The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-20
SROT wANrONLY.
The Bullet of q Drunken Man Kills ar
Innocent Child.
From ths Nel0 York Recorder.

Innocent Child.
From the NelO York Recorder.
BY what false plea he aroused my oharita-
BILE instincts l have now forgotten. l knew In
my heart he would spend my pennies for IL
quor. Perhaps he read dstrust in my eyes
and was whipped by conscience into giving
me a story for my money. 1t has stuck In
my mind ever since; | even dreamed horri-
bly, of 1t and so, perhaps, as this world
goes. | have had the market value OF my
coin.
when Sherm9n cut himself off from the
world and started on his great march to the
sea " said he, :" ] was q veteran in the art OF
war, knew all Its vices, but managed to
keep clear Of them. AS the 'bummers' came
INTO camp day after day, loaded down with
all kinds OF booty,I resolved to join them and
secure some of the many good things for
myself A weeks service of this kind and
was a confirmed lover of whisky and an
out and ont forager of the worst sort.
zone morning we started out, as usual,
to gather in anything that crossed our path,
a stray chicken. flask Of whisky, or a
stray Johnny rob- We had brisk march
over u scorched aud rugged country, which
had been nearly ransacked CT all that could
hsve supplied us with fresh provisions.
! There was no reason to expect much In the
village we were approaching. The rebs
| who had Just marched out, OF course, helped
| themselves to whatever was portable and
| pretty well drained the place. What they
| couldn't use they generally destroyed.
1--WE made search, however, judging
| that possibly something might have been
| concealed from US, and SOON we actually
| discovered several houses where wine and
whisky in bottles had been buried in tho
cellars A soldier, sir Il take IL, after hot
| service or fatigue, seldom thinks OF much
| bavpnA ha OOvnforf Of drinking To
| and freely own that our small party soon
| caused a sad scene of confusion.
| Upon coming out of a house, half seas
! over. caught sight of boy, about II years
| of age. running down the street with Il
| small bundle under his arm. Thlnking the
bundle might be of some value ! started IN
! pursuit. but he was tieeJer and | should
| have lost him had l not made a sudden turn
| and come right upon him as he was about
| to dart up the stems of big frame house.
| [ sliced him by the collar. He was small
| and spare and he trembled under my grip,
| but he held his own, clinging all the closer
| to his bundle.
AS was about to wrench the bundle
| from his grasp he broke away and darted
UP the steps into the house. quickly fol-
| lowed, and In a back room found the lad by
| the side of a handsome woman, whom !
| took TO be his mother. The lady was game
all through. She upDralded me for fright
ening her boy and said 1t was only bread he
was carrying 10 her.
| II apoiogized and was about to withdraw
wben ray eye caught sight of barrel
partly hidden by the lady's skirt, and in
| front OF which she had stood while talking
TO me. Thinking it contained wine or
whisky, halted and asked what was IN it,
| The lady replied, with flashing Dyes that
there was nothing in it end that it was mono
| OF my business If there was Being pretty
TI.I ,rrft n ian ha a
sngered rue, and thinking III spill the Ii
ouor over the floor by perforating it and at
| the same time brighten her, pulled my piss
| tol and at the instant Of doing 80 fired at
| the barrel.
~ iCh the shot three heart piercing cries
| went up, one from the mother, one from
| the bow and another from q little girl, the
body If wnom, all covered with blood, was
siatched from the barrel and quickly
| clasped in tho mothers arms. II appeared
| that tho little girl was terribly afraid OF the
| 'horrid yanks, aad her mother TO please
| her had placed her In the barrel out of sight
until left the house.
| 20 air, it was not wine or whisky that
trickleJ down upon effort was blood
warm blood-aRd the piteous wall went
| like a chill across my heart. Tho poor
mother ca-ped her Child to her breast and
the blood from an ugly, tearing wound in
| It's breast soon dyed the snowy white dresses
| of both deep crimson. And then the
! LOOK the mother gave me. | can see it to
this day. Her flashing eyes asked me palmer
| han words could have done, Monster, are
you satisfied"
~ was sobeped in a moment. l fell on
my knees before the woman, prayed her
| forg iveness, and tried to stanch the blood
! as it flowed down over her dress on to the
| floor Yes, the poor woman understood
| the truth she saw and she accepted my ap-
guish and we joined in our efforts to save
the little victim. o, IT WAS too late! The
! little girl had fastened her small clammy
hands around finger of each of us. She
looked at us alternately, and seemed to ask
| alike. from her mother and her murderer,
that help which it was beyond the power Of
| one on earth TO give
Like a cur l sneaked away from that
desolate home The mother never entered
a complaint. and went scot free, but had
| been compelled to face the muskets OF a
platoon OF soldiers, with ON empty coffin at
my feet, would never had murmured.
You may believe, sir, that an old soldier,
who has only been able to keep his own life
at the expense Of numerous wounds-who
has lingered out many weary day in a
| camp hospital after hot eDga9ement--
must have learned TO look On death without
any unnecessary concern. But. ., such a
death az that An innocent child struck
down by wanton pillage that ever treads
upon the heels OF war. Do you wonder that
| l seek fprgstfulness even In drunkard's
Stupor, or that fail to find itF