The Press., 1903-01-15
CARDS, THEN DEATH
A DOOMED DEsERTER WHO PLAYED
POKER AND WON.


He Had His winnings Distributed
Among the Members of the Squad
That Shot Him to Death
at is curious fact" said q mem
Der of Company A, Third Maryland,
shat military execution had peculiar
fascination for men who were daily
accustomed to see hundreds slain in
battle. Men who shovel a breaStwOrk
in on a trench full of slain comrades
and chew bareback or eat salt pork
while at the job with callousness
which only such frequent scenes or &C.
currences would make possible in the
human heart became peculiarly sensi-
tive and alive to the solemn parade
and .ormalities of military execution.
In our regiment we had private
soldier sentenced to lie shot for desert
ing to the enemy. His name was
Thompson, and he belonged to Com
puny X. This man Thompson had de-
serted off vedette post one night and
some two months afterward came into
our lines. where members Of his own
company happened to be on picket
duty. Thompson did not calculate on
this. His idea in coming in was to sur
render as a Confederate soldier and be
sent north. 1t happened near to the
Weldon railroad, where our division of
the Ninth corps was then posted. OF
course. on being recognized. he was
taken to headquarters and a court
martial was Immediately convened. 1t
leaked out somehow that Thompson
was not the humble soldier he seemed,
but Il Confederate officer and spy. He
had been an officer in the United States
navy before the war. He resigned and
went south, where he secured the CON-
mission of colonel of infantry.
Being a Marylander of family, eff
forts were made to save his life. but in
quiet way, as his relatives feared to
disclose his real identity for fear he
would be hanged as Il spy instead of
shot as a deSerter. Friday. the day
set for execution in the Army Of the
Potomac came around too soon for
Thompson and his relatives. The night
previous he had been Informed that all
efforts h: failed at Washington. l
was OH guard duty over him, and my
brother was one CT the detail of twelve
men selected as the firing squad. My
brother didn't like the job. and came
to the tent where | was on guard to
consult with me how to get out of it.
Thompson overheard our conversation,
and knowing my brother by name, he
broke in: Say, Tip, you must not back
out. | want you in the squad, as l
know you are dead shot and will
save me from the sergeant
1T was the practice for the sergeant
if the firing squad failed to kill the
doomed man with volley to place the
muzzle of his rifle against the temple
Of the prisoner and blow out his brains
After Tip had consented the officer
of the guard permitted us to play cards
with the prisoner. He had a roll of
bills. and we We're soon in a stiff poker
game Two guards, including myself,
my brother Tip and Thompson, COM
posed the quartet. We played until
gray daylight, and Thompson skinned
the party of every dollar. He had
phenomenal luck and watched the
game closely.
In the afternoon he was to die, and
about noon he asked to see the lieuten-
ant of the firing squad. Handing the
officer $500, he asked him to divide it
equally among the men detailed to
shoot him.
THE division was drawn up and
formed three sides of a square, the
fourth side being open, where the grave
Of Thompson was freshly dug. The
band played the dead march in SAUL
and Thompson. at the head Of the fir
ing squad. marched around the three
sides of the square. with the coffin in
which he was to be inclosed carried i'm
mediately behind him. Reaching the
open space the coffin was set down.
Thompson seated himself on the end Of
it. facing the firing squad. about twelve
PAGES distant. The death warrant was
read. and the chaplain tied his hand
kerchief over the prisoners eyes.
watched Thompson, curious to note If
he would hear the reports Of the mus
kets that killed him. Presently l heard
the lieutenant's low voice: Ready!
Aim! Fire"
lin the next instant Thompson top
pied back into his coffin dead man.
The reports Of the muskets he never
heard, as l saw him swiftly fall over
before l heard the guns crack and so
settled this disputed point to my own
satisfaction. and to that extent the ex-
ecution of Thompson interested me and
no more. Washington Post