Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-12

chine had come in during the night
/ But I was disappointed. The waters
were entirely bare OF guns.
The condition of our crew was har.
rowing. We wanted to fight and had
nothing to fight with. To permit one
| Of our number to be shot to death by
lot of Spanish American understood
bloodthirsty rascals well nigh threw
every man of us into spasms. We got
together in knots. and many were the
foolhardy plans that were proposed to
save our comrades life. But as time
wore on and the hour appointed for
the execution approached an awful
sense of our powerless position settled
down upon US and stunned us.
Early In the morning l was made
the bearer of a note from our captain
to the consul. The captain dared not
leave the ship for fear of some move
on the part of the men which would
not only be hopeless, but get us into
more trouble. was the only man of
the crew to go ashore. While / was
at the consulate a crowd was gather
ing in field In rear of the house to
witness the execution. What the note
QO0 AnOWg O0I vi lCa0AhS
it the consul shook his head.
At that moment 1 saw the British
consul. whose house was opposite,
come out to raise the British flag. he
stood looking at the crowd in the field,
and saw the British bulldog indig-
nation rising In him at the murder
about to be committed. With the nag
still In his hand he came across the
street and, approaching the American
consul, said to him:
You're not going to let them shoot
that man, are your
what can dor replied the consul
despatringly. 81 have protested against
the act. 1 am powerless to do more"
Meanwhile Jack had been marched
out, and firing squad was taking posi-
ton before him.
"Give me your hagr' shouted the
English consul And in another mo-
ment the stars and stripes were clutch
ed in his hand with the union jack.
Then hurrying across the field, and
our own consul following him. we saw
him elbow his way through the crowd
and run up to the prisoner. The next
instant the United States flag was
folded around Jacks broad shoulders,
and Immediately after the blood red
banner of Great Britain was placed
over It. Then the consul who had
done this, standing a few PAGES back,
faced the firing squad and cried de-
family:
Now shoot If you dare through the
heart of England and American
This was too much for the dagoS. If
the moral power of the United States
did not scare them that of the two
most powerful nations on the earth
and, what was more to them, on the
sea was more than they dared defy.
Then, too, this combined moral power
was displayed IN a way to give it full
force. To deliberately shoot a man
through the two flags representing the
two wings Of the great Anglo-Saxon
race required a nerve that even the
valiant Chileans did not possess.
After q hurried consultation the
Chilean authorities, suddenly stricken
with terror at what they had done and
realizing what they had intended do
ing, FASTENED to release the prisoner.
He was delivered to the American con-
sui. With tears streaming down his
cheeks he gratefully pressed the hand
OF the man who had saved him. Then
he grasped that of the American rep
resentative Lastly he permitted me
to take his hand in mine.
Who gave the news of Jacks release
to those on board our ship / don't
know, but shortly after it occurred,
when Jack and / went down to the
ships boat that had brought me ashore
and which was waiting for me. we
saw the crew dancing about, running
up the ratlines and hosting all the
signal bunting there was to be had.
When we left the shore there was
cheer, while we pulled for the vessel
there were cheers, and when Jack
climbed the ladder and stepped over
the gunwaie he found himself on the
shoulders of the strongest and tallest
men on the ship and was carried
around amid a scene of wild rejoicing.
1t is long while since that narrow
escape-a tragedy averted by the pres.
ence Of mind of one man. Where Jack
Hoskins is now / don't know, since
that was in the days of our youth,
Our sailor days have long been over.
and we have been long parted. But
there is one scene which for dramatic
interest stands far ahead of AL The
events in my life. 1t is Jack wrapped
IN two flags, with firing party before
him and the British consul daring the
dagos to fire on him, piercing as they
must the emblems Of old England and
her stalwart son, the UnfIed States of
America.
The main feature about this story
Is that it is true. The only difference
between the arrest, condemnation and
intended execution Of Hoskins at Val
paraiso and this account is that It is
here given in story form.
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