The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-01-15
Warning from the.
Other World ~ ~
A Cavalry Officers Narrow Escape from
Trap In the Franco-German War.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

NE are living In an age of discov-
w cries and solutions of great mys-
teries. Who, so years ago, would have
dreamed Of the existence of the X-rays,
of all the marvels of electricity, of
bacilli and serums?
Yet the human intellect is far from
having attained the goal of its desire of
investigation. On the contrary, the
wonderful discoveries Of the great scien-
lists have but stimulated and urged 1t
more swiftly than ever along the great
race course whose prize and goal are in
vention and success!
What marvel if the learning of the
twentieth century, which has already
made so many impossible things posi-
BILE, seeks to transform the pretense of
conjuring up ghosts into earnest and to
cast light even into the gloom OF the
grave? "
Ghost stories are told by the thousand,
and, if the tales of old women could be
believed, we should all have walled
long ago in blaze Of light and known
that precisely at IL o'clock" skeletons
danced in the churchyards and pallid an
cestral danes wandered restlessly
through every old castle.
But such tales would possess abso-
lutely no interest for the public, who de-
sire to see this subject treated seriously.
Therefore the following one is related
on the authority Of persons whose char
acter Is guarantee of trustworthiness.
The incident was related by Joseph
Victor Won Scheffel. the famous author
Of "Ekkehard," by an intimate friend.
a cavalry officer, whom he called 8. and
described in the following terms:
His character excludes the possibf-
lily of any distrust A thorough soldier,
very practical in his mode of thought,
frank to bluntness, yet genuinely re-
ligious; man who, though he never
talks of his piety, in the hour of need
sends forth prayer from the inmost
depths of his heart
He was a cavalry officer. and during
the campaign Of 1870 and 1871 was prin-
cipally engaged in pursuing Frarc-
tireurs, a service for which his caution,
GOODNESS and courage bordering upon
recklessness, rendered him specially fit
ted.
tThe following story was told me
with his own lips"
It was a warm moonlight night when,
with few picked men of my squadron,
I set out to reconnoiter the enemy's po-
sition.
We had only general knowledge of
the country; we were aware that in
front of US was wood of moderate size,
behind It open meadows and titled land,
and adjoining the latter farmhouse
which we suspected to be the principal
hiding place and storeroom OF ammuni-
ton Of the Franc-tireurs.
The wood, however. proved larger and
more difficult to traverse than we ex-
pected, and although we used every pos
sible precaution we were often dis
turbed by sounds as II the enemy were
at hand and watching us.
We were already considering whether
under the circumstances. It would be adj
visable to pass out Of the protecting
gloom of the forest into the bright
moonlight. when the rising storm COW
cred the sky with clouds. Transforming
the brilliant moonlight into the most
Intense darkness.
We had reached the edge Of the voedx
and stopped D moment frresolutsly saz-
ing ost ppon he dark silent Dlain