniform the golden
Iacp0 UaIOOnS-fha of