Claiborne guardian., 1879-08-13
Wonderful Escape.
From Chambers Journal.

cscapes, by which various human
beings have been saved from death.
Col. Gilmore, relating the story
of a fight in which he figured, says
In his "Four Years in the Saddle:'
"Turning half round in my saddle
call on nv men, Ireceived sudden
shock, and felt deadly sick, and at
the same instant saw n man trall .
his gun and run off. killed him
before he had gone three steps. /
His bali had passed through two
coats and stuck in n pack OF cards
in my left side pocket. They were
quite new, the wrapper not even
having been broken open. The
suits were each distinct. The hui.
let passed through all, stopping at
the last card, which was the ace OF
, spades"
Such another literal illustration
of the phrase "Within an ace ct
DEATH" is not upon record; but haIr'
breadth escapes are common III war.
At the battle of LaOn Stctfcns saw
a shell strike the horse OF Prus
sim officer. Entering near the
shoulder, it caused the poor anlnal
to make "a conyulsive spring and
throw the rider. the fragments OF
the shell being projected on all sides,
while the rider jumped mp from the
ground unhurt.
Amazingly nigh dead. although
in blissiul ignorance Of the fact,
was the Confederate staff.otlircr
marked down 10y "A Northerncr's rifle.
and only saved 10y the officer com
manding the Platoon happening to
!, recognize in him a client oi the III
surance Office OF which lie was see,
retary, and striking up the lcvcllcd
weapon with "don't shoot! we've
got IL policy on him.
DR.. Brydon. the sole English sur.
vivor of the retreat from Cabul, dur
inc the last Atshauistan war, was
quite aware of the narrownc>S ot his
. escape, but never could understand
. how it came about. After long
r and terrible ride he was just con
!, sratulating himself upon having at
, last got clear of the enemy. when
} he found himself pursued 10y IA soil
tary horscmau. He had but brOk.
| en- sword wherewith To defend him.
. self, and with this he managed to
, intercept u cut at his head, directed
. with such force that ii cleft. through
, the base of his blade and left only
5 the hilt, which the doctor hurled in
$ his assailant's tace, and the next
i moment the Afghan cut through
B.. Brydon'S hcadpcacc and the maga
), zine he had that morning placed IN
,. side it. Unarmed, halt stunned.
il and hopeless, he mechanically stop
5 ned 10 recover his fallen rein. when
e to his surprise and relief, his tu,
p. turned away and gallopcd oil. l"aN
$ ing the doctor to drag himself Il
Jelalbad.
y The sword of Justice is not alway:
+, rightly directed, and somctlmc'
q comes nearer pcrpctratlnT murder
\ young New Yorker, named Wells
e went one evening To Booths theatre
/ Taken with tit OF coughing, he lci
# the theatre, intending to 90 home
r but, after going some little distance
l. it came on showing so last that h,
e rctraced his steps. AS he strod
h along, two men came rushing dow
the street, one of them dropping
watch and chain, which Wells pick
ed up, and then went after the loSri
=, running into the arms of Il polio,
=, man, who marched him oil tn tn
~ ~ station to Explain matters. PrcSen
Is Il messenger arrived in hot hast
u saving the thief was wanted at th
Nv Fifth AvcnIc hotel. Wells wa
-, taken there and hroght face to iac
, !, with u IAN lying on lounge cover
~ eel witbtblood.
.. "Is fhis the man that stable
y, YOU" asked the officer.
:, at is said the poor fellow. tal
II ing back. never to speak again.
" Wells was tried for murder, col
=, victed and sentenced to be hangc,
~ and hanged he would have been If
:, fortnight before the day fixed I,
his execution. Il prisoner III Sln
49, Sing had not confessed on his dealt
- bed that he had robbed the man I
-, his watch. then stabbed him and III
W ", oil aitcrward, dropping the waite
-, as he ran.