Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

NH
dead. He probably never knew what
K&A4l hurt him. Two of the non-commis-
iXNSgI stoned officers of the troop packed Mat
off to the guard house.
He's dead!' was all he said. He was perfectly
sober and quiet
The day of the burial he was out at work,
strongly ironed and guarded The sentinel
Strengthened up and stood attention as the i'm
provised hearse "a dead-axle wagon came creak-
ing and groaning through the sand en- route to
the little cemetery on the bluff
He don't deserve that" said Matson, pointing
to the flag covering the pine-box coffin Then
he went on with his work.
There was board convened to investigate and
report upon the circumstances attending the kill
ing After a careful consideration of all the
known facts, the board found 'that Private Will
liam Nixon, Troop D, 18th u S. Cavalry, came
to his death from pistol wound at the hands of
Private Jason Matson, same troop"
But then-everybody had known this before
All sorts of devices and means had been used
to get at the truth, but in vain The prisoner
stubbornly silent on that one subject
Previous to this trouble AIatson had always
been a quiet, retiring and decent man, some
what superior to the ordinary trooper in point
of education AT the time of the killing he had
been in the troop almost five years Nixon was
virtually recruit. The day previous to the pris-
oner's departure for Santa Fe I was sergeant of
the main guard, and had received special nstruc-
tions regarding him. For the past week he had
not been sent out to work, and all that day
had heard him shuffing up and down, up and
down, like some Gagged beast.
The keys to the cells were in my personal pos
session, and when dinenr was brought from the
troop | superintended its delivery. Never word.
He took what given him, ate with apparent
relish, and then silently handed back the tin cup
and plate
"Can I do anything for you, Matson?"
A shake of the head and the weary never
ceasing shufhing began anew-up and down, up
and down.
1t was a relief to get back to the guard room
After supper | inspected his irons, searched his
cell very thoroughly and posted No. 2, whose
beat extended around the corridors of the prison
room.
The night came on, hot and sitting, with hard
ly breath of air. It parting shot of the
almost defunct summer. The members of the
guard were lounging about on the porch smok-
ing yawning, and waiting for the second relief to
be posted.
The soldier is always waiting, though at times
no one seems to know for what
Fall in, the second relief!' There was a NOV
ing and shufhing of feet, putting out of pipes,
tightening of belts, grasping of carbnes, and then
with a rather listess air, the men fell in and
were marched off.
Corporal of the guard No. 2" | answered the
call myself.
prisoner Matson wants to see the sergeant of
the guard" said the sentinel
The sight that met my eyes is yet before me,
vivid, clear, and distinct Matson standing
close to the cell door, both hands raised above
him grasping the iron bars. The moonlight
streaming through the prison room windows
threw an almost uncanny light his face; his
eyes were shining and blazing with excitement.
and every and then his upper lip twitched
nervously. He was ironed, hands and legs.
As l approached him he moved, and the clanll-
ing of his chains sent thrill of pity through me
He was a murderer No doubt it should have
been a thrill of horror, but all things are not
plain to one at twenty.
"Nfy God I can't stand this any longer. I
must talk to some one" he said, in answer to
my inquiry.
instructed No. to stay on the other side of
the prison room, and then drew up a small bax
from one of the corners of the corridor. It was
not altogether unexpected and my instructions
from the officer of the day covered this very
possible occurrence.
"Go on" said after had seated myself
He shifted his position slightly and commenced
"No doubt you are all wondering why I killed
Nixon. | know il seems oldblooded and un.
provoked, but when you've heard my story it
may change your opinion somewhat,
"I'll have to go back number of years. No,
never knew Nixon until he came to the troop, -
at was six years ago, and was living back in
West Virginia in one of the railroad towns on
the b. & o. l was an engineer on the road
When I got my promotion from fireman to en-
gineer l married girl had known all my life.
| don't know when began to care for her. AL
ways, I suppose There no beginning; there
has been no ending. We had gone to school to-
gether, played together, grown up together, and
we'll, ! married her.
did she for me? She certainly did not
care for anybody else She never went with any
body else Everyone seemed to understand it.
| loved her better than anything else I knew
gand married her. Did you ever care for girlT'
he suddenly asked me-
My cigarette dropped from my fingers at the
abruptness of his question.
"No." could truthfuly say it, then.
"Well you will some day." he continued, 'and
when you do, you'll understand how felt Love
her, If you musti worship her; adore her; but
don't marry her. ThA chances are she'll never