Evening journal., 1905-03-18
Old Comrades Meet
LorigInaL1


the crime was committed here IN Ari-
Eona was tlghtin the dagos IN Cuba"
"Why did you not bring forward evil
dence OF that during the trinlT'
"Well. judge, the regiment fou't
with wasn't recruited from these parts,
and most O. my comrades left their
on San Juan hill. No, there
wouldn't be no use tryin' to prove a
alibi. I've had fair trial. You.
judge, have made the persecutn' at
torney treat me right and the jury has
convicted me on the best kind o cir
cumstantial evidence"
There was something so honest ap-
pearlng in the old soldiers manner that
judge, jury and spectators were 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
him"
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 hlllr
Il was"
"What reglmentT'
1.-THE -th New York"
IT'S plain you're lyin'. since no such
regiment went up the HILL"
Reckon there wasn't. but there was
a man as got separated from that regi-
ment and fell in with the --th Illinois,
the company on the right end o. the
line, and the feller that fell in was
myself"
why, you cussed liar, I commanded
the company on the extreme right of
the -th Illinois myself"
"You didn't-no sich thing. You're
playin' some game on me. Got some
grudge to send an innocent man to the
hangman."
Il ought to know" said the other In
dlgnantly.
Il tell you," roared the condemned
man, "Cap'n Josh Bingham command.
ed that company"
And / tell you" retorted the other
angrlly, I'm Cap'n Josh Bingham"
At this the captain lifted his over
shadowing sombrero to mop his brow,
and the prisoner scrutinized him.
"Great Scott, cap'n, how you have
changedw 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 endeavOring 10 make something
out Of it. I never saw him before in
my life"
You set there, Cap'n Josh Bingham
and say you never saw me before II
your life! Do you forget how wher
we got to the top O. the hill a dirty
dago started to club you with the but
of his rife and how a man stepped II
and. after receivin' the blow on hi
shoulder"-here the veteran tore opeI
his shirt and exposed a healed wound
''run his bayonet through the dago
Do you mean to say you don't remem
Der that7"
"Yes, / do remember that, but yol
wasn't the man that saved my life
That man carried me or the field a few
moments later when was wounded
and he got a Spanish bayonet in hi
forehead that left a wound like a Turk
ish scimiter. I'd know that would
anywhere"
what was his name?' the prisonel
demanded, growing angrier and shout
| ing louder with every word.
Jim Hicks"
The spectators started. The prIsone
had been tried under that name.
"Jim Hicks; yes. that war him-Jin
Hicks, and that war me. You'd recog
nize the scar anywhere would ye
cap'n? Well, what dye think o. thisT
He pushed aside a lock Of shock.
hair and displayed a scar the exac
counterpart Of a scimiter. The captain
started.
''Why, JIM Can it be? No-yes
How you have changed. Jiml Tha
campaign has told on us both. You
hand, old comrade."
While he was speaking he was edg
ing around to where the prisoner stood
and, first grasping his hand, he after
ward took him In his arms. The spec
( tators, having witnessed this dialogue
on which a human life hung. no soone
saw the denouement than they set VI
a shout that made the log COURTEOUS
ring. The judge raped for order
charged the jury to retire to reconside
their verdict and to bring in one In &C
cordance with the new evidence. Thi
they did. pronouncing the prisoner no
guilty. Jim Hicks and his ''vet" CON
! panion left the courtroom together an
sauntered toward the outskirts OF tn
settlement, their arms around eac
others neck. followed by the goo
wishes of every settler. When the
reached q point where two horses wer
hitched they mounted and rode away.
"Somepin beautiful in that friend
ship" remarked one of the observer
to another.
Beautiful Takes battlefeids I
make them friendships"
4 few hours later a sheriff rode int
tho place. described Captain Binghar
and said that he wanted him for hors
stealing.
II was thai that the judge, the jur
and the spectators discovered that the
had been sold by two Of the worst de-
peradoes, murderers and horse thieve