The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-05-08
WITHIN AN ACE OF DEATH.

for by Chambexs' JOarnal.
We propose to offer to our readers s
few instances of hair-breadth escapes, by
which various human beings have beer
saved from death.
Colonel Gilmor, relating the story Of
a fight in which he figured, says in his
" Four Years in the Saddle :" I" Turning
half round in my saddle to call on my
men, received a sudden shock aud felt
deadly sick, and at the same instant saw
a man trail his gun and run of. / killed
him before he had gone three steps. His
ball had passed through two coats and
stuck in PACK of cards in my left side
pocket. They were quite new, the wrap
per not even having been broken open.
The suits were each distinct. The bullet
passed through all, stopping at the last
card, which was the ace of spades"
Such another literal translation of the
phrase, "wiuhin an ace of DEATH" is not
upon record but hair breadth escapes
are common in war. At the battle of
Laon, Stefens saw shell strike the horse
of Prussian officer. Entering near the
shoulder, it caused the poor animal to
make cOnvulsive spring and throw its
rider, the fragments of the shell being
projected ON all sides, while the rider
jumped up from the ground unhurt.
During the Crimean war Colonel
Wyndhsm, dispatched to find out how
matters were going in the first attack on
the Rsdan, saw q soldier walking along
the trench two or three yards ahead OF
him. Presently, round shot came fy-
ing over the parapet, and the man was
hidden from sight by the dust. When
it subsidized the colonel was astOnished
to find himself beside a living man,
whose countensnce presented a curious
admixture of fright and Joy, as scratch
ing his head, he exclaimed: "Why,
dash my buttons, but that was amazing
nigh! ~ "Ay, ay, my boy" responded
the colonel, "we'd much better be dig
ging trenches at three pence q rod in
Norfolk" TO which his fellow-country-
man only replied: "Whst are yew tew
from Norfolk 2"
Amazingly nigh death, although in
blissful ignorance of the fact, was the
Confederate staff officer marked down by
the Northerner's rife, and only saved by
the officer commanding the platoon hap
pening to recognize in him client of an
insurance Office of which he was secre-
tary, and striking up the leveled weapon
with: DON'T shoot we've got policy
on him."
DR.. Brydon, the sole English survi
Yor of the retreat from Cabul, during
the last Afghanistan war, was quite
aware of the narrowness of bis escape,
but never could understand how it came
about. Alter long and terrible ride,
he was just congratulating himself upon
having at last got clear of the enemy,
when he found himself pursued by
solitary horseman. He had but broken
sword wherewith to defend himself, and
with this he managed to intercept cut
at his head, directed with such force
that it cleft through the base of the
blade and left only the bilt, which the
doctor hurled in his assailsnt's face, and
the next moment the Afghan cut
through Brydon's head piece and the
magazine he had that morning placed
inside it. Unarmed, half stunned and
hopeless, he mechanically stopped to re-
cover his fallen rein, when, to his sur
prise and relief, his foe turned away and
gslloped of, leaving the doctor to drag
himself to Jelalabad.
The sword of justice is not slways
rightly directed, and sometimes it
comes near committing! murder. A
young New Yorker named Wells went
one evening to Booths theatre. Taken
with fit of coughing, he left the the
alter, intending to 60 home; but after
going some little distance, it came on
showing so fast that he retraced his
steps. As he strobe along, two men
came rushing down the street, one of
them dropping a gold watch and chain,
which Wells picked up, and then went
after the loser, running into the arms OF
policeman, who marched him of to
the station to explain matters. Press
emily messenger arrived in hot haste,
saving the thief was wanted at the Fifth
Avenue hotel. Wells was taken there,
and brought face to face with a man
living on a lounge covered with blood.
" Is this the man who stabbed you?"
asked the officer. " 1t is" said the poor
fellow, falling back, never to speak
again. Wells was tried for the murder
found guilty, and sentenced to be
hanged; and hanged be would have
been. if a fortnight before his execution
prisoner in Sing Sing had not confessed
upon bis death-bed that he had robbed
the man of his watch, then stabbed him
and ran off, afterward dropping the
watch as he ran.
Among the communists tried st Yer
sailIes was Jean Baptiste Pigerre, charged
with commanding the firing party who
shot the hostages at LIZ Roquette. He
protested he knew nothing of the dread
ful business, and was not aware that the
hostages had been shot until after his
arrest. His denial went for nought. He
nad been denounced by members of his
own party; three of them on trial with
him declared he was at La Roquette.
NJ. Chevrieu, prisoner there at the
time, said he saw Piperre from his cell
dressed as a national guard, trailing a
scabbard after him his face was fixed
in mis- memory; and Scissor, police
Office, asserted emphstically: That's
the man." Only one voice was raised in
Pigerre's behalf, that of the communist
Judge, Genton. you can shoot me, if
you like" exclaimed he; ''but Pigerre is
innocent he hsd nothing to do with It."
The prosecutor summed up, insisting
upon Pigerre's conviction with the rest /;
the advocates for the accused said their
Intellectual say; and then came an inter-
A man named JsrrsUd, whom |
everybody agreed was implicated in the |
murder of the hostages, and who was
to have been killed by the SOL