The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-25
SERGEANT MORIARTY-OF TIE Nth
New York Ledr.r.l

4 home. Just under iamp-pOst | was con-
fronted by a tall, gaunt and poorly-clad
: form. and a hoarse voice exclaimed:
For the love OF God, help a starving
man on this bitter night"
| There was nothing about the mendicant
to attract more than ordinary attention,
/ but the hand extended for aims fascinated
and checked me- 1t was only the rem
nant of a hand, mutilated cruelty, and
then so carelessly dressed that 1t had
healed with unsightiy scars. recognized
it at once, although l had not seen it for
over twenty years, and, as L started back.
l Involuntary exclaimed:
'Sergt. Moriarty-of the Forty-sev-
enth!"
An how the devil did We know me?"
inquired the shivering tramp, in equal
| surprise.
81 should know that hand anywhere" l
replied. But it's too cold to talk here.
Come into yonder saloon, and after You
| have had food and drink you shall light
| your pipe and tell me your story
The tramp followed me, and soon We
were seated in back room of the saloon,
| he paying marked attention TO a bounti-
! full supply oil meat, bread and beer that
| had been placed before him, while L
| lighted cigar and mentally reviewed the
events surrounding and succeeding the
time when L had first seen this strange
| creature.
Before the opening OF the Suez canal
much of the travel between India and En-
gland was by last sailing ships, which car
| ried large numbers OF passengers and
small cargoes of merchandise, the passage
! around the cape of Good Hope generally
consuming about twelve weeks. With
other members OF my family, was a pas
senger on one of these vessels, the Re-
nOwn, taking the ship at Madras, where
she touched while sailing down the coast
from Calcutta on her way 70 England.
She carried on this voyage about $50 souls
| fifty cabin passengers, 80 members OF
| hussar regiment and the crew, servants OF
passengers, etc, making up the number.
| The two characters who figure principally
in this story were Sergt Michael Moriarty,
returning home with pension after brave
services in the sepoy mutiny, and Notice,
the Hindoo boy or body-servant OF a rich
coffee planter.
'Sergt MOriary-of the Forty-seventh, ="
as he always introduced himself, the slight
OF speech whose significance none OF us
| ever fathomed, had taken passage at Cal
cutta. He was neither cabin nor a steer
age passenger, but a sort OF intermediate.
He ate at the second table in the steward $
cuddy, and slept in little recess between
the lower tier Of cabins, Is the stateroOms
were called, at the stern OF the ship. Hls
quiet and somewhat morose bearing was
said TO be in direct contrast with the
sunny spirit OF the Irish youth who had
come out several years before TO do battle
for his country. This was attributed by
those who knew of his career TO the terri
bic fate which had befallen Moriarty's
sweetheart at the hands of sepoy mutt
neers.
Norah Hennessey, the pretty daughter
OF q soldier, lived with her parents at one
OF the smaller cant0nments in Northern
India at the opening of the rebellion. One
day the Jew British soldiers ct the station
were called away by ruse, and when
they returned they found their hoIaes
looted and the delenseless members OF
their families butchered. The little band
cut their way through the gathering
hordes of Hindoo fanatics, aud finally,
after indescribable hardships and suffer
ings, few Of them reached larger com
mand of the British army. MOriarty was
one OF the survivors. Over the mutilated
remains of his once beautiful NorGh he
had sworn that for each year Of her Young
life at least one of her murderers should
perish by his hand, and in the months Of
bloodshed and carnage that followed he
had abundant chance TO complete and
oVerrun the score of his vengeance.
At the storming OF the fortress OF THRU
lore, where a particularly ferOcious body
of mutineers was sheltered. the order OF
"No quarter" was given. BY no one was
this injunction more faithfully and cheer
July carried out than by MoTiarty, who
was among the first to enter the tort after
the gates had been blown away with bags
of gunpowder. For the thirteenth time
he had driven his bayonet through the
heart OF panic-stricken sepoy, when one
OF the wretches, borne down by the Irish
mans impetuOus fury. struck at his asssil-
ant with his koOrie, the hooked blade sew
ering Moriarty's fingers and otherwise
managing his hand, Is 1t grasped the mus
ket. Regardless of his wound Moriarty
fought on until, overcome by loss of blood
and the hot East Indian sun, ne fell sense
less on the field of butchery. \ few weeks
in the hospital brought him around all
right, but the injury to his hand untitled
HIM for fighting.
The mutiuy WAS soon NJ an end, how
ever, and in the succeeding scenes OF re-
establishment OF British rule there was
plenty OF opportunity for employing Mo-
riarty as an aid-de-camp or messenger. As
conciliator he was not success. Ills
frame of mind was such that outside OF
the regular line of his duty all Hindoos
were "haythen divils" to him, and he
could not treat them with common cour-
tesy. His brain had evidently been af-
fected by his grief, and his hardships and
the improprieties into which his intoler-
anee and hatred led him soon made it nee
essary to transfer him to Calcutta, where
he became an attendant in one of the
courts of justice. Change OF scene did not
have the desired effect on Moriarty, how
ever, and after he had rubbed pigs fat in
the face of Musselman. and struck a
high-caste native with broom-the latter
one of the worst in the Hindoo category Of
indignities-he was fined in his own court
and sentenced TO Punishment from India.
The impetuous Irish sergeant was full.
filling the latter part of his sentence when
first saw him. During the first few days
OF the voyage be kept closely TO himself,
eating his meals in the stewards cuddy
and smoking his pipe in out-of-theway
hooks on the quarterback. Seasickness
may have had something to do with his
moroseness, for after awhile he became
| mora ooofahla A oloco of error, and a