Western cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Kan.) 1886-1887, 1886-08-05
ARNOLD OF WINKLEREID,

of Sempach-CelebratiOn at SharpshOot-
ers' Park.
History contains no pages dearer to
the hearts of Switzerland than those
which mark the era of Helvetic emanci-
patton. At that time, 1903, Albert had
succeeded his "plain- dealing father" by
simply Selling the imperial insignia
without waiting for the usual decision
of diet. He was hard, unfeelng, I'M
scrupulous, and rapacious in his views
of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. and aimed at once in
erecting a new dukedom at Helvetia and
forcing the scattered districts to ex-
change their freedom for the permanent
protection of the Austrian house. The
forAsters were slow to view the matter
with the calculating eyes of the new en-
peror, and accordingly declined to be
protected. While seeming to accede to
the humble wishes of the cantons, Albert
was assisted by two vogts, who inter
preted the laws of their sovereign in the
most extended sense Of cruelty and op-
preston. The slightest errors in deport-
ment were resented with enormous fines,
which reduced the unhappy offenders to
the verge of restitution. To illustrate:
One of the vogts, Landenberg, imposed
fine of yoke of oxen on Henry of
Halden, an aged and jealous friend of
freedom, for some imaginary offensive
conduct on the part of his son Arnold.
Hearing that Henry refused to surrend-
er his oxen the vogt sent word that ''if
the Doors wanted bread they would have
draw the pillow themselves" The de-
meanor of the servant enraged young
Arnold, who seized him by the hand,
broke his finger, and fed to escape the
vengeance of the bailif. The vogt had
the old father arrested and demanded to
know the place of his sons concealment.
His ignorance availed nothing only
we're his oxen confscated and fine i'm
posed, but his eyes were put out to ex-
plate the offense Of his son. That pune
ture went SO deep into the hearts of the
Swiss that many resolved to die rather
than leave it unchallenged.
The most infamous act of Gessler, the
second vogts, was the erection of a hat
on pole, the symbol of the sovereign
power of Austria, before which all who
passed were commanded to uncover and
salute. Obeisance was cheerfully enough
rendered till the day the fearless William
Tell passed and stubbornly refused to
doff his cap. Gessler was so enraged at
the obstinate silence of the daring archer
that he commanded him, by way OF his
own amusement, to shoot an apple from
his favorite child's head. Gessler had
not expected such an exhibition of skill
and fortune, and in casting about for a
new way to entrap the object of his NAL
ice, spied a second arrow in Tells culver.
His inquiry was evaded by the archer,
but being unsatisfactory, the Vogt
pressed him for reply, and assured him
of his life whatever the second arrow
might have been intended for. The IA
nous answer will bear repetition: "Vogt,
had l shot my child
THE SECOND SHAFT WAS FOR THEE,
and assure myself / had not missed my
mark a second time!"
Transported with rage Gessler ex-
claimed: Tell! [ have promised thee
life, but it shall be in a dungeon" All
the students of history can recall the
thrilling accounts of the journey on the
water in which the vogt was obliged to
unchain the captive and commit him to
the helm, the escape of the prisoner who
swan to shore and finally shot his per-
secutor through the heart near the mar
rows of Cape Kussnacht.
Passing the furious invasion of Leopold
of Austria, the revolution of Zurich,
the decline of the nobility and the
clergy, the horrible persecution of the
Jews, and the dreadful plague which was
preceded by earthquakes, clouds of To-
Gusts, and famine, in which 100000
monks alone persisted, brings us to Ar
mold, of Winklereid, whose bravery is
commemorated wherever a Swiss is to be
found. At the time of his existence the
wise administration Of Roger Manesee
prevailed in Zurich, and the recent peace
of Austria remained unbroken, although
1t was no secret that contentious we're
brewing over the assistance and support
Count Kyburg, a powerful nobleman,
had been accepting from Austrian terri
tory to the disgust of the willing and
patriotic confederates.
Duke Leopold, of Austria, brought
bitter complaints against the Swiss can
tons for violation of treaty of admitting
into the league districts that We're. ALREADY
tributary to the crown. His own griev-
ances were met by the Swiss, who failed
to overlook the violence he had done in
disregarding articles of pacifcation rela-
tive to the trade and commercial inter
ests Of the cantons.
After long brooding, Leopold took an
oath to ''dissever the insulting league of
the Swiss, the source of so much I'M
righteous warfare"
The time for action was at hand. The
soldiers of Luric anticipating an attack,
landed 1000 men and began to ravage
the islands neighboring on Austria.