The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-03-13
Old Comrades Meet
IorIsinsl.l

[orisinaLl
prisoner at the bar, have you any
thing to say why the sentence Of death
should not be passed upon your
well. Judge. SEEM that these hon.
able twelve gentlemen has brought me
in guilty, 1t would be highly dlsrespec'-
full for me to say anything ag'in their
verdic'. Howsoeyer. mebbe they
wouldn't mind my sayin' that when
the crime was committed sere in Ari-
iona was hghtin' the dagos in Cuba"
why did you not bring forward evil
dence OF that during the triais'
We'll, judge, the regiment | fou't
with wasn't recruited from these parts,
and most o. my comrades left their
carcasses on San Juan hill. No, there
wouldn't be no use tryin' to prove
alibl I've had fair trial You,
judge, have made the persecutin' at
torney treat me right. and the jury has
convicted me on the best kind O. cir
cumstantial evidence"
There was something SO honest APP
pearing In the old soldiers manner that
Judge, jury and spectators We're visibly
affected. One OF the spectators edged
around to where the judge sat and
whispered something In his ear.
This gentleman" said the judge to
the prisoner, says that he was In Cuba
during the Spanish-American war, and
perhaps you might prove your case by
bim.'
Don't remember ever TO have seen
the gentleman" remarked the prisoner,
scrutinizing the person referred to sus-
piciously.
You say" said the man. that you
were at San Juan hill?"
Il was"
what regiment?"
''The eth New York"
Its plain you're lynn, since no such
regiment went up the hill"
Reckon there wasn't, but there was
man as got separated from that regl
ment and fell In with the -th Illinois,
the company on the right end o. the
line, and the Teller that fell In was
myself"
why. you cussed liar, commanded
the company on the extreme right OF
the -th Illinois myself"
You didn't-no SIGH thing. You're
playin' some game on me. Got some
grudge TO send an innocent man to the
hanpmnn
Il ought to know" said the other in.
dignantly.
Il tell you" roared the condemned
man. "Cap'n Josh Bingham command.
ed that company"
And | tell you," retorted the other
angrily, I'm Cap'n Josh Bingham"
At this the captain lifted his over
shadowing sombrero to mop his brow.
and the prisoner scrutlnized him.
Great Scott. cap'n, how you have
changed" he said at last. I'd never
ha' knowed ye."
But the other would not admit the
acquaintance.
Judge" he said, this man has un.
doubtedly got hold of my army record
and is endeayoring to make something
out of IL ] never saw him before in
my life''
You set there. Cap'n Josh Bingham,
and say you never saw me before in
your life! DO you forget how when
we got TO the top o the hill dirty
dago started TO club you with the butt
OF his rifle and how man stepped In
and, after receivin' the blow on his
shoulder'-here the veteran tore open
his shirt and exposed a healed wound
run his bayonet through the dago.
Do you mean to say you don't remem
Der that?"
Yes, | do remember that, but you
wasn't the man that saved my life
That man carried me Off the field few
moments later when was wounded.
aud he got Spanish bayonet in his
forehead that left wound like Turk.
fish sclmiter. I'd know that would
anywhere"
What was his name?" the prisoner
demanded, growing angrier and shout.
fog louder with every word.
jim Hicks"
The spectators started. The prisoner
had been tried under that name.
Jim Hicks; yes, that war him-Jlm
Hicks. and that war me. You'd recog.
nize the scar anywhere would We,
cap'n? Well, what dye think o. this?"
He pushed aside lock of shocky
hair and displayed a scar the exact
counterpart OF a sclmiter. The captain
started.
why. Jim! Can it be? No-yes.
How you have changed, Jim! That
campaign has told ON us both. Your
hand. old comrade."
While he was speaking he was edg.
ing around to where the prisoner stood.
and, hrst grasping his hand. he after.
ward took him in his arms. The spec.
tators, having witnessed this dialogue.
on which human life hung. no sooner
saw the .denouement than they set up
shout that made the log courthouse
ring. The Judge raped for order,
charged the jury TO retire TO reconsider
their verdict and TO bring in one in ac-
cordance with the new evidence. This
they did, pronouncing the prisoner not
guilty. Jim Hicks and his "vef' COM