Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-05-25
GOT EVEN" WITH SHAFTEP
now Sergeant Whom He Threw
lhto Guardhouse Squared Accounts

s.
Jack Carroll, retired army SER
seant of Topeka, Kansas, once ar
rested General Shafter and marched
MN fourteen miles down a hot and
DUSTY mountain trail in Arizona Car
roll's own story of how he got even"
is this:
one day during difference of opin-
ion between myself and the officer of
the day over trivial affair the officer
SO far forgot himself as TO strike me
across the face with the fiat of his
sword after calling me several
vile names No sooner had the blow
fallen than | drew back my fist and
with all the strength in my right arm
struck the officer between the ewes.
lie fell about ten feet from me and in
my passion | ran to him and kicked
MIN several times before he could rise
The affair was the sensation of the
garrison for about two weeks and was
supposed to have blown over. when
Colonel Shafter heard OF 1t. He sent
word for me to come to his office
Here he informed me that he had
heard the story and asked me If | real-
lied the enormity of my offense I'm
striking my superior officer. | told
him that | did, but would strike any
officer who would subject me to Tn.
"!G@tiSn4ty Yhiah the officer of the day
had
'Shafter became angry at this re-
ply and said with sneer, You would
strike me, | suppose?'
II quietly answered, Yes, sir.
What, with these on? Would YOU
strike a man wearing these? DO YOU
dare to tell me that you would strike
me-?
i smiled at his anger and told him
that | certainly would. He was liter
ally uncomfortable in his passion at
this reply He called in an orderdly
and IN voice heavy with emotion or
dered me thrown into the guard-house.
In a few minutes afterward he sent
another orderly with instructions to
the guard to rivet ball and chain on
my ankle.
Il was left in this condition for five
weeks without a chance to change nv
clothing and no opportunity for hear
ing OF my case. Finally General
Miles heard of the affair and ordered
me released without a trial.
From that time until the close OF
my term of enlistment Colonel Shafter
was my bitterost enemy and he let no
opportunity slip to humiliate me.
refused, on account OF this enmity, to
re-enlist when my term had expired
and went down to the little town near
the fort and stayed there several
weeks.
one morning private from the
regiment came into the village and
told me that the colonel and a party
of officers had gone to the mountain
on deer hunt
Il saw that my time for revenge on
the colonel had arrived and hunted up
the sheriff. ! told him that | would
give him So If h. would deputize me to
arrest the colon,l II | caught him vio-
lating the game law.
Il took another man and went up
the mountain, When we sighted him
he had just shot large buck. /
sprang forward and, pulling my revolt
yer, informed him that ne was under
arrest for violating the game law and
ordered him to drop his rife. My as
sstant started forward with tho hand
cuffs but ! wanted all the fun to be
gotten out Of the affair and, taking the
irons, snapped them on the wrists OF
the protesting and indignant colonel
THE deputy and ! mounted and |
told the colonel to commence his
march to the town.
What he exclaimed you epnt
intend to march me fourteen miles
through this scorching sun. do YOU?
II informed him that we intended to
do just that and that he had better
start unless he wanted uB to lead him.
He turned at this and marched on
down the trail. He had hopes that the
party would miss him and follow the
trail, but we reached the town without
seeing any OF his friends / enter
tanned the colonel with a discussion
Of his ability to march in such sun
He frequently interrupted me to swear
vengeance, always closing with
choice lot Of epithets.
I'VE reached the town just at sun
set, and the inhabitants, all OF whom
knew the story OF my wrongs at the
hands OF the colonel, had assembled to
witness the procession The colonel
eyinced a desire to take the sidewalk
through the town. but / marched him
through the streets to the iailt h
Here he easily secured his release,
as ] knew he would. by executing a
small bond for his appearance He
cooled down after a time and went to
his headquarters. He realized that In
reyenging myself on him | had kept
within the letter OF the law and was
safe / was very well satisfied with
the way accounts stood between Us. -
New YORK Journal