Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-01-04

while he was grooming one OF Capt.
Blauvelt's horses AT the picket line,
Lieut.. Hearn's spirited little bay, which
happened to be next him playing with
the trumpeter's steed across the line,
suddenly switched around with his pow
erful launches and knocked WelSh'S
currycomb out of his hand.
The gypsy fellow Strengthened up,
glanced quickly abou: him, saw that the
lieutenant's back was turned, and then,
with a vicious CLEAN in his piercing
eyes, drew back his heavily booted
right foot and with all his force kicked
the young bay in the stomach. Keogh
plunged madly with the sudden pain.
and in an instant little Dooley, who was
grooming the lieutenant's horse, had
thrown down currycomb and brush and
Smote the gypsy under the eye, knock
ing him up against the captains bulky
and placid charger. In another instant,
too, Sergt Wren leaped in and sepa-
rated the men, Welsh wild with fury,
Dooley dancing about in the glow of
righteous wrath.
Hearing the noise the lieutenant
sprang to the scene. "Silence, both OF
you" he ordered What does this
mean, sergeant?.
"He struck me, the Internal little cur.
and I'll kill''-
Not word more from you, Welsh.
What made you strike him. Dooley?"
Look at Keogh's belly, sir" almost
Sobbed the little Irishman in his rage
and grief. "See where he kicked him?''
Sure enough, there on the gliStening
coat an ugly lump was rising and u
Jagged groove plainly told where the
cruel boot had struck. while Keogh still
Quivered and trembled. For a moment
young Hearn was too angry to trust
himself TO speak. He stood there with
his eyes fairly blazing. AT last he turn
ed to the sergeant:
This man has been freqently eau
toned never TO strike or kick horse,
SuppOSe?'
Every man in the troop has, sir, time
and again"
Hearn slowly turned upon the scowl-
ing soldier: 1T would serve you but
right if kicked you as you have kicked
that horse. Brutality Of that kind cum
not be tolerated here, sir. and you will
have to stand trial for il. Take him
back to the guard house. sergeant"
Il kicked him because he kicked me,
growled Welsh.
Its lie, sir" cried Dooley. bursting
in. "Sure the horse was just playing,
like. and never touched him At all"
"Never mind, Dooley, your evidence
will be called for when it is wanted
by God. if I'm to be punished for hit
ting a horse. what's to be done with him
for striking man, want 70 know
exclaimed Welsh, as with a curse he
hurled his currycomb to the ground.
Come on. you blackguardr' muttered
Sergt. Wren. as he collared the man.
You can thank God didn't see you do
it. I'd Earn you never to kick horse. "
1t was this affair which led TO Welsh'S
third court martial in less than month.
And it was Welsh now whom Col. Nor
ris believed to have been the asSalant
of Corp. Brent the night before, and the
instigator as we'll of more or less of the
mischief that had been going on. 1t was
Welsh whom Mr.. Hearn more than half
suspected. 1t was Welsh whom Sergt.
Wren himself had openly accused when
the troop came back from stables Sun
day morning. But when Wren was
called into the colonelS presence at the
office and asked what he knew he was
compelled TO say it could not have been
Welsh at all.
.GINhat ra uopr raasons snruna ~
asked the colonel. And the eyes of the
group of officers were fixed on the vet
eran trooper who stood so sturdily and
respectfully before them.
because went through the quarters
Just after tattoo last night TO see how
the men had been cleaning up for to-day.
Their boots had all been carefully
at the foot of their hunks. and their
blouSes and trousers, except the ones
they had on. were brushed and folded
on their boxes. | took particular note
of WelSh'S, for he was stubborn about
cleaning his things, and about GOSS',
too. for GoSs has been Surly ever since
he was mas made drill and attend in
Spection. Sergt. Ross says no man passed
through the door before he went to
sleep, but any man who wanted could
slip out OF the window in his stocking
feet and go down the rear stairway, and
then run down TO Mulligan'S place Just
outside the reservation and get what
liquor he wanted, and come back the
same way. | was one OF the first, sir, TO
get dressed to 90 out after Corp. Brent
was hurt.
The other corporal of the guard
came into my room to get my lantern,
and Just as soon aS they had carried
Brent to the hospital | ran upstairs and
made an inspection. Welsh was there
in his bunk. undressed. and apparently
asleep. His boots and clothes hadn't
been touched. GOSS was in his under
clothing, half awake. There were the
trousers that had been folded, lying
loosely across the box. GoSS SwOre that
he hadn't been out at all, but pointed
to his boots and trousers. and when the
man started up, as though in surprise, to
look at them pint flask half filled with
whisky slid from under his pillow
But this was not all, said Wren, Sean
Ian and Murphy had admitted being
joined by a trooper as they came up past
the stables. He joined them again al
tel they had reported at the guard house
atrife late. had given them drink OF
whisky from his flask. told them the
coast was clear and they might Just as
well slip through the gate and run
across the parade; what was the odds so
long as no one knew it? But the instant
they heard Corp. Brent'S voice they
started and ran until behind the officers
quarters, and then they noted that their
cavalry acquaintance had Staid behind.
They did not know his name at all :;
could not describe him, for it was too
dark. All they knew was that he was
tall and had a thick. bushy beard.
WelSh'S face. except the black mus
tache. was always cleaned shaved. Not
so. however, with Goss. He wore full
heard