The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-08-11
Why a japanese
Boy Went to War


ManchuE!.s 4 Ase5 a gsu-E ot-rlE Ok
cupyihg a very Important position Oh
tilc s1.ll II 5sle VI "a generals Ei-5
looked bate drsrd fo- tie se2lJSl-oa.a
than for war. ] asked him how one 81
yozng haIsfr ned II come 10 the front
and attain such hiEh rank II the sew
ice. and lie told H. the following
sVOfy:
Six months ago entered oIr mill
tsry school, which hsGe teen tod
vas nOielad On your school al West
Point The boys l found there were
al very young because all the otter
ones bad been pIeziaturely graduated
and sent w here. the Vacancies being
died by youngsters Ike myself. The
officers on duly. TOO. were very young.
Coming iron tie country and B5t OF
the ssnur2l, OI. mililaEy class, knew
nothing about the army regulations,
scarcely realizing the difference De
tween an officer and q cadet Indeed
AZ the schoO! there was ngt much elf
ference, some q lie instructors hRv-
Ing been made caleE officers after q
years study and nut il as drill mas
tiers One Of them, Lieutenant Ishi-
uura. be4E5less lsoy. put on a great
many airs and took special pleasure
in doing - toward me was very
patient under his structures, but at
last they became ulbelrabie, and /
Tebelled He Kept ny a perpetual
sheer az my L3aHching In the drill
( sQusd, and. nothing. OF affecting 10
notice, that carried ny belly forward
instead Of my chest be struck NE in
the former. causing me great pain
+ Under tie impulse q resentment Al
the unjust treatment ] knocked him
down
NJ act was nutiny, and mutiny Is
punishable with death. but Ishimura
had no right 10 punch NE as he had
done and was puzzled 10 know what
TO do IN the matter After c0DsUita-
lion with several Of his brother officers
be decided 10 tesch ne e lesson By
ulesns Of & bIur That night I was
taken out OF bad and marched silently
TO ro0D where sat about & table
several cadet o9iceEs who proceeded
10 Try NE for mutiny They played
their parts 50 well that was complete
" deceived. When al the conclusion
was convicted and sentenced 70 be
shot, bad 10 doubs that the court
was bona nde and tie sentence would
really De carried out The only thing
about II that surprised NE was that
Tu,R - 49, 90 q
the academy AM executed I begged
for tine 10 write Z letter 10 NY par
snts, giving NY reasons for the disgrace
had brought o. Tie family and bid
ding them farewell No attention was
paid 70 ny request and. having been
placed ia the centeE Of ham dozen
cadets, I WIS marched ont Of the bar
racks. Every nou sDd again some one
OF the boys who were evidently thrown
out as scouts would fan back 70 re-
port something sbeAl Then one would
halt and walt ! did Lot know at the
time what they were doing. bat learned
it all afIerWsTd The wood was
reached without serious interruption
and was placed az the center Of an
opening Il the ETses The cadets were
drawn Up a. q firing s9Cad, and ! was
asked Il 7 had anything 10 say before
being executed
Only" I replied, that Lieutenant
IshimurR s 4 coward or he would give
NE AZ opportunity 10 fight hin on
equal grounds before l die"
There was & consultation in whispers,
and ! vas told that IshimUra would
meet ne We we're given swords and
set 10 wo-k Ishimura had considered
me easy 10 dtsarn, which would end
the contest but while be was trying
Only 70 disarn ne was trying 10 XII
him before being shot Ny situation
gave NE an unnatural strength and
rap5liry Of movement Making q des-
perate .Cuge- pierced his sword arm,
rendering it for TIE tine being use
less
The youngsters. who were in the
wrong frol the beginning. were
thrown by this INTO deeper water. Aft
er & hurried c5.4sulta tisa was placed
again before tie firing party and tod
that ny second offense Of wouDding
an officer vas worse than the first and
was 70 be shot az once. vas 50
pleased al the punishment had given
ny tormentCr that felt comforted-
Taking { cigarette from my packet !
lighted II and smoked while the firing
party were loading their GINS When
they raiSad them s.ld aimed Et NE
pafTed away, thinking that was tax
ing ny lsst smoke The order 70 FIRE
was given, theIe wss a fash IN my
face and-I stood uIlharned The guns
had been loaded with HANK cartridges
Gentlemen said the superfntend-
ent Of the academy, stepping from be
hind 8 tree, This farce has gone far
enough. Lieutenant ishimura. 60 70
y0ur quarters under arrest as TO
you" addressing ne. 1t Is not expect
cd that you should 50 soon understand
subordinstiOn. ard you have shown
natural qualities Of & soldier that
make your presence AZ TIE front de
sirable- Tomorrow shall send you te
ny friend General y, who I have 10
doubt VIII ind use for your soldierty
abilities
II be had simply done Es be said
should have been vel pleased With
tie result. but the next day when we
were drawn up on parade be hObbled
out on 20 the ErUund-bs vas minus
az arm and q leg sos< in MsDeh1ris-
and calling ne 20 step TO the front,
reviewed ny case, censured all who
had been connected with my mock
trial and execution, then pronounced