Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-07-23
A WEDDING MURDER.
Why a Toast to the Bride Was
Cut Short by Death.

The first time l visited Midhampton was
in pursuit of a young follow who had en-
bezzled Il few hundred pounds. Traced
him to the barracks, whore, having spent
all his money he had enlisted. Having
aiken the shilling before noon he went to
enjoy himself in the great manufacturing
town till the evening, when he was in
structed to return to sleep, preparatory to
going before the doctor early next morn
ing, and being attested before the magis-
trate. 1t was a nasty, cold night when I
returned to the military quarters, and I
was not a little pleased to find the sergeant
who accompanied me an intelligent and
superior man. The street in front of the
barracks was a Wild ~thoroughfare, we'll lit
up by the shops and public houses on the
opposite side. Being quite a mile from the
town., Il black gap seemed to lie between
them and it. Three miles further on is the
smaller community of Hilston, IL the
sergeant explained to me that the road
way formed something like an irregular
seml-circle, so that actually the distance,
as the crow flies, was less han four miles.
The fact is" he continued, "there is a
pathway across the moor which is quite a
mile shorter, and foot-passengers in the
daytime mostly use that way. 1t starts
from the bottom end Of High street, and the
soldiers at tattoo mostly return that way,
although some of them come to rare grief
when Il bit 'top-heavy,' for the waste
ground is full Of ruts and holes, and, in the
winter time, particularly, big pools are
formed in which more than one warrior
mas closed an inglorious career. It's a dis
mai spot, and the mere sight of it gives me
the blues"
There's a sentry on the back gate, then,
lsunpose:" l said.
There's a sentry on the gate loading to
me back of the officers quarters, and from
There another gate leading into the barrack
square, but that is closed at tattoo, so that
guard: Iexpect that will be closed earlier
'o-nlSht," continued the sergeant, ''for
there are great 'goings on among the Of
ticers.''
Indeed" l said.
Yes" continued my informant. II
don't suppose the old building has ever
witnessed such a scene before. The Adju-
t1aht Of the Third Battalion of the Mid
championships regiment-that is the militia
was married this morning to the Colonel's
niece. and as it is the last day ofthe annual
training, the wedding breakfast is made q
general guest-night, and the fair sex are Of
course very we'll represented"
mere is no regular regiment here,
meme remarked.
No; only the depot of the First Battal-
ion' at present at the Cape"
After a short delay l cried:
Since it is not yet tattoo our man could
manage to get in by the back gate.n
l don't think it is at all likely. /" returned
NY companion. s~'unless, indeed, he made
me acquaintance of some of the other
NEIL. We may, however, have a walk
douhd. In the meantime I'll just ask the
corporal to detain the youth in the guard
'oDm' should he turn up in our absence"
having done so, we walked leisurely
aiohg the front wallin the direction of the
to"n, and then turned up alongside the
n'gher one running at right angles, within
d lew feet Of which the dwellings were
punt. The chill rain was driZzling in our
aaieS, and both with one accord raised the
collars of our overcoats. At the same in
tvant, and before we had left the highway
we've PAGES, we heard something that
'".Sea the sergeant to cry:
"Mhat's that?" Exclaimed.
It's a shot,' he returned.
,o .lnere's no practice going on inside just
now" proceeded.
Not at this hour" he replied. ''There
must be something wrong. The sound
seehled to come from behind us-tho main
entrance. in fact. Two years ago a ser
Ssant, who expected being. broken for
M"hkenness, shot himself in the guard
'oom. l hope it isn't such another case"
let's See," l cried, and l set off running
H. lne direction we had come, followed by
uniform.
" hen we got to the main gate one of the
wants had just rrive from the mess,
m@a1nless from running and white WIN
s.lhe Colonel orders the large gate to be
eAut, a policeman sent for, and every nan