The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1867-09-26

l. OH IEMBEk 70, le
olared him gully, and the General
confirmation of the sentence had JUS
arrived. Fifty lashcs in the cam,
square, and four years imprisonment i,
) the civil Jail. Sentence to be carried
out on the 10th. Everybody was sorr,
but quite convinced he had tried t.
murder his superior officer. No on,
could understand with what motive.
L did not know what to think; ther.
was more evidence forthcoming in ,
day or two, when We had the papers.
|: His statement in defense was, tha,
he had just been returning from guard
when he remembered that he had for
gotten to bring in a book one of the
officers had asked him to bring in from
the town, some three miles distant
Without stopping to think he walked
OFT at once, got the book, and was with.
in half mile of the camp, when he
tancied he saw tiger. He got behind
the bushes to watch, and saw ono ma.
king for the distant camp, Anxious to
secure the prize, he incautiously broke
open one of his packages, and loaded,
to have shot at it. He had covered
the beast, and was firing at the tiger,
when he heard another report simulta.
neously with that of his own carbine.
He saw the tiger roll over as il shot,
and then bound away. In another in
stant the officer came round the tone
bleeding, and ordered him into arrest.
J Hc was quite sure that he had hit the
tiger, and equally sure that another ri
t1e was fired at the same moment that
he pulled the trigger.
Of course such lame statement had
no effect, and he was sentenced.
could not kelp thinking that there
vas aawin the evidence. How was
1t if there was, as agreed, loud report,
which meant full charge of powder
that the bullet stopped at tho saddle
instead Of going through both saddle
and horse.
That was great discrepancy-a full
charge would have made loud report,
and sent it right through anything at
distance Of 200 yards. I felt there
was something wrong, and made up my
mind to 60 on the spot. had but six
days to 60 in, but much might be done.
Margaret insisted on going with me, in
spite Of all I could do to keep her away
"Haye I not done all you wished me
to do since we have been out here ?
Do, for Heavens sake, let me have my
way in this"
So We went up the country in post
haste.
I was, of course, as one of the staff,
admitted to see Gerald, whom found
terribly cut up.
II don't mind the imprisonment; it's
the disgrace !! The lashes! BY God!
I shall kill myself directly I get loose
after it, I know shall"
"No, no." said Meggie; fsdon't for
my sake. O,Gerald! ifyou knew how
l have suffered for weeks past, you
would live for my sake. I do not care
about the brand or the lashes. know
you are innocent, and that there has
been some horrible blunder committed
in this matter. ., Willie, dear, do
think Of something to saye him."
30 do, there's good fellow get me
some staff that will make an end of
me-"
"Don't talk like that, Gerald there's
some internal mistake in it. Don't
despair yet Let's go over the ground
again step by STEP" and I made him
tell me the whole story over again.
"lt seems to me, Gerald, we want not
few things to show you are not guilty.
We want the tiger you shot at, and
that we sha'n't get; aud we want the
clew to the mystery of the other rifle"
80, I've thought Of it all till I'm
sick. I don't care what happens now.
I'll wait till the day before its to come
of, and then break my head against
the walls"
"Don't be fool, Gerald! I'm sure
you are innocent. So is Margaret"
! eyes; SO are hundred others but
it's all no use. In three days am dis
graced for life, if I live."
| "Well, I must leave you now, and
zee what I can do"
"Let me have five minutes with Meg
gle, will you?''
I eft them alone for some ten min
utes, and then told Meggie she must
go home with me.
I was beaten (; I could not see how 1
could get any fresh evidence, and with
out that rcprieve:-a postponement
was impossible.
l went to the wounded officer, the
Captain Of his own company, aad got
him to tell his own story; it was just
the same the same thing over again.
always the exceedingly loud report,
and the fouled and still smoking car
tbine..
| "I would" said the Captain, shave
given the price of my commission rath-
ef than have had it happen. He's as
fine fellow AZ ever sat horse, brave,
kind, and as thorough a gentleman as
| the Colonel himself: always made him
my orderly when I could, so as to have
company: I declare to you thar I did
my best at the cogrt-martial for him,
and got myself into disgrace with the
| General presiding for 'coloring my
statements'-that was his expression-
| so as to favor the prisoner. l almost
snivelled when I heard the sentence, as
if he had been my own brother. The
mon are mad about it; there has not
been lash or public punishment of
any kind in the regiment for the last
twenty-five years"
I hardly knew how to pass the time
l tried to think, but my ideas only
travelled IN the same old grooves again.
| 1 invited the assistant surgeon to
come up to my quarters, and introduced
him to my sister. He was quite a
|young fellow, and seemed quite tflatter-
ed by my simple attention, for in the
army they have not quite made up
their minds"whether a medical officer
should be treated as gentleman; but
the strangest thing I ever saw in nv
life was my sisters conduct. OF course
speaking to you fellows I sha'nt be
tmisunderstood, and some of you have
seen her. She laid herself out to please
him to an extent I never should have
= HA