Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-04-13
THE FATED FIVE
a legend Of the Britl.h Navy.
BIZ J. L sf'cARrHr.

Migrant violators of the regulation
would be such august officials as tn,
commanders of tho wnr~ships them
selves. Yet the archives OF the admi
rally department are replete with re-
cords of naval officers being court-mar-
tailed, and otherwise punished, through
the Infractions of these rules, and there
are many interesting stories connected
with them.
Before beginning my narrative. how
ever, l villa preface it with quotation
from the ordinances in question, relat-
lng to the particular clause of the laws,
out of whose relation grew the story
snbjoined-
Clause LIV. of the Articles of War
relates to the subject Of court-martials,
and reads as follows:
"Before the court shall proceed to try a
prisoner, the judge advocate shall admins
Ter TO every member or the court the fol-
Rowing oath:
Il, -, do duly swear that viii admin
lsIer justice according 10 law, without
p1rtialelity, favor or affection; and further
moro, do swear that win not on any ac-
connt, or at any time whatsoever, disclose
or discover the vote or opinion Of any par
tScniar member Of this court martial, unless
shereUnto required Ia the due course of law.
So help me Godr'
As the reader progresses m this
''o'er true tale he will see how i'm
portant this Law is. and how its viola
tion was once the means of depriving
his Rlajesty's naval service OF five of
: its ablest officers.
Early IN the present century, one of
Che most courageous captains in the
British navy, was Captain Burke of the
! srigate Excaibur.
Burke was an Irishman, son of a
magistrate in Galway, and like great
: many Of his oountrymen at that time,
was nsted fire-eater
Tie was faznous throughout the SER
vice as dead shot with the pistol and
1ad been engaged in numerous duels.
He was, like most OF his country
men, of fiery temper, and quick to
take offence; and, as may be imagined,
these inhammatory characteristics
brought him often into trouble.
IL was a week or so after the capture
Of the island of Mauritius from the
French by the English fleet, that Cap
tain Burke could have been seen walk
ing down one OF the principal streets
IN Port Louis, the chief city of
Mauritius.
He was slightly under the influence
Of stimulants, for he had been dining
with some brother officers ashore, and
ne was now returning to his vessel.
As he was walking along, he obsery-
I'd a pretty flower girl coming in his
direction, Offering her wares for sale.
Buy flower. monsieur?n said the
girl in excellent French, addressing the |
Z naval officer.
Captain Burke, who was a fine-ap- |
pearing man and noted among his as |
sociates as much for his an1ours as well |
as for his reputation as fire. eater, re-
garded the girl.
She was beauty-too beautiful, in
TACT, for the humble vocation she piled.
She had glorious black eyes. fuby lips,
and figure whose every line and
curve was exposed by her humble
garb.
The wine Captain Burke had drank,
had made him reckless and ripe for any
mischief Selling the flower girl in
his arms, the naval officer said with a
leer:
II dont want any flowers, miss; but
TIL take few Kisses" and so saying,
he imprinted several warm oscillations
On the mouth Of the shrieEing girl,
who's screaming wildly, struggled to
escape from his arms
The street was thronged with pedes-
TRANS, among whom were not few
French military officers, who stood
amazed at the strange scene. One of
these, more hot-blooded than his fell /
lows, rushed forward and struck the
amorous captain a severe blow and i
made him reel 4
''Vile dog of an Englishman, take
Ehat?' he roared. !
When Captain Burke recovered his {
scattered senses, thrown into confusion
by the Frenchman's blow, he became
frantic with rage, and taking his cha
peau from his head, he flung il with q
full force straight in the face OF the e
Frenchman who had struck him. 4
Such an insult could lead to but one
thing-a meeting on the field OF honor. Il
a duel was at once arranged by the Ii
fiery Gauls and the equally hot-blooded h
freshman, although the English gov a
ernment had strictly forbidden all C
aueling between the naval officers and e,
she inhabitants Of the island. il
Captain Burke knew this, but in his b
anger chose to disobey the rule, re- h
CARELESS Of consequences. fl
Little dreaming what kind OF man u
hey had TO deal with, the French mill
AIRY officers at once arranged duel al
between the captain and the French Of OF