Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-24

sam. Ell3I the incident L am
about to relate took place. said an old
cavalryman ia Il reminiscent mood the
other day to an eXpectant group in a
Pittsbur% hotel
There came TO = troop from the
First Il quiet. inOffensive- man called
Miller. He was Il soldier, and he was
n man and we'll liked. One night he
and few of the troop We're in town
drinking and hurting nobody. 4 tin
horn gambler and would be tough man
of that part came along and pushed
him. Now, the gambler might have
been drinking, and Miller was one of
the sort who never look for trouble I'M
til it's pretty big. AS the bully moved
away he said. All, the First cavalry's
no good Still the soldiers paid no at
tention to him. The slugger came at
him again and said some things about
the regiment that would make a coyote
blush to hear.
"'Lookee here said Miller. I be-
longed TO the First cavalry once, and 1
guess YOU mean me. too and he began
to strip off his blouse.
Yes. L mean you too" The tough
saw that the soldier meant to fight
and, being Il bad one. thought the other
men would jump him instead of having
It out fairly. He reached back, and. with
Take THAR put a - Colt into Miller
below the stomach. Miller was hurried
to the post hospital. the reservation
being only Il mile from town. and the
tough went to Jail good and plenty. and
in hurry too. 1t was all over the
post in Il minute-what had happened
to NIiller-and Troop Il went crazy.
Miller was still living the next morn
ing, and it was told around that the
tough would he brought up TO the hos
pital so that the wounded man could
identify him before he died.
Sure enough, the sheriff, in a rig
with three deputies, comes driving up,
large as life, with their prisoner. Now,
from the post to Walla Walla the road
winds down to the town and crosses
railroad track. the distance being
good mile. Miller was conscious and
said it was the man all right. The
sheriff announced to the old man that
he had seen an unusual lot of soldiers
on the road coming up. and as pre-
caution the officer of the guard and
some mounted men were sent along as
an escort. Now. the road near the rail
road crossing was lined with troopers.
and each had a lariat, but the men kept
hidden.
Il wasn't there. but l heard that
when the rig reached the track the men
sprang up. and there was a pause of Il
second or two. like just before horse
falls over when he rears. The rig was
halted.
WHATS this. mem began the Off
Ger of the guard as he saw the bunch
edging in closer. Turning TO the escort,
he snapped:
Ready. aim And then there was
another pause. Just imagine the posi-
ton of that officer. There might have
been some of his own men in that lot,
and he himself was against the tough,
although he dare not show it. 1t was
rough OH him to shoot down men of the
Fourth for wanting the scalp of that
bloody hound Suddenly rang out a
voice in the rear:
He won't shoot us
The officer leaned forward to the
sheriff as the soldiers began to ad-
vance. Lashing his horses. that official
wheeled his rig and started on dead
gallOp for the post, with the escort
behind him. Two of the three depu-
ties rolled out of the flying rig, fearing
firearms, but not one of the men in the
roadway had been armed. The rig
reached the guardhouse safely. and i'm
mediately the call To arms" was
sounded.
Meantime the officer of the guard
threw the entire guard around the
guardhouse with carbines loaded. The
troops were formed up and III troop
detailed as an escort to see the sheriff
to the jail The regiment stood at pa
rade rest until II troop returned from
town and reported that the sheriff had
his prisoner safely in Jail again. The
regiment had been fooled.
During the afternoon men were talk
ing together quietly in threes and fours,
but there was nothing unusual That
night the canteen at Wallawalla post
had more men drinking than for long
time. CuriouSly, there was no singing,
and the time wore on until just at a 80
O'Clock, above the hum of voices. came
a shrill whistle as n head was stuck in
to one of the windows. Two minutes
later there was no one left with the
barteTAer, although there had not been
any apparently. great rush to get away.
The Jail at Wallawalla is on a high
piece of ground. with lawns all around,
and any one inside could easily see peo-
pie coming toward the gate. 1t is a big !
square building in the business part of
the town. Shortly before s o'clock it !
was dark. and there We're lights in all |
the business houses. Suddenly into each !
store a calm but determined soldier |
walked and at the point of an. army |