West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-06-28

friends. The men called him s'AIr. Mid.
night" and the officers quietly agreed
among themselves that he was a mystery
very useful, no doubt, but disagreeable
companion.
1t did aot take long to make the dis.
eovery that the Italians bombs and tor.
pedoes were the best that had ever been
made.
One night Pellico paid another visit To
the office of Major Dalton.
MAJOR, said he, after some talk about
powder, gun cotton, Greek FIRE and other
matters, "the main object of our ex-
piosiyes is TO destroy the enemy 20
I'm, well, yes, TO certain extent" +"
replied the gallant Confederate.
what do you think, then, Of bomb
that is capable of doing a hundredfold
more damage than any now in user"
1t would be big thing"
WELL" continued Pellico, 81 have
invented IL. l have chemical com
pound that can be projected into the
enemy's lines through the medium of a
shell, and when the she'll bursts deadly
vapor spreads over an area of 100 yards,
killing every living thing. One shell is
capable of killing an entire regiment. "
man alive, exclaimed the Major,
NAfAe NohAI bC
and what is war;" asked Pelico in
his low, soft voice.
The subject did not drop there. The
man IN black had so much to say about
his invention that the Major found him
self deeply interested.
'Ihis little thing" said Pellico, ex-
hibiting something that looked like a pill
covered with tin foil, would kill house
full of people"
at is hard TO believe"
"Lct me convince you," urged the
chemist. '1f you will walk a square
with me | will show you something"
The MAJOR oh .ected, but the italian
assured him that his intended victims
were several hogs in the rear OF the edi-
fee.
When they reached the place they
found the hogs quietly snoozing in a
fence corner.
Then they retired fifty yards or So
and Pellico blew his little pill through a
hollow cane.
Wait three minutes he said.
At the expiration Of that time the two
approached the fence corner.
-Four large hogs lay stretched out on
the ground. 1t required only a glance
to see that they were all dead.
Now" said the chemist, as they
walked away, this experiment is on a
very small scale, but you can form an
idea from what you have seem"
ut is astonishing" commented the
Major.
Nothing to what have done,~ said
the man in black. "'In Cuba / took a
sling and threw ball of that stuff as big
as my fist into a village. The next
morning il was found that all the in
habitants, some 800 or 400, were dead
People outside supposed it was some
mysterious epidemic, but it was not"
Major Dalton drew himself aloof from
his companion.
"An1 you killed those innocent
people for nothing?" he asked indig-
nantly.
sin the interests Of science, my dear
Major. Besides they were native Cubans.
] woud not have treated genuine Span
iards that way"
The Major pulled his moustache and
walked on in silence for few minutes.
'What do you proposel" he asked,
after some reflection.
'My scheme is big one, replied Pei
lico. "a few little pellets thrown into
Libby, Salisbury and Andersonville will
rid us of all the Yankee prisoners and
save our Government no end OF expense.
Then they must use my invention in the
lie d. The armies of Sherman and Grant
will melt away before it, and few hun
dred projectiles fired from long range
guns into New York will turn that me
tropolis into a city Of the dead. What
do you sayW
"lIallo, Corporal, come herew yelled
the MAJOR.
Several soldiers ran to the spot in a
hurry.
'seize him ." shouted the officer, - and
take him to the guard house He is an
enemy, murderer, Satan himself, / be-
lievo. But, hold on-search him"
'Only some papers and these pills, {"
said the Corporal.
'I'll take them, " said the Major. "Now
hustle him oil to the guard house."
The Major walked with rapid strides
to the Office Of the commander Of the
post. The provost marshal was sum
moned as party to the conference, and
other officers we're also called in.
The council lasted until very late
hour. Never in their whole military ex-
perience had the officers been confronted
with 50 serious a problem.
When they dispersed the sentinel out.
side heard one Of them say:
'He is a monster, an enemy 70 the
whole human race. We cannot accept
his aid, aud IL we let him 90, he may at
any time turn against us and against our
people"
There is but one thing to do, said
the Major
The next day the man in black was
found dead in the guard house. BY his
side las n shred Of tin foil.
II searched him" said the Corporal,
and took all those shiny pills away
from him. How did that get there i
wonder and what in the mischief is It
anyhow2"
The commander Of the post, the Pro.
vOst- Marshal and Ma or Dalton showed
little surprise when they heard Of Pelli-
cos death The Corporal however,
heard the Provost Marshal speaking in
an undertono TO tho Major.
What did you do with the other
pelletsf he said
II rode out 20 the river and thew them
in, answered the Major.
"All right, responded the marshal
"This has been a strange piece OF busi-
ness from first 10 last, but I don't think
that our consciencos viii ever hurt us for
our part i'm st."
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