Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-08-23
: 'GBULLLET.MARKS.
A WIMBLEDON STORY.

A WIMBLEDON STORY.
We were sitting round our tent one eve
ming last year, at Misunderstanding 1--WE,
being, our major, the captain and sub OF
our company, his covering sergeant, cor
poral Williams, and certain sapper, to-
wit, myself. We were drinking pale ale,
and smoking, as was every one else In the
hundred tents around us.
"Here's to my last bulls-eye," and the
sergeant produced from his cap pouch a
flattened bullet, turned inside out as neatly
as possible.
"What's the cause of all that, wonder"
said the corporal.
"You see," said the captain-being an
engineer he was bound to know" when
the point of the bullet strikes the target,
part of the lead is melted by the develop
ment of heat caused by the sudden arrest
of the bullets motion, and goes off in the
splash, the rest of the bullet is softened
by the heat; and inasmuch as the parts
must stop in their order of succession, the
edge of the cup of the bullet is driven in
level with the base of the cup. Is that SO,
Maior?"
Yes, quite right; but, if you like, can
spin you yarn about these said bullets,
that may just last out these weeds"
"Well, let's have it."
| had sort of second-cousin, Gerald
Ashton, who had been brought up with
myself and my sister, my father being his
guardian.
We had all been like brothers and sister
when one day he woke up to find he could
not live without nearer relationship to
her He spoke to the old gentleman, and
Ixy froo
He had only a hundred a year, and my
father did not think that was enough,
though Gerald did there was no objection
at all in other respects,-let him earn some
more and they would see,-wat little
you know the kind of thing an old gentle
man would say. Well, it was of no use
He said he felt himself burden; there
was no scope for his energies, and he would
go,-and go he did.
I urged upon him that he should get
something to do. He had been well edu-
Gated, and a clerkship, or something of
the kind could be got for him if he still re-
solved not to go on at the hospital
No,-he would 60 There was one
thing he did do well, that was shoot; and
he would carry his abilities to market
where they would be appreciated. And
so, at the mature age of twenty two, he left
us, his profession, his home, and his pros
poets.
He disappeared, and six months after we
heard he was with, say the 10th Dragons,
in India
We wrote, and offered to buy his dis
charge, but he would "have none of us. "
He liked it very well; was already corpor-
al expected the three stripes soon and
was "Gentleman jack, with his COM
rades.
Some six months after this was sent out
to India with a company; and as my sister
was getting thin, and showing other signs
of the desirability Of sea voyage, and of
warm climate, it was agreed that should
take her over.
We reached Calcutta, and in few weeks
settled down.
There was war going on, and l was
placed in charge of one the chief depOts
for small arms and ammunition, besides
having my regular duties with the com
pany.
One day was down at the store, when
my sister arrived, pale and breathless.
Look, Charles, poor Gerald is in dread
full trouble"
put her into an office chair, and took
the newspaper and read
Yesterday evening, as an officer of the
10th Dragon Guards was returning to
camp, he was shot from behind clump OF
bushes; the bullet struck him in the thigh
and lodged in the saddle. Although
wounded so severely, he had sufficient
presence of mind to ride straight to the
bushes, and there found one of his own
men, corporal of the troop, nicknamed
Gentleman jack by his comrades, whose
rifle was still smoking from the discharge
Fortunately, at this moment, the guard ar
rived, and the man was at once arrested.
A court-martial will, of course, be held at
once, and, although the man has previously
borne a good character, and is reported to
be respectfully connected, it is to be hoped
he will receive the proper reward for SO
abominable crime"
CO." L said, "this is all nonsense.
Gerald's no murderer, or else he's very
much changed. I'll see what they say at
headquarters.
"Do for Gods sake, go. If anything
happened to Gerald / should never forgive
myself, for If had run away with him
when papa was so cruel. he never would
have enlisted at all"
went to headquarters; they gave me
permission to use the telegraph for cues
ton or two. The report was not encourag-
ing.
1t was our Gerald, the officer had seen
the flash and heard the report,-an ex.
tremely loud report, as if there had been
two charges of powder in the carbine.
The bullet was found in the saddle, and
one cartridge was missing from his twenty
rounds. Court-martial had declared him
guilty, and the generals confirmation o.
the sentence had just arrived Fifty lashes
in the camp square, and four years impris
onment in the civil Jail. Sentence to be
carried out on the 18th. Everybody was
sorry, but quite convinced that he tried .tc
murder his superior officer No one could
understand with what motive.
l did not know what to think; there
was more evidence forthcoming in day OF
Two, when we had the papers.
his statement in defence was, that he had
just been returning from guard, when he
remembered that he had forgotten to bring
IN DOCK one OF the officers had asked him
to bring In from the town some three miles