Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-10-21
VENGEFUL IN DEATH.

from a private soldier named Gratmar,
attached to tho garrison Of San Fran
cisco. had known him but slightly,
tho acquaintance having como about
through his interest IN some stories
which | had published, and which he
had way of calling psychological
studies. lie was dreamy, romantic,
fine grained lad, proud rs tiger lily
and sensitive as bluebell What mad
caprice led him to join the army never
knew, but did know that there he was
wretchedly out Of place, and ] foresaw
that his rude and repellent environ
ment would make Of him in time de-
sorter or II suicide or murderer The
letter at first seemed u wild outpouring
of despair, for it informed me that be-
fore it should reach me it's author would
be dead by his own hand. But when /
had read further | understood its spirit
and realized how coolly formed II
scheme ii disclosed aud how terrible its
purport was intended to be, The worst
OF the contents was the information
that II certain officer (whom he naned)
had driven him to the deed, and that he
was committing suicide for tho sole
purpose Of gaining thereby the power
to revenge himself upon his enemy. |
learned aitorwalh that tho officer had
received II similar letter
This was so puzzling that ! rat down
to reflect upon tho young mans pocul-
iarities. lio had always seemed some
what uncnnny and had ] proved more
sympathetic he doubtless would have
COMO further and told mo of certain
problems which no profossed to have
solved concerning the life beyond this.
Ono thing that ho had said camo back
wildly, IF could onl y overcome that
purely gross and animal lovoof life that
makes us all shun death, | would kill
myself, for / know how far moro pow
erful | could he IN spirit than in flesh. "
Tho manner Of the suicide wns star
thing, and that was what might have
been expected from this odd character.
Evidently scorning the flummory of fu.
nerals he had gone into u little canyon
near tho military reservation and blown
himself into u million fragments with
dynamite, so that all of him that was
found was some minute PARTICLES OF
flesh and bone.
| kept tho lottor u secret, for de.
sired to observe the officer without rous-
ing his suspicion uf my purpose, IL
would DO I'M admirable test of u dcad
mans power and deliberate intention to
hunt the living, for 50 | interpreted
the letter. The officer thus to be pun.
ished was IN oldish man, short, apo.
plectic, overbearing and iraseiblc Gen.
orally he was kind to most of tho men
i'll way, but no was gross and mean,
and that explained sufficiently his harsh
treatment Of young Gratmnr, whom no
could not understand, aud his efforts to
break that Eighty young man $ spirit,
Not very long after tho suicide cor.
tain notifications IN tho officers con.
duet became apparent to my wntchful
oversight. His cholor, though mono tho
loss sporadic, developed n quality which
had some of the characteristics of scnil.
ity, and yet he was still in his primo
and passed for Il sound man. lIo WAS II
bachelor and had lived always alone
but presently he began to shirli solitude
at night and court ii in daylight. His
brother officers chntled him, and there
upon he would laugh in rather II forced
and silly fashion quito different from
tho ordinary way with him. aud would
sometimes, on these occasions, blush so
violently that his face would become
almost purple. His soldorly alcrtncss
ana stermcss relaxed surprisingly Mt
times and ut others were cNaggerat.
cd into unnecessary acCrlity, his con-
duct in this regard suggesting that of a
drunken man who knows that he is
drunk and who now and then makes a
brave effort to appear sober. All these
thingsand more, indicating some mental
strain or some dreadful apprehension,
W perhaps something worse than either,
were observed partly by mo and partly
by an Intelligent officer whose watch
upon the man had been secured Ivy mo,
To he moro particular, tho afflicted
man was observed often to start sudden.
ly and i'll alarm, look quickly round and
make some unintclligout monosyllahic
answer, seemingly to IN inaudiblo ques-
tion that no visible person had asked,
He acquired tho reputation, too of hay
ing taken lately to Nightmares, for in
tho middle of the night he would shrek
i'll tho most dreadful fashion, alarming
his roommates prodigiously. After these
attacks no would sit up in bed, his rud,
dy face devoid Of color, his eyes CLASSY
and shining, his breathing broken with
gasps and his body wet with II cold per
spiration.
knowledge Of these developments and
transformations spread throughout til,
garrison, but tho few (mostly women
who dared to express sympathy or sug
gest tonic encountered so violent re
bluffs that they blessed heaven for escap
ing alive from his word vollcys, Ever
the garrison surgeon, who had n kindl,
manner, and the commanding general
who was constructed on digniiied an,
impressive lines, received little thank
for their solicitude. Clearly the dought,
old officer, who had fought like u bull
11nN tlnc