Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-19


An anxious group had gathered that
afternoon over near the hospital. Corp.
Brent's symptoms were all Indicative of
conclusion of the brain, and. though the
surgeon said there had been no fracture
of the skull, he was fearful that fatal
consequences might ensue. Among his
comrades of the infantry battalion the
young soldier was by long odds the most
popular and beloved man in the ranks,
and that he should have been 'slugged, !"
as they expressed it, in the discharge of
his duty by some scoundrel of a cavalry
man was developing very ugly feeling
at the post. Murphy and Scanlan had
been sent to Coventry among their own
comrades for having lent willing ear
to the wiles of the tempter. and so led on
to the tragedy that followed.
Col. Morris had ordered that Goss
should be confined in cell apart from
the ordinary prisoners; but when con-
fronted with the array of n dozen gar
rison malefactors neither Murphy nor
Scanlan was able to fix on any one of
them as the man who accosted them the
night of the tragedy and gave them
drink at the southwest gate. Goss was
like him in size and beard, they said, but
that was all that they could assert. 1t
was enough, however, to prompt some
Of the infantrymen on guard to soaring
the prisoners life almost out of him.
He piteously implored the officer of the
day at his next visit not to keep him
there-the dough boys" he said. had
sworn they would lynch him if Brent
died-and again and again he declared
himself innocent and the victim of some
conspiracy. When Col. Morris was in
formed of the threat he decided to send
the man to the neighboring town and
the custody of the civil authorities, that
he might be tried by their courts in the
event of fatal termination to the cor
porars injuries, but waited until after
noon before issuing the orders in the
case.
Maj. Kenyon, who had taken a deep
interest in Brent for some months past,
and who had recommended him to study
for commission, was just coming from
the hospital ward when Mr. Hearra pass
ing by the sad faced group of soldiers
who We're chatting at the steps, came
quickly forward to meet the field officer.
''How does he seem now, major? l
had intended coming earlier. but was de-
tanned"
Just holding his own. | wouldn't
go in if l were you, Hearn. l think
footsteps only worry the doctor now.
There is no great change, men," he kind
IL CTAp1-n os tho ltt1a 1-pc% &c ell
srectfully saluted and looked inquiringly
at him. He has good fighting chance
yet, with his splendid constitution. We
can only hope for the best. Come on,
Hearn; | want to ask Won something.
What's this | hear about your having
trouble with that fellow Schonberg?'
''Oh, had no especial trouble, major.
He was out here drunk, ! sould say, and
had got that man Welsh, of nv troop,
drinking, so the fellow was insubordi-
nate again, and the officer of the day
ordered him confined. Then Schonberg,
it seems, went into the club room, and
after he had been treating the men to
beer in the bar insisted on treating to
champagne and introducing himself to
several of the officers who were there.
Stone came in and ordered him out, and
when l happened along, hearing the
noise, he appealed to me as to what the
orders in his case had been, and as |
knew that he had been forbidden even
to come on the reservation l told him if
he didn't go, and go at once, 1 would
send some of my men to escort him. Of
course he was very violent and abusive.
but paid no further attention to it."
On that villainr' said the major.
"He has done more to demoralize the
men in this post than all the toughs and
gamblers in the community combined.
Our fellows have got to know him SO
thoroughly that the best class of them
at least steer clear of him entirely; but
there was time when great many of
them never went to town without get
ting drink or money at his place and
having to pay very heavily for it after
ward"
ooh, l knew him well the first winter
l ever spent here" said Hearn. HE
was clerk in the suffers store then, and
it was just before 1 left that he was dis
charged by his employer, who is dead
now. Then he came prying around the
barracks at night, bringing liquor to the
men, and gamblers out with him from
town, playing in the on-commissioned
officers room, fleeing them so badly
that they finally complained, and then
the order was issued that he shouldn't
be permitted on the reservation at all.
He had a friend with him today whom
he was showing around and whom he