The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-08-15
Ne&.WAl,RI5., JAR,
uITTLE FIeHT "ON THE SIDE"
American Soldiers In Trenches Before
Santiago Stop Firing 10 Witness
Most Amusing Scrap.


A scrap" between an irishman ana
f.. Teuton In the American trenches be-
Tore Santiago. while the battle was on
Eas SO funny that the soldiers stopped
iFing at the Spaniards to watch the
alssension in their own ranks says
a volunteer in an exchange.
Private Cassidy OF company +. Six
teenth U. s infantry, Private Mueller
and Corporal Mulraney we're facing
the foe side by side when Cassidy was
hit by a Spanish don's bullet ana sent
to that bourne whence no Traveller
returns" Mulreley was so busy
pumping lead toward Santiago that
he failed to note his comrades death
until the poor fellow was being re-
moved from the firing line. Then he
saw Mueller in the act OF appropriat-
ing two cartridge belts, one filled ana
the other almost empty. Now ammu'
milton was to be had in abundance
that morning. Every soldier in the
regiment was supposed to have all the
cartridges he could shoot away. re-
gardless OF accuracy OF aim, so II
| CALLED Corporal Mulraney to see an
| other-and a German at that-taklng
possession OF what once belonged 10
! his chum.
IF ye had amy respect for the dead
ved lave thin cartridges alone" sald
| Mulraney with a scowl on his race
| that would have scared Spaniard
into surrender 1T isn't the likes OF
yez, We Dutch duffer, that can fall
heir to me friend Cassidy's belongings.
I'll thank ye. an with bad grace at
that, to pass me thin belts before
take a punch at your dlrthy face
Dot vas all right" replied Mueller
defiantly, his phlegmatic blood stirred
by the heat of battle Cassidy vas
good felIer, all right, andt he toldt
me l could haf dose ammunitions ven
be vas"
"Ye lie, ye Dutch robber!' cried
Mulraney, dropping his rifle and shak-
ing his fist under Mueller's nose.
yen put thin cartridges down this
minnit or I'll make yez wish Mauser
had sthruck ye instid of me fist"
81 vas no liar" retorted Mueller
also dropping his rife, "undt can vip
any Irish dog robber who
This pointed allusion to the fact
that Mulraney had once been 'strik-
er" for his captain was more than
Mulraney cared to stand, and his
brawny arm Strengthened with stun
ming effect on Mueller's cheek. Al
/ he
landed on Mulraney's nose, and then
to the wonder of their comrades on
either side, the two men went down
together, striking, kicking and biting
with complete indifference for the
fierce battle in progress. Before eith-
er combatant had inflicted any par
ticular harm upon his opponent
young lieutenant interfered and or
dered the men back to their places,
with the assurance that each would
suffer severely for such a fragrant
breach OF discipline.
For a few minutes both men pulled
their triggers with fair degree OF
regularity, Notwithstanding the con-
stant exchange of civilities which they
could not forego, but Mulraney
changed the situation suddenly when
he discovered that no commissioned
officers we're near enough to balk his
scheme of vengeance.
IF ye're not a coward yen roll
down the hill bit of ways behind
the trench" Mulraney muttered to his
foe, AN whin meet ye at the bottom
may hivin hev mercy on We before I'm
trough wild yet"
Mueller looked to the rear and saw
a steep slope of nearly fifty feet and
tangled growth of shrubbery at the
bottom. He glanced along the line
in both directions and saw no shout
der straps nearer than a dozen tles
and then accepted the challenge by
casting himself out Of the trench and
swiftly rolling toward the shrubbery
Before he had traversed half the dis
tance Mulraney was descending in the
same fashion, and a resumption oi
hostilities ensued Immediately upon
his arrival at the foot Of the slope.
1t might be stated parentheticallJ
that a big captain separated Mulraney
and Mueller and sent them back once
more to their places on the firing line
where they acted like good soldiers
the rest of the day. After the fighting
was over Mulraney lost his chevroni
and several months pay, and Mueller
suffered even worse punishment.