Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-07

"SOlo take your cap off,"
There was a frown on Col. Morris
face on Sunday morning that BODIED i'll
for officer or man who could not come
up to the standard of the post command
er on the forthcoming inspection. The
old order of things was still in existence,
and a benehcent administration had not
| yet issued its ban against martial exer-
cises of any kind upon the Lords day
| First call for inspection in full dress had
gone as the soldiers say, as the colonel
appeared in the panoply of his profess
sion upon the front piazza, glancing
modified approval at the glistening sur
face of his top boots and the brilliant
polish OF his spurs. Down at the front
gate his orderly stood, every item of his
dress and equipment model of soldierly
trimness. Out in the center of the pa
rade little party of the guard had just
| lowered the storm flag that had been
hdisted at dawn, and were running up
in its stead the great garrison standard
whose folds of scarlet and white Tapped
| out lazily in response to the soft breeze
now rising from the westward bluffs.
Over at the barracks the men had
come pouring forth, the neat dark blue
and white of the infantry at the east
| side contrasting favorably with the glar-
| ing yellow trimmings of the cavalry
battalion, swarming along the walk and
streaming from the stairways and gal
leries of their crowded quarters, like so
many full plumaged hornets. On the
verandas across the parade helmeted
officers and ladies In dainty muslins be
gan to appear, and along the row to his
right and left the sheltered porches were
similarly occupied. But the post com
mander stood alone. Madame his better
half had visitors. Breakfast was not
quite finished. and she was devoting her
self to their entertainment, knowing
well that her liege lord was feeling in no
mood for such light duty
Almost the first thing that the colonel
heard on going downstairs this bright
Sunday morning was an animated col
loquy in the kitchen between cook and
his man Of all work. an old darby who
had followed the family fortunes for
| years Jake had learned from the police
sergeant while he was at work on the
| colonel's boots and spurs, that Corp
Brent had been ''slugged" by somebody
the night before and was now lying I'M
conscious in the hospital There was
time only for very brief investigation be-
fore his guests came down. Mr.. Wal
lace was officer of the guard, and in re-
Spouse to the message brought by the
coloners orderly had gone at once to his
| quarters and made his report
Somewhere about twenty minutes af-
ter midniyh the sentry on No. l had
called Corp. Werner out, saying there
appeared to be something wrong up by
the gate. Mr.. Wallace, knowing Brent
to have gone thither, sprang up and
went outside and saw light being car
ried rapidly from Capt. Lanes quarters
at the corner over toward the cavalry
barracks. Hurrying around in front, he
got there just in time to see the captain
and the young lady who had recently
arrived, Miss Marshall, raising Corp.
Brent from the ground. He was bleed
ing from a jagged cash over the left eye,
and was limp and senseless. After hav-
ing him carried to the hospital and
arousing the steward, it was found that
his face and eyes were covered with red
| pepper. Not word as to his assailants
could be learned. The last men to reach
the garrison were Murphy and Seaman
two scapeg1aces of company F.
But the sentry on No. declared they
had come around by his post on the
south side, whereas Brent was lying al
most in front of the quarters of G troop,
inside the post. Then, again, Seaman
and Murphy were both sober, and neither
OF them men who would be likely to as
sault so popular and respected fellow
as Brent. Indeed both of them stoutly
denied having had anything to do with
the case. What was more, Miss Mar
shall had said that she heard the alterca-
ton, heard a scuffle, and heard, though
she could not see, that the man ran to-
ward the cavalry barracks with the cor.
poral in pursuit. Then came the sound
Of shock o. blow: then the fall, and
hurrying downstairs she had called
Capt. Lane, and lighting his little hurri-
cane lamp she had fastened out along
the road, the captain rapidly following
And there al the foot of G troop stair
way lay Brent, bleeding profusely
sit was some of our men that did it.
sir" said Wallace regretfully, land I'D
give months pay to prove it on them
I'd give more than that if l thought
could prove that no cavalryman had
anything to do with it."
Then the colonel had sent his orderly
to ask the doctor how Brent was coming