Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-12-19
DODGED A LEGACY
Romance Of a Solder Of the
French Foreign Legion.

The Trench Foreign Legion il tire
most picturesque mii!t.rv organization
in the world II is tho refuge 81 men
OF all nations gone wrong through I'm
pulse OF misfortune VINO wish 10 bury
themselves IN Oblivion while fighting
70 regain an EplOrable place in the
world Of lie and activity
The rank and fIe Of the corps Is
composed Of princes. dukes. marqui-es.
counts and viscoUnts- generals and Of
hcers OF all grades. all arms. Of the
armies OF al cDuUtr.e~- magistrates.
nnanciers. diplomats lawyers and
professional functi0uaries OF all sorts:
honest adventurers who simply want
20 see the world" the ncu-asthCuic.
the disbear1ened, the unemployed;
those who. having lost everything but
honor or having lost honor itself.
would make new start
AL this diverse human metal. thrown
into the melting pot together. Is even
tGalIy nodded into that brave. stole
loyal. devoted. patient and tenacious
prototype ~ the man Of arms, the
IHSiOnary-
Df The Foreign Legion thousand
romantic tales are told. Of which the
following true story msy be taken as
IN example;
One day General Bruneau. command
~ Of the legion. received q registered
letter pOstmarked Vienna and signed
by the representative OF q well known
Austrian detective agency, 10 the fol
lowing effect:
Monsieur Ie GeneTaI-WHI YOU kindly in
form mo II = young man - Austro- Hun
Ea-iaE nationality. supported % have en.
listed - the Foreign Legion under the
name Of JustUs Perth - now at saba
You viii understand tire interest we have .
g. finding him when ] inform YOU con
hdentiaIy that IN consequence q unfOre-
s-ea happenings ne has become. without I
fis knowledge or expectation, sole heir O /
fortune OF 12.OpDOoo crowns IncIoseH f. /
photograph taken when he was a stu
dent az the University Of Prague.
The photograph showed n stocky 4
youth Of perhaps twenty 10 twenty two I
years Of age and whose somewhat I
beefy face WIS frinScd with precOcious
Whiskers He wore eyeglasses. which
made it difficult 20 Judge ~ the form
and shsde Of Ll- eyes
General BruueaU's first step was ~
have his secretary -adiutant search the
enlistment rolls for the name 81 Jus
d
Then he had all the Austriaus ~ the
line W and scanned their
facer In the hope Of identify ing the
original Of the photograph Only two.
both ~ whom were resent arrivals.
showed possible traits ~ resemblance.
and these in n very imperfect degree.
These two Austrians were closely
pIsuiued by Dhuermer the secretary.
who spoke the German language I'm
rutly Both denied ~tubbornly THAT {
hey had ever used or heard - the
IN me Of Justus Perth. Z
Possibly "a Inay loosen your
or CUES" pursued the secretary. II J
ell you why tie general - looking ror .
his Perth The fellow hrs iust inner Z
tel I2DOO.nGp crowns Now. Is either s
NO Of you Justu- Perth
-'Nein' .
Vein :
send them hack 90 th"f- companies. d
? + 81 no use" said General ErIuclu Z
Time passed and On" Incident had g
cen forgotten when iI 1917 there O.
arn- 20 Brunaiu n formidable lonEinE q
nveiope hearing the government seal
Z the minister 81 FOREIGN affairs. u s.
1cloSed letter which drew from The 81
m or an exclamation - surprise l.