Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-01
Waiting for His TrinI.

Waiting for His Trial.
well l was In the mill full month be-
fore got tri"1-that is, / was locked up at
night. During the day from O'Clock in
the morning until = i'm the afternoon. | was
chased out by sentry with n loaded gun
ana liked bayonct. to perform little
chores around the island -whitcwashlrg
chicken coops and outhouscs, shoycling
coal. digging gravel. saving wood. &c.
l was almost dead every night when | got
through Hcaribroken? Good Lord. L was
almost crazy,
Finally. after had been In the cIink for
full month. one of the scrgcants from
my battery turned up in his full-drcss uni
FORM. with pistol strapped around his
waist and carrying with him my best
fatigue uniform. He told me that he was
under orders to take me over to Angel
Island for trial. ana he advised mo to tog
myself out neatly IN order to make n hit
with the court l slid into the uniform
anu the sergeant took mo down to the
dock where the government steamer was
waiting. AZ ] went over the gangway 1
saw about half dozen cavalry and in
fantry officers sitting smoking and laugh.
ing on the upper deck. They were all rig.
gcd cut In their full-drcss uniforms
plumes. sashcs and all. and | asked thu,
sergeant what the deuce they were gotten
up that way for.
They're some of the officers that arc
going to try you he said
MY trip over to Angel Island that day
went for nauEht. The court took up the
case OF "a cavaryman first Ia chap who had
sold his saber for rum), and SO the ser
etant had to convoy mo back to Alcatrcz
This same thing happened three days in
succession. and the strain was n bit wear
ing. i want TO tell you.
'On the fourth day | was led into the
court. Even now l can't recall the hour or
two ] spent there without sensations OF
misery. Eleven officers. from second leu
tenants up TO the major. who was the pres
i'cnt OF the court, sat around long table
IN their fun rcralla. Juggling at their mus
taches and looking mad over the necessity
which compelled them to temporarily wear
their fun dress uniforms. They eyed mo
with what seemed TO me, In my fcarSome
and imaginative state OF mind the bitter
est sort of vindictiveupss when I was
brought In 10y tn" sergeant. and during tho
whole proceedings l am certain that somN
of them anyhow glared nj me as If | hal
burned down half a dozen tenement houses
The Mistake He Made.
Now. ! ought to say right here that
made mistake I'm that business. ! pre-
pared written statement I'm my own de-
Tense. and had 1t typewriter by battery
clerk for presentation to the court. AS |
remember 1t, II was Il pretty well-writt"u
document. and II set forth clearly that
nothing but the eye Of omuipotcncc could
have penetrated the fog that enshroudcd
the citadel on the morning | WAS put in
arrest. But II was a bad break for me to
make, and 1t showed ! hadn't been long
In the service. The judge advocates read
the statement aloud to the court after they
had all taken the oath. 1t created constcr-
nation. The officers of the court gaZed at
me If ] were Il mailman! A private SOL
der make a written statement I'm his own
defense before a general Court-martial, AM
n well-written statement at that! Prepos-
ferrous! What's the service coming to. any