Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-11-02

i and women Of his blood. They moved like ahaA.
1 owe He neithea saw them nor heard them Mid
1 night came, and yet he gave no sign.
| Hope brooded in the waiting crowds. Il was
l known that Dr. Janeways the famous specialist
was on his way from New York. Who could tell
| but that the skkill and knowledge Of the great
Physician mighS turn back the force Of death and
give the president to his people againf Oh, the
agony Of that hourI Men walked in the streets a.
softly as though they were in the siclrooEn.
Suddenly the stiffness was broken by distant
sound Of galloping horses feet. Nearer and
nearer It came through the darkness. The ropes
stretched across the street were dropped, and the
voiceless multitude parted as an open carriage
drawn by foam covered, smoking steed swept
madly up to the house Of sorrow. man leaped
from the carriage and to the house at the top
OF his speed. It was DR.. Janeway The hundreds
Of newspaper correspondents gwarmed eagerly
against the ropes and waited for word Of hope.
So great was the stiffness that the noise OF the
telegraph instruments in the tents tortured the
nerves
Alas, mol The president was beyond the help
Of human hands. Not all the doctors IN all the
schools could call him back from the shadows
At a quarter after 2 clock in the morning Dr..
Rixey sat at the bedside holding the presidents
wrist In one hand and an open watch in the other.
Tick, tick, tickl The breath stirred the white
nostrils. Tick, tick, ticki The smiling lace was
rigid. Dr.. Rixey laid the presidents hand down
gently and closed his watch.
1.-THE president is dead" he said.
Within thirty seconds the telegraph wires were
carrying the news to a thousand centers OF ciyi-
Hzation, and the tired newspaper men went to
their beds for rest before beginning the history Of
a new president, for the hand of the assassin
might slay beloved president, but it was power
less to interrupt the story of the nation.
Another notably interesting and
graphically written chapter Of Mr..
Creelman's work is entitled "On the
Firing Line In the Philippines" which
follows.
There were days in hoary Manila, before the
little brown men began to retreat over the hot
ricefelds and through the green bamboo jungles,
when army lay in the trenches around the
scorching city, a semicircle of misery twenty
miles long, harassed night aIa day by the watch
full insurgent sharpshooters-days Of strain when
craven hearted policy and wooden headed
military censorship prevented the war correspond
ents in the Philippines from giving the American
congress and the American people a hint Of the
secrets of that strange scene
1t was time when the startled native looked
with wondering eyes upon the flag that was borne
across the Pacific promise of liberty; when
the race that had not yet learned to tuck its
shirt inside of its trousers had at least lear1ed to
look to America as the great protagonist of hui
man rights and had eagerly copied its songs OF
freedom AguiRaldo strutted among his generals
at Malolos. Otis dawdled at his desk in Manila
The two armies faced each other and waited. No
word of surrender from Malolos. No word of
Cancellation from Washington. The correspond
ents in the iron grip Of the censor.
Yet one afternoon the two peoples spoke to
each other across the cruel barrier of race and
language, and |, looking on, heard the Yolee In
which age speaks to age.
tt was one of those sDectacleS in which the
souls of rise mysteriously into concord above
the clamors and hatreds of war, touched by the
central fame of universal brotherhood.
The Kansas regiment occupied the trenches on
the left of our line, and Colonel Funston, the
gamecock. of the army, had kept his men close to
their work. It perilous position, for Just
beyond the screen of trees, the other side of
an open stretch of ricefelds, was massed the main
army of the Philippine republic The mtreneh-
ments of the enemy close that we could
see them plainly and the pale blue figures NOV
ing here and there in the edge of the woods. On
the extreme left were advanced breastworks OF
sandbags to guard against might rush.. Be
hind the Kansas line was venerable church.
The roof was shattered by shells from Dewey's
feet the chancel rail converted into har-
ness rack and the side altar into a telegraph
operators table, the vast stone floor covered with
beds OF officers and the sacred images roughly
piled in distant corner. In front of the church
An infantry band sent from the city to cheer
our tired men lifted gayly in the rear. 1t was
the first music that had been heard there since
the outbreak of war between the United States
and the Philippine republic. Now and then
pair of soldiers would waltz to the music in the
trench, crouching in fantastic attitudes to avoid
the aim of the enemy's marksrnen. few con-
verted their tin cups into drums and beat tine
with their knives and forks. Then the music
changed from gay to grave. At last the concert
was ended, and the band marched back to the
city.
Suddenly strain of music was heard from the
anemy's line-sweet, quavering chords that sound
ed strangely familiar. Instantly every man in the
Kansas regiment was alert. There was roar Of
laughter in the trenches. The initiative spirit of
the Filipinos was the joke of the army.
Across the brown stretch of dead rice came the
solemn sound of the hymn, "Stand Up For
Jesus
''Nary q stand up here, with niger rifles pint
ID at us!'' roared the tall Kansan
Invitation respectfully declinedi" shouted the
,ther.
"Better keep down, boys said an officer
harply. 'It's a trick. They'll open FIRE in
minute. Don't SHOW your heads
Still the sound of the stately tune came SWELL
ng through the air, new soft and tender, now
oud and passionate
STAND up, stand up for Jesus
Ye soldiers OF the cross;
Lift high his royal banner;
It must not suffer loss"
There was sudden silence in the trenches.
Iemory was at work. It was a voice from home,
message from dear old Kansas, an echo Of other
ays and gentler scenes.
The music ceased. Every man listened. There
Tas a hush in the air, and the descending sun
asst long shadows in the field. Through the tan
led masses of trees that hid the Philippine mu-
icians few figures could be seen moving boldly
ut on the enemy's works.
Then beautiful thing happened. From the
istant camp came rolling throb of drums, and
be insurgent band swung grandly into "The Star
pangled Banner There was q moment Of
awning surprise, and then the whole Kansas reg
nent stretched out for nearly half mile, leap
from the trenches and stood on top Of the
Every soldier drew his heels togeth.
r, uncovered and placed his hat over his left
reast. It was the regulation salute to the ma
onal anthem. AS the music rolled forth clear.
igh splendid, the Kansans Strengthened them
lives and remained motionless while the enemy
ontinued to play the one supreme psalm OF
merfca. The whole line was exposed. Net
ian carried weapon in his hand. Yet not
lot was fred. The Filipinos watched the bare
eaded American regiment and played on. It
90 ono of +bosa psvcholooicnI moments when