Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-04-26

VINO olo u TOT pay na0 TO leave camp
the same day.
The mother did not appear, but when
the news of the execution reached her
the sister came into camp. She was a
girl of about II, poorly dressed and
without beauty, but her face bore a
look which no man has ever forgotten
The major tried to avoid her. but she
forced her way past the sentinel into
his tent and called upon God to curse
him. Those who were with him and
heard her said that she spoke without
excitement and her language was that
of the poor and lovv1y, but the blood
thirsty major trembled under her
words. She scathed him for five min
utes and received no words in reply.
Then she turned and passed out of the
tent. As she did so the major sprang
up and ordered the sentinel to detain
her. What he intended doing cannot
say, but he probably meant to hold her
a prisoner for few days at least.
The sentinel grasped the girl with
one hand and she grasped his musket
at the same time. There was a brief
struggle, the musket was accidentally
discharged and the girl lay dead on the
ground. There was such excitement
in camp over the occurrence that Mai.
Bell was alarmed. He could not send
her body home to be buried, because
her home had been burned and her
mother was wanderer over the fields.
but he was driven to give it interment
beside that OF the brother, and that in
respectful manner.
For week after the burial the major
was rather quiet. While not directly
responsible for the girls death, he
must have realized that there was
bitter feeling against him among of
fcers and men. and, perhaps, he feared
to be reported. After a few days a
scout brought the news that he had
discovered the hiding place of number
of guerril1as, and the major was alert
again. So anxious was he to make a
good haul that he ordered out a COM
pany and took command of it in per-
son.
Weleft camp at dark to make march
of eight miles over a mountain road.
We were to surprise the guerrillas as
they slept, and the order was to give
no quarter. 1t was II o'clock before
we reached the vicinity of the cave, and
then six of US, accompanied by the ma
jor, went forward on a scout. The moon
rose as we were making our way along
the left bank of a mountain creek. The
path led US up on to plateau 100 feet
above the creek, and there we halted
while the major went forward few
PAGES alone. He was standing in the
full moonlight. peering into the dark
ness 100 feet beyond him, and there
was the silence of death upon the spot,
when we caught sight of white figure
on the far side of the open space.
Almost as we got our first glimpse OF
it the figure developed into the form of
a woman. I can't say that she was old
or young. The form was clear enough
but the face was not. Tt did not come
toward us as woman walks. but drift
ed over the ground like a shadow.
There was no sound of footsteps-no
one cried out-no one moved.
That form made straight for the
major. He did not start back in alarm,
nor did we hear a word from his lips.
The figure might have been 80 seconds
advancing hundred feet. 1t was a
slow advance, but there was no hesitat-
ing. As we held our breath and stared
with wide-open eyes, the figure reached
the major. He raised his arm, as if to
push it away, but at the same time
moved backwards. 1t followed him. It
seemed TO US to reach out its arms to
clasp him, but he kept retreating. Had
he shouted it would have broken the
spell which held US, but no shout was
uttered. He was not more than IL feet
from the edge of the cliff when the
form first appeared. He backed to-
ward it unmindful of the danger, nor
did any of us realize it until too late.
OF sudden we saw him throw up his
arms and disappear, but he did not cry
out. That ghostly form fingered on
the brink of the cliff for quarter of a
minute and then faded away as one
loses sight of d wreath of smoke. No
one could say whittier it had gone.
Down there in the bed of the creek
with every bone broken we found the
major. All next day we hunted over
the mountain but found no cave-no
guerrillas- living thing. A form had
come stealing out of the shadows of
night and driven the majo to his death.
1t has returned to the shadows. That
was all.
Over and over again at the court of
inquiry they sneeringly said: And
you expect US to believe that a ghost
did it!''
We had told the truth-we had told
things as our eyes beheld them, and we
could tell no more.-Philadelphi
Press.
why He Didn't Go.
Maj. Harrigan got the war fever
oTIx- IIo