The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-03-12

samuel msrlndsls Relieved When
Told the Truth.


IT must be a dreadful thing said
Capt John s Harrington, ito carry
through life the -kn0wiedRe-Or even
the suspiclon-of having killed a
man. Of having deprived any human
being Of life.
u was captain Of company A. One
Hundred and Thi~rty-second Indiana,
in the civil war, and the regiment was
stationed most Of the time OF its serv-
ice at Stevenson, Ala was judge ad-
v0cate Of the general court-martiai at
Bridgeport ten miles from Stevenson,
on the Tennessee river. II was re-
ported % me one morning that Sam
mel Martindale Of my company was in
sore distress. He had killed a man, a
deserter from a union regiment, as he
was escaping from the prisoners
stockade the night before.
This deserter had gotten over the
stockade. had crossed the ditch sur
rounding e and was climbing the EN-.
bankmeut a hundred feet away where
Martindale was pacing his sentry beat.
when Corporal Ilid ordered him 10
IRE on the fugitive. He did Sc. The
man fell. shot IN the back and through
the body. the mimic BAH touching the
backbone ia rs flight The poor Tel.
low was paralyzed and Martindale
had suffered a shock almost as bad.
The deserter was picked up. A de-
tail carried him to a convalescent
camp mp the mountain. The surgeon
In charge took the body TO see 20 its
burial and our detail returned 70
camp
Il consoled Martindale as best
could: told him what he had done vas
In the strict line OF duty. but he con.
tinued { o bewail this death. which be
said was quite a different thing from
shooting a man In actual battle.
More than 20 years later wal
talking Que evening With a nelghbor
Mai, W. H Calkins. who afterwar'
went 10 the state Of Washington We
were calling up army incidents as W
were seated on his porch when I
friend visiting him came out upon ID.
porch. whom he introduced as a Tor
mer surgeon In the army. The majot
told Of a man In his regiment, q cav
airy regiment. who was shot in III
toe. not much more than hruising a. ye
the soldier died from that APPARENT.
Insignificant wound.
Then the surgeon spoke up. III
Said be could tell OF a most singula
recovery lie told OF q man brough
up 90 the hospital Of which he was q
charge just outside x Stevenson. Ala
a mar who had been shot through n
body The urEeon had casually locke
NJ the body when he in some myster
Ous way waa moved 10 put his eag Q
the heart RE heard a faint bca.
More than tha1. there ri a faiu
breath coming from his lips Tn
surgeon who was about 20 give o
derH for the burial OF this body. ha
the man placed upon a bed II
uursod him. watched him night an
dsy and finally sent him away ontirel
restored. TO bis regiment Let MS HOP
this deaerter did valiant duty for III
country afterWard
4 thought AZ once of poor sam Ma
tlndaie as I heard she surgeons stor.
and directly afterwafd ! told him TIA
the deserter whose death he Ia
mourncd 80 many years did not d.
and vaa probably yet IN the land
the living
Martindalo was again n happy ma
He said chat this thing 90 killing
man Jumping over a fence was q
much like murder FOR hts peace
mind Mr Martindaic Is yet Twin
He's up In Newton county. where
hiss served az auditor and treRsur'
% his county"