The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-04-15

T.
A man stood upon a railroad bridge
in Northern Alabama, looking down in
To the swift waters twenty feet below.
The mans hands We're behind his back
the wrists bound with q cord. rope
loosely encircled his neck. 1t was at
tached to a stout crosstimber above
his head, and the slack fell to the level
of his knees Some loose boards lalu
upon the sleepers supporting the metals
of the railway supplied footing for
him. and his executioners-two private
soldiers of the Federal army, directed
by a sergeant who in civil life may
have been a deputy sheriff. At snort
remove upon the same temporary plat
form was an officer in the uniform OF
his rank. armed He was a captain
A sentinel at each end of the bridge
stood with his rife in the position
known as support" that is to say,
vertical in front of the left shoulder,
the hammer resting on the forearm
thrown straight across the chest-a
formal and unnatural position, enforc-
ing an erect carriage of the body. 1t
did not appear to be the duty of these
two men to know what was occurring
at the center of the bridge; they merely
blockaded the two ends of the foot
plank which traversed it.
Beyond one of the sentinels, nobody
was in sight: the railroad ran straight
away into forest for hundred yards,
then curving, was lost to view. Doubt
less there was an outpost farther along.
The other bank of the stream was open
ground-a gentle activity crowned
with stockade of vertical tree trunks,
loopholed for rifles with a single en-
brasure through which protruded the
muzzle of a brass cannon command
ing the bridge. Midway of the slope
between bridge and fort were the spec
fators-ss single company of infantry
in line, at parade rest" the butts of
the rifles on the ground, the barrels
incfining slightly backward against the
right shoulder, the hands crossed upon
the stock. A lieutenant stood at the right
of che line. the point of his sword upon
the ground his left hand resting upon
his right. Excepting the group of four
at the center of the bridge, not man
moved. The company faced the bridge,
staring stonily, motionless. The sem
tfnels. facing the banks of the stream,
might have been statues to adorh the
bridge. The captain stood with fold
ed arms. SILENT observing the work
of his subordinates. but making no
sign Death is a dignitary who, when
he comes announced, is to be received
with formal manifestations of respect,
even by those most familiar with him.
In the code of military etiquette 81
lence and fixity are forms or Difference.
The man who was engaged in be-
ing hanged was apparently about
thirty-five years of age. He was a
civilian, if one might judge from his
habit, which was that of a planter.
His features We're good-a straight
nose, firm mouth. broad forehead.
from which his long, dark hair was
combed straight back, falling behind
his ears to the collar of his well-fitting
frock-coat He wore a mustache and
pointed beard. but no whiskers; his
eyes We're large and dark gray and
had kindly expression which one
would hardly have expected in one
whose neck was in the hemp Evil
IDENTIFY this was no vulgar assassin.
The liberal military code makes pro-
vision for having many kinds of per-
sons, and gentlemen are not excluded.
The preparations being complete, the
two private soldiers stepped aside and
each drew away the plank upon which
turned to the captain, saluted. and
placed himself Immediately behind that
officer, who in turn moved apart one
pace. These movements left the con-
demned man and the sergeant standing
on the two ends of the same plank,
which spanned three of the crossties
of the bridge. The end upon which
the civilian stood almost. but not quite.
reached fourth. This plank had been
held in place by the weight of the cap
tain: it was now held by that of the
sergeant. AT a signal from the former,
the latter would step aside, the plank
would tilt, and the condemned man go
down between two ties. The arrange
ment commended itself to his judg
ment as simple and effective. His face
had not been covered nor his eyes
bandaged. He looked moment at his
''unsteadfast footing" then let his
gaze wander to the swirling water of
the stream racing madly beneath his
feet a piece of dancing driftwooa
caught his attention and his eyes fol-
lowed it down the current. How slowly
it appeared to Move, What a sluggish
stream!
He closed his eyes in order to fix his
last thoughts upon his wife and chill
dren. The water. touched to gold by the
early sun, the brooding mists under
the banks at some distance down the
stream the fort, the soldiers. the piece
of drift-all had distracted him. And
now he became conscious of a new dis
turbance. Striking through the
Il houSht 81 his dsar ones was a sound
~ could neither ignore nor I'M
kis{ Il slzarp distinct, metallic
f~E5sz3 like 49, .<sf a. y,