The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-11-27
Running the Gauntlet.

running tue Sauntlet was aDOllShcd In
Austria in 1851. For years it had been
a favoritc mode of punishment, and was
cruel and barbarous remnant of those
dark and dismal times called the middle
ages. The character of the punishment
may be inferred from the following de
scrption, by an eye witness, Of the last
execution of the kind:
On an Autumn morning in the year
1851, the garrison Of the fortress of The
resicnstadt, on the Egar river, in Bohe-
MA, was formed in large square on the
spacious place before the resilient of III,
commandant. In the middle of the
square, drawn up in file, stood company
Of Il rifle battalion, TO which the dclin-
qucnt belonged 1t was unarmed, each
private Uherc were three hundredD being
provided with switch, and placed at a
small distance from his next man. AT
the tenth stroke of the clock, the drums
were beaten, and amidst silence deep
and oppressive, the prisoner was marched
into the square.
He was US fine a looking man as ever
set eyes upon; tall, powerful an | well
formed. His handsome features, to which
a black moustachc gave II bold AMI mar
tial expression, shone forth in the full
glow and vigor of manhood, only they
were of deadly palene-s.
lie WAS a non commissioned officer and
durirg the campaign in Italy, in 1910,
he had distinguished himself in such a
manner that his superior officers had re.
commen led for promotion. Austria is
more generous than Enganl towards
those that shed their blood in her service.
and lie would have been made commits
stoned officer long sil C in spite of hi,
humble origin AMI his poverty--if it hal
not Teen for fatal impcdimcnt. This
imp,dim nj WIS | i own pa. onatc tenn
/ per; he WAS avery choerlc man, harsh
and brutal towards his interiors, morosc
and stubborn towards his Supcriors, when
ever they deemed it necessary to check o.
rcbukc him, lie was hated by the men
!
in the whole battalion that had not vowed
him revenge. lie had never made one
iiirnd, nor did he care to have one.
Strict in the performance of lis militar,
scryicc-thc most minor duties of whic
he discharged with the utmost cXaclnc,.
he went his own way, proud, reserved
solitary. lnnumorahlc were the punish
mcn,s which he had brought upon tn,
men; for, however slight the of n,
might b', he was sure not TO pass it over
in silence.
His superior oil 'ers respected him for
his usefulness, his ability, ard his exact
it ilc; but they did net like him. i'll,
evident lack Of humpnity in the MAJ
made him an object of doubt rather thar
love. Moreover there was vague rumol
about his havin- once struck at his oNi
1.iicor in the midst of Il pcll nell, cause
by u hand to hand encounter with tn,
enemy. The report never took clea
shape, the officer having been killed.
The engagement AMI gosspping of
few wounded soldiers, had been too mucl
incoherent AMI contradictory to lead to
formal investigation of the matter; besidc
ii was at the victory of Navarro. II,
had greatly distinguished himself, and tn
oil Field MirShil Ra lesly had with hi
own hands affixed the golden medal ol
his brci st, L. C rumor, however, to.et,
er with the knowledge of his harsh an,
violent temper, caused his name TO b
erased from the list of those who wer
recommended for higher prom 1tion.
When this incident was made known
to him he bocamc.cvcn more sullen, NOR
rigid, more cruel than ever, but always
as il was well understood, for the bcneli
Of the service, the slightest dem nls O
which he performed with the same i'm
mutable strictncSs as he enforced them t.
be done by others,
A few weeks previous to the dreadful
punishment which he had now to under
20, he was mounting guard in the out
works with some twenty or twon,y-fv
men Of his own company. 1t was
chilly, rainy night, and when the scntric
were relieved they were glad TO stretc
themselves, wet rs they wert, upon III
floor near the large stove in the mid lie q
the guardroom. The floor not being YER
clean QloorS seldom are in these localities
and the white uniforms of the mnn bein
wet, it was no wonder that the dirt al
hered to them with Il tcnacity that denie
all cxertionS to get it off, when the wear