The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-04-14

not STOP This punishment, which it was
sport toIinfict upon faithful old negro, which
it would have been such joke to have
bestowed upon the wife of staunch Union
ist, was no sport, no joke, but altogether {
tragic affair to thy mother, 0, Lysander
Then she, who had so often wished that she
too owned slaves, that when she was angry
she might have them strung up and flogged
knew by fearful experience what it was to be
strung up and logged. Then she who, sym
pathized with her son in his desire to see ev-
cry man, woman and child, that loved the
old Union, served in this fashion, felt in her
own writhing and bleeding flesh the stings
of that inhuman vengeance. Terrible blum
der, for which she had only herself to thank.
Robbery of herneighbor's house-the dis
honest borrowing not of these ill-gotten
goods only, but also of her neighbours name
had brought her, by what we call fatality, to
this strait. Fatality is but another name
for Providence.
The soldiers waited for a luIl in the
shrieks, then put once more the question.
You tell now? Where is your husband?
No! Den you get ten lashes more. Always
ten lash till you tell
A storm of incherent denial, angry threats
sobs, and screams, was the response. One
of the soldiers drew her skirts over her head
again, and gave another pull at the cords
that hauled up her thumbs, while the other
stood off and measured out his whip. Just
then the door opened, and captain 8prowl
looked in
How are you getting on. boys?' The
question was accompanied with an approx
ing smile, which seemed to say, 4 see you
are getting on WELL
n we whip her once. We give her ten lash.
She not tell.
Very well. Give her ten more.
The widow struggled and screamed. Had
she recognized her sons voice? Muffled as
she was he did not recognize hers. Nor
was it surprising that, in the unusual pos
ture in which he found her, he did not know
her from Mrs. Stackridge He stood in the
door and smiled while the soldiers laid it
on.
Make it Dozen he quietly remarked.
And smart ones, to wind up! So it happen
ed that thanks to her sons presence, the
screeching victim got two smart ones adj
ditionaI.
Now uncover her face. Ease away on
her thumb little. I'll question her mys-
Good Lucifer J exclaimed the captain, find
ing himself face to face with his own mo-
Their
Twenty two lashes and the torture of the
strung up thumbs had proved too much
even for the strong nerves of Widow Sprowl
She fell down in a swoon. Lysander, furi-
GUS, whipped out his sword, and turned up
on the soldiers. They quietly stepped back,
and took their guns from the conner. He
would certainly have killed one Of them on
the spot had he not seen by the glance their
eyes that the other would at the same in
slant, as certainly have killed him.
You scoundrels! you have whipped
my own mother!"
Captain, they calmly answered. we
obey orders
Fools.'-and Lysander ground MS teeth,
you should have known
Captain, they replied, if you not know,
how should we know ? We never see dis
woman before. We come. We find her
taking provisions from de house We
say She take dem to her husband in de
mountains We say, You Mrs. Stackridge?'
She say yes to everything We not know
she lie. We not know she steal. We not
say, You somebody else We obey orders.
We take and whip Der. You come in and
say, Whip more We whip more. Now
you say to U.S. 'Scoundrels" You say fools ?
We say;' Captain, it was your orders; " e
obey
Having by ajoint effort at sententious En-
glish pronounced this speech, the brothers
stood stolidly awaiting the result while
the captain, still gnashing his teeth, bent
over the PROSTATE form of his mother.
Bring some water and throw on her! you
idiotsl' he yelled at them. Would you
see her die?
They looked at each other. Water?
yes, that was what was wanted. They re-
membered their practice of the previous eve
ming One found a wooden pail. The other
emptied upon the floor the contents of the
went to the WE'LL They brought water. :,
To throw on her. Yes that was what he
said. And together they dashed sudden
drenching flood over the poor woman, as if
the swoon were another fire to be extin
guished. These fellows obeyed orders liter
ally-a merit which Lysander now failed to
He swore at them terribly. But
he did not countermand his last order. Ac-
cordingy they proceeded stoicalIy to bring
more water. Lysander had got his mothers
head on his knee, and she had just opened
her eyes to look and her mouth to gasp
when there came another double icc-cold
wave, binding sitting, drowning her.
Too much of water hadst thou, poor lone
widow!
Lysander let fall the maternal head, and
bounded to his feet. roaring with wrath.
The brothers. imperturbable, with the emp
PITY pals at their sides stared at him with
mute wonder.
Captain, dat was your orders. You say
Pring vasser and trow on We pring vas
ser and trow on. Dat is all
But l didn't tell you to fetch pailfuls!'
This sentence rushed out of Lysander's
soul like rocket, eliminated in loud, ex
pIosive oath, and was followed by a shower
of fiery curses falling harmless on the heads
of the unmoved Teutons They waited pa
tently until the pyrotechnic rain ceased,
then answered, speaking alternately, each
a sentence, as if with one mind, but with
two organs.
Captain, you hear. Last night vas de
house afire You say, 'Pring wasser.' We
pring a little. Den you say to us, Tam
YOU why in hell you shtopr And you say,
, Ven tell you pring vasser, pring till ! say
shtop' Vun time more to day you say, 'Pring
vasser and you never say shtop You say,
Trow on We trow on. Vat you say we
do. You not say vat you mean, dat is mish-
take for you ......
WATCHING ONES SELF.-When / was a
boy. we had a schoolmaster who had an odd
way of catching idle boys. One day he call
ed out to us Boys, must have closer at
tention to you books. The first one that sees
another boy idle, | want you to inform me,
and l will attend to the case" All! thought
| to myself, there is Joe Simmons that |
don't like. I'll watch him, and if see him
look off his book, I'll tell 1t was not long
before | saw Joe look off his book, and i'm
mediately informed the master.
'Indeed :" said he; ''ho~ did you know
he was ide?"
Il saw him." said l.
s'You did and were your eyes on your
49,, ,-o,, Gnu, hin, -,