New-York tribune., 1890-05-04
OUEER EPISODES or WAR TINES
AT A HANGING AND AFTER.
M Tho Overland Monthly.

AT HANGING AND AZ lex.
From The Overland Monthly.
Not satisfied with teaching us spartan sobriety,
and how soldiers IN a te and e rrnw SV Strong o. on little
nor. and fewer beans General W compelfd
Martin and me 70 assist snd a. th eisga %as so dcepl
inTnressed upCm our minds that ! nave ever since
carefully avoided all others in my way. 1t happe"e1
" 'is yoanS solder belonging to Kentucky resimant
while hunting in the Vicinity Of the camp, shot a
hog roofing In the woods, The owner Of the hos' a
man nearly seventy years OF age rcpr9yed hm f0r u,
"avng fhat he was always willing 10 obigc the soldiers
in the wav Of milk and butter and garden truck such
as as E0 Ee ccd spare ron his own needs bu that he dd
not want his hogs shot down Ia that way. As ne
turned to 70 back to his house near by the youns man
shot him through the back killing him instantly;
The solder .or was marts ss 'd and urea senenSsI
to be hanged Ills regiment petoned the senetal, 70
have the sentence changed & 20 'oTs ~ ba o Of tbe
humber die sLch ignomnious death. General
W was nhexble ana refused to n make aneo any 9ty
,hc scoundrcl! Very soon after his refusal rcpoit'
began to spread among the troops mat some re- hye9 @
,"rItv rrgment had made up their minds 10 have the
best of ihe matter by shooting the murderer thea.-
.evcs oven II thev had 10 do 80 on the scanOd Inc
only effect Of these rumors upon the general WE 20
strengthen his determination TO give me hehtucAlah'
taste Of resar army ,or carryng the sentence into
xecntinn ne caused n scafOd 10 be erected on Their
parade ground In front oi th, camp anu , g1Go or
ronnds Of ban cartridge 10 each man proceed 10 th9
Rardstown JAIL bring me murueIe 10 c pt.c h - E -
neck according 10 law and precedent. until he Nas
dc,J When we reached the camp on our return WIN
the prisoner found tho whole diV1ioL % u'a"h ut.
closed In mass without arms, iotin,d lhio 1Ica'
.quarc around and facIns me Scaho'a' VIII INC N'"
Tie prisoner supported each side By two eXecI-
TONERS regularly detailed 10y name m spear o,I S Ol
the performance Of military du'y a.'e.aeu n , ,o
.cafTold took his place on the tap door, ana "hlle
The preparation were gos & on .ooG or Gef IN c
formed into hollo" SQUARE WIN ,le sgsi,3id @ ~ @ IV
centre facing outward toward III" IcSt o. tle dNNiol
All the arrangements having been conp!etei Our oIu
Coloncl's voice rang out sharply
Load Win lau cartrdee-Load' - -.-,,,,.
The ringing melallc sound OF the rammer, striking @
against tho nc barrel, in drivuc the bullets homo
and returning their places in the gun stocks aItef
the loading done, came back IN answer
The l,S'" Whole regiment 1000 strong cast about as
one man. making quarter face 10 me right ana me
rife, were brought TO a full COCK Win Two 'hdIPN
short ramsc and the voice was heard more.
Of a military command hut solemn and mournfui
"ENccuti0ncr, # the law. perform your duty -
The sound q sharp blow with hatchct upon
wood wa. heard. The trap door upon when tne
prisoner stood gave way from under hiS iee ana nc
cning Of tie rope around his throat chcnns to behold
Justice wa satisfied the murderer ha. been hans a
In accordance with thc law Of IN" land ana nm, i
In the vast assembly. hnshcd IN solemn sieh'e,
dared even wink. with our loaded rifles staring them
The formation Of our regiment with a hollow square
ready for acton r., in the se ocers ad IN n
position In rear Of Is double ranks with the He'd
officers and tho stah-Nartln and myself DacK oI
hcm and still nearer the scai'old. We stood. IN
f1ct within few feet Of the platform. and could
have touched the murderer a, he swung IN HI, ot'
asoncs underneath. after falling through the trap,
Neither ~ MS TWO had seen a hanging before. and
We were interested lockers on W. wanted to SEE
ycnceance. m sg As the sickcnns snap Of the breaking
neck struck our ears, ana the conyul>ve movements
and tcmors Of the suspended body began with ryra-
tory motion even more horrible than The snap. saw
Martin, face grow white a. chalk. and ! felt myself
,ickcnng with ears buznc and all the world about
me turning upside down. We recled like drunken
men, and had TO clasp our arms around The posts sup
porting the platform 10 keep from falling.
II 80 happened that the curiosity of burly six
foot"r OF an n,hman. In the rear nn. Of the line in
our immediate front got the better Of his discipline
and turning his head his let shoulder Ia look at
the struggles of the dying man. he discovered onr
prcdloamcnt and the white faces were trying 50
Be ia6ers,' he mutteroa logd enough for MS to
lead rs INTO battle with the incmy keeling over Ike
-'hSoliirl' az at hanins To - VIII them. .ay
so. hnt saw a wicked fash in Martin, eve AMI he
turncd hi, head e. take good look at the man a.
When the murderer was pronounced dead By tho
medical officers detailed for that purpo'c deep grave
was dug under The platform. in which h. was laid
and the scaHold taken apart and car'cd or. hll
,G rci1Sn' 1C,d cdm n tine dy,n onr. l.21ns I'm
over " tc rr,y bcso nSu, povnS
ncnt had passed over A. the freshly turned m SOIL
packed solid with the tramp of many FEET. WIS
ever from the ewes of man
some time after this WHEN va got beyond Rowling
Green and struck the rctreating enemy's rear orr
regiment happened 70 be I'm advance holding The
Slirmsh lne Jhe firing was sharp and The hullr-s
huZycd like Swarns OF bees around our ears. II va.
ol tlat could do 20 hold our own ard rnorr t,,tn
the line came near breaking. The lcli and sinr
were on foot. and In thc very hottest nart ~ TN
fight Martin broke away from nv side with A Veil
and mado forward dash NJ ono II our men hroa,ing
for the fast aS he cou,d 20. Tho roar Of the
mu>kcry was almost dcafonrg. hut above T. heard
Martins voice plainly. shouting at II loudo,t:
"Go back To your duty. YOU long legged scouuGrci:
this Is no hanging Snrcc hut good honest hchtinci~
And with the butt Of his revolver Whskus Tho mans
ears he drove him forward clear beyond our I'm" al
most into the cncmN'S hands ard len him thcrr %
hold his own a best he cond until our ,lirn.hnis
came MP with him.
d" saw. Tom he asked as he lci,urclv oircd r'o
again with his hand, In his pockets do Won remember
that fellow None other but our IRISH friend II thc
hanging: and gave him my III for hi, tat wonder
II old W viii put me in arrest tins time -