Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-23
THE SUNDAY STORY
A Dread
OF Peace
By r. A. Mitchell

war;
NO
Not a scratch?'
Mary scratch
Get sick"
Not even a stomach ache"
THAT'S singular | always supposed
lin war man is exposed to great dam
ger
so he is. but he's always In danger
anyway. 1t is fate that decides when
he gets hit The biggest danger ever
encountered was so big that the risks
was obliged to take In war seemed
nothing to it. | was walking along
road one day in a country 50 peaceful
that there wasn't even a sound Of
lonely picket firing at an imaginary
ienemy.
Then the 6rst thing | knew | didn't
know anything. or. rather. the first
thing | knew when ] came to myself
was to feel a horrible Gravity sensation
shooting from the back of my head to
every part of my body.
II sat up, then got up. 1t occurred
to me that | had been sandbagged. so
I looked in my pocket for two ten dol
lar bills that had been in my posses
sion.
They had been in long pocket
; book with some letters and papers.
The pocketbook. with everything in it.
was gone | dragged myself as far as
could then went into a wood beside
l the road to rest. was looking for
good place to lie down when / saw a
heap of clothing partly covered by
leaves Going to it, l found dead
man.
Il searched for something by which
10 identify the man and found two ten
, dollar bills. Satisfied that before he
t died he had robbed me. | took the bills
: and put them In my pocket. had
scarcely done so when | saw two men
i coming toward me. They had simply
. stumbled on me and the body. | told
r. them what had happened, and after a
Y conference between the two, during
: which they looked ut me suspiciously,
they told me they would have to re
port the matter to the police and |
must 90 with them.
;, we went into a town near by. and
= I told the story to the sergeant at the
desk, When got through he thanked
h the two men for bringing me ill.,
G WHAT'S your nameY he asked me.
IL told him my name was Daniel
n Morris and that | had but lately been
= discharged from the army that took
r. Santiago de Cuba.
G HE sent out for the body, and when
: II was brought III it was searched. My
d pocketbook was found in it with pa
= pers and letters bearing my name.
= = whats your game In taking the
- mans name asked the sergeant.
e mo game at all I'm Daniel Nor
v ms.
- HE looked at me contemptuously
T. but said nothing. He put me in cell
however and that was the end of my
n liberty for months
We'll, l wished another war woulc
e. break out and | could enlist to &
N where | could stand up and he shot at
Al I'd had shells burst before me. behinC
me- beside Inc and above me wlthou
y getting hurt. I'd been in the SWEEP
), of Calling gums. I'd seen 80 per cen
80 OF the brigade to which belonged
10 come down with camp fever or SOM
Is other disease. And here ! was in
SO peaceful country knocked senseles
If and robbed. then arrested for murder
"It ever | get out Of this l said t
myself. I'm going to a country wher
20 there's perpetual war, no matter hoy
barbarous
a 1.-The evidence against me was over
O. whelmlns. | sent for my captain t
If identify me. but Id been bleached 70
a month in q cell. besides being thiI
~ ned by worry, and when be looked q
o. me he wasn't willing to swear that
IN was Dan Morris of his company. l.
Is been caught ritiing n dead man who's
ne skull / had smashed. whose money
ty had taken and who for some reaso
that no one could understand | CLAIM
ed to be- The consequence was that
was tried, convicted and sentenced
be hanged
You can have no idea how | longe
II for a big battle. Somehow it SCENE
that III could hear the bullets ana III
shells and the b-r-r~r-r-r of those Ga
ling guns it would be sweet music an
could shake off the horrible load q
at me that had come in the midst ,
he peace.
mt Instead ] was barred in and wal
be ing to he strung up like an army sp.
sh couldn't crea be shot like Il deserte
ne MY hanging day WIS pretty ne;
." when the lawyer came 10 my cell
IN ,ell me that Il letter addressed to Dai
~ lei Morris had been found on the pc
ho son OF o inan who had been caught bu
ic, CLING
ch when asked how be came BY the lie
to ter. be said ii was taken from Il ma
ty his pal had robbed. This confessit
to led to his being charged with the mn