The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-11-06
LAST or THE THIRTEEN.
Picked up In the Gutter and Buried
In POttSFS Field.
One Of = Number that Participated
In n Mock chords SuPPeT''--
The Result Of the Act.

ter. Even in death there was q mute
look Of terror in the blood-shot eyes, and
the bloated face had grown pale and
haggard at the coming Of the grim
destroyer.
"Drink" said the coroner's jury, but
an old man who cane and looked for q
long time on the pale dead face said,
with q shudder as he turned away, at
was the hand Of God"
A grave was found in the pOtter's field,
and through all the years to come II will
remain unmarked. No friendly hand
will ever plant flower there, and only
the dew and rains from Heaven will
moisten the sod. There is not one living
human being to mourn or pity the dead.
At the leading hotel in a southern city
In the summer Of 1865, says the Washing
ton Star, thirteen men wearing the uni
form Of the confederacy sat down to din
ner. Every man in the party belonged
to a grand old southern family and many
Of the names are illustrious in the history
Of the country. Every man was cava-
lier, they were flowers Of the south, rep
resentatives Of the chivalry Of the sunny
land, then enveloped in the gloom oil
defeat and despair.
Every man there had been a gallant
soldier in the Confederate army. They
had returned from the field Of defeat, to
find their homes destroyed, their slaves
free, their wealth gone, and many Of their
nearest aud dearest relatives and friends
dead. The meeting at this hotel was
chance one, but talking over the situation
in which they found themselves they re-
solved to forget the horror Of 1t for a
while, to drown their sorrows in drink.
They sat doy to dinner and round after
round Of drinks was ordered. Soon the
bloody scenes OF war, the visions Of ruined
homes were all forgotten. First they be-
came merry, then reckless.
"Let us call this the last superb sud-
denly exclaimed one Of the party, and
the suggestion met with instant approval.
They might never meet again, 80 "the
last supper" would he fitting name for
the feast where reason had fed.
More drinks were ordered, every man
filed his glass, the lights were turned
low, and thirteen men declared them
selves Christ and His twelve apostles.
A young man who had commanded
regiment acted the role Of Christ, and, for
the occasion, each man assumed the
name Of one Of the apostles. There was
a wrangle to see who should impersonate
Judas, but more drinks were ordered in,
and then young lieutenant agreed to
act the character Of the betrayer Of his
! Saviour.
1t was midnight, but peals Of drunken
laughter awoke the echoes in every nook
and corner in the old house. Again and
again the decanters were passed around,
and the blasphemOus mockery Of the last
supper went on.
A Bible was called for, and the young
officer who was impersOnating the Saviour
turned to the New Testament and read
the solemn word Of Christ. The reading
was interrupted now and then by some
coarse jest or ribald laughter, while ex-
pTesions like Judas, pass the bottle, -"
would excite the mirth Of the drunken
men to q point that completely drowned
the voice Of the reader. At the proper
point In the reading bread was passed
around, and the wine was represented by
glasses filled TO the brim with brandy.
"He that drinketh from the bottle with
me shall betrayed me-" exclaimed the
mock Christ in q tragic manner, and,
placing the decanter TO bis lips. he swal'
lowed o quantity Of handy, and then
passed it to Judas across the table.
This was greeted with peals Of laughter
and again the other mock apostles yelled
Judas, pass the bottleP'
All night long this mockery went on
and when morning came the thirteen mer
were In drunken stUpor. It was seveTa
days before they all re- overed from th'
effects Of that nights debauchery. TheT
they separated. That supper had, in
deed, been their last; they never mel
again.
Ill.luck followed those thirteen men
Everything they undertook failed. Applei
Of gold turned to Dead sea fruit in theil
hands. Repeated failure in business
drove some Of them to desperation anC
crime. One Of them was lynehed ID
Texas for murder. The young man who
had impersOnate,l Christ was drowned
in the BRACES river, while fleeing from 1
vigilance committee, on q stolen horse
and his body was never recovered. An
other, while in a drunken stupOF, wa
caught in a burning building and per
isied 10 the flames. One was stabbeC
to the heart by \ woman he had betrayed
and still another was murdered In q Low
brothel in a western city. So far as cal
be learned, not one Of them ever receiveS
Christian burial, and their graves ar
, unmarked and unknown.
The man who died in the gutter AM
was buried in pOtter's field was the las
Of the thirteen.
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