The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-09-14

Into Taking Another Term in the House
-Confessions of Politician.
Representative Tracey, of Albany, N. Y, has
been entertaining an old friend and fellow
campaigner the past week. This gentleman is
Mr.. O'Cleary, formerly an Irish member of Par
Lament, devoted adherent of Isaac Butt, and
a hard fighter in the Irish cause. Mr.. O'Cleary
is now barrister in London, and came to this
country recently on business and pleasure.
Wilhelm Washington he was the guest of Mr..
Tracey, and they had some mighty interesting
"reminiscences to talk over together for both
of them were once ''Soldiers of the Cross in
the army of the Pope. Mr.. O'Cleary is man
of middle age, of medium build, wears full
sandy beard, and is quiet in manner. The story
of Mr.. Tracey's and Mr.. O'Cleary's experiences
in the army of the Pope is rs interesting and ro-
mantle as one often comes across in these pro-
sale days Both of them, of course are enthu-
siastic Catholics, and left pleasant homes and
loving families in the flower of their youth to
give their lives if needs be in defense of the
Church and the religion they loved.
AT the time the Italian army advanced on
Rome they were absent from the Holy City on
furlough. They hastened back to their post of
duty as fast as rail and sail would carry them,
Mr.. Tracey from this country and Mr.. O'Ceary
from Ireland. They met at Civita Vecchia by
accident, and although the forces of Victor
Emanuel were already closing in on Rome they
resolved to get through the hostile lines if pos
sible and take their places among the small but
devoted band of men who were striving to de-
fend the territory of the Holy Father from the
invader. Civita Vecchia was full of Italian
troops and refugees from Rome. The move
ments of all strangers were watched, but the
young enthusiasts found means of carrying out
their intention. They secured carriage and
drove out Of the city quietly in the direction of
hnI tn nc1n n,,I
quently stopped. They were all night on the
road, and in the morning they found themselves
in the midst of division of the invading army
under Gen. BiXio. They were then fourteen
miles from the beleaguered city. They said they
were newspaper men, and were told they would
not be allowed to 90 but two miles further.
They were very thankful to be able to get be-
yond this first line of the enemy's troops with
out mOlestation, and went on their way. A
little further on they left their carriage, turned
aside from the road and made their way into
a deep and secluded ravine. Hurrying on in
the direction of the city, they fortunately es-
capped observation and reached one of the gates
of Rome in safety. They signaled to the SEN
tinels with their handkerchiefs, and corporal's
guard was sent out to them. When it was dis
covered who they were they were received with
enthusiasm and speedily conducted into the
city. They had hardly taken their places
in the ranks when the city was invested on all
sides by the Italian troops. Early the next
morning the bombardment began, and five hours
after the Holy Father resolved that resistance
would be useless, and surrendered the city to
prevent the unnecessary shedding of blood and
save from destruction the splendid temples, the
noble relics of antiquity, and the priceless
treasures of art and of learning which it con-
tanned.
But it was after the capitulation that Mr..
Tracey and his companion had the most thrill
ing and memorable part of their experience. AS
foreigners they were permitted by the Italian
commander to leave the country. They were
placed on board an Italian vessel with large
number of other prisoners of war. This vessel
tonched at Genoa, and here Mr. Tracey, Mr..
OCleary, and an Englishman who had been
captain of Mr.. Tracey's company fell into the
hands of a wild Italian corporal in command of
few drunken troops. This corporal was a
blasphemous wretch, particularly hostile to the
Pope, and he seems to have been thirsting for
the blood of some of the Papal soldiers. He
knew that his three prisoners had been Papal
zouaves and brutally informed them that he
| was going to shoot them He ranged his three
| helpless prisoners of war on a bench and or
| dered his soldiers to load. While the ap-
| parently doomed men had faced danger in
| many forms and were not afraid of death, they
| did not relish the prospect of meeting it
| in this way But there was no help for
| them, apparently. They sat facing the drunken
| soldiers, watching them make ready for the
| volley which might dispatch them all to eter-
nifty. Their feelings, Mr.. Tracy confesses, were
| not at all pleasant, altnOugn they remained
| calm and even assumed iaunty air of bray
| ado. The Englishman maintained the reputa-
| tion of his race for wonderful GOODNESS in eX-
| treme danger. He held between his lips an un-
| lighted cigar, which he rolled about with his
| tongue while he watched with apparent indif-
| ference the preparations for his execution.
| Then he asked the corporal if he would allow
| him to light the cigar, but the Italian refused
| him the consolation of a last smoke. The SOL
| diers were now ready to do their deadly work
! q as 70
pare for instant death. "When give the order
| to fire." cried the corporal to his men, ''don't
| hesitate, but shoot them. l am responsible
| showed they were ready to obey and
| prisoners murmured a last despairing
! prayer and braced themselves. The end had
| come. 1t was q horrible way to die, butchered
| in cold blood by brutal subaltern and a
| drunken squad of soldiers. But there seemed
| no escape. snow, men," began the corporal
| again, as he proceeded to give the fatal order
! Just at that instant yell was heard, the cor
| poral broke off in the midst of his sentence
! The officer in command of the prisoners of war
| on the ship had appeared on the scene the SOL
| diers dropped their arms, and the lives of the
! three ex-Papal zouaves We're saved. ''I'll never
\ forget my feelings at that moment, no matter
| how long live" said Mr.. Tracey the other day
| ''The sense of relief was overpowering. NV
heart bounded up into my throat and almost
! choked me-"
X X Il
Representative Carter, of Montana, has Just
had very unusual experience for a statesman.