davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-26

N1s tlnDe&Ts0Ie. IND Desperation OF
overwhelming fear driving him in ire
spOnsibIe impulse, he doubled up his
legs and with a cats leap sprang for
the crater.
A blood-curdling burst Of Whistles
passed over his head as Q dozen rifles
cracked. This time he was surely
killed! He was In some other worldl
Which was It, the good or the badf
The good, for he had glimpse Of blue
sky. No, that could not be, for he hid
been alive when he leaped for the
crater, and there he was pressed
against the soft earth Of its bottom.
He buTTowed deeper blissfully. He
was the nearest to the enemy Of any
man Of the 12sth, and he certainly
had passed through q gamut OF emo
tons in, the half-1our since Eugene
Aronsoa had leaped over a white post.
'CunfOuud It! II we'd kept on we'd
have rot them! Now we have to 40
Il ais over again!" growled Fracasse !.
listraetcdly 90 he looked around at
the faces hugging the cover Of the
shoulder asking, What nextE
each I'm It's own way; faces blank and
whita; faces with lips working and
eyes blinking; faces with the blood
rushing back to cheeks in banned an"
ger. One, however, was half smiling
Hugo Mallin'B.
You did your share Of the running,
I'll warrant. Mallin!" said Fracasse
excitedly, venting his disgust on o
particular object.
yes, sir," answered Hugo. 1T was
very hard to maintain semblance OF
dignity. Yes, str, kept near you all
the time. Wasn't that what you wanted
me to do str?"
Three or four men burst into hys-
terical laugh as If something had bro
ken in their throats. Everybody felt
better for this touch of drollery except
the captain. Yet, possibly, 1t may
have helped him in recovering ms
noise. Sometimes even a pin-prick
will have this effect.
"Silence!" he said in his old man
ner. 81 viii give you something to
Joke about other than little setback
like this! Get up there with your
rifles!"
He formed the nucleus Of a firing
Iire under cover of the shoulder, ana
then set the remainder of his COM
nanny to work with their spades max
ing a trench. The second battalion OF
the 12Sth, which faced the knoll, was
also digging at the base of the slope, /,
and another regiment in reserve was
deuloying on the plain. After the faik
ure to rush the knoll the Gray COM
mander had settled down to the Dusi-
ness of systematic approach.
And what Of those of FFacasse's
men who had not run but had dropped
IN their tracks when the charge halt
ed? They were between two lines OF
fre. There was no escape. Some q
the wounded had a mercifully quick
end. others suffered the consciousness
of being hit again and again; the dead
were bored through with bullet holes.
In torture, the survivors prayed for
death: for all had to die except Peter
kin, the pasty-faced little Wallets SON.
Peterkin was quite safe, hugging the
bottom Of the shell crater under
swarm of hornets. In q surprisingly
short time he became accustomed 20
the situation and found himself raven
ously hungry, for the strain OF the last
IL hours, had burned up tissue. DC
took q biscuit out Of his knapsach ana
began nibbIing ii, as became . true
rodent. ~
Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-26
CHAPTER *.
The Baptism Of Fire.

ne 6aPGlom " UWOe
All the landscape in front Of Fra
cases company seemed to have been
deserted; no moving figures were any
where in sight: no sign Of the enemy's
infantry.
Family the town clock was heard
striking the hour. From eight to nine
and nine to ten Fracasses men walt
ed: waited until the machine was
ready and Westerling should throw In
the clutch; waited until the troops
were III place for the tirSt move before
he hurled his battalions forward.
They did not know how the captain at
their back received his orders; they
only heard the note Of the whistle.
with q command familiar to o trained
instinct on the edge Of anticipation. It
released Q spring in their nerve-cen-
tiers. They responded 90 the wheels
respond when the throttle 10 opened.
Jumping to their feet they broke into
a run, bodies bent, heads down. like
the peppered silhouette that faced
Westerling's desk. What they had
done repeatedly in drills and maneu-
vers they were now doing In war, me-
chemically as marionettes.
Come on! The bullet is not made
that can get me! Come on!" cried the
giant Eugene Aronson.
Nearly all felt the exhilaration Of
movement in company. Then came
the sound that generations had drilled
for without hearing; the sound that
summons the imagination Of man in
the thought of how he will feel and
act when he hears It; the sound that
is everywhere like the song snatches
Of bees driven whizzing through the
air.
That's It! We're under Are! We're
under fret" flashed crooked light
ming recognition of the sound through
every brain.
There was no sign of the enemy;
no telling where the bullets came
from.
Whish-whish! Th.ipp-whing! The
refrain gripped Peterkin's Imagination
with an unseen hand. He seemed to
be suffocating. He wanted to throw
himself down and hold his hands in
front Of his head. While Pilzer and
Aronson were not thinking. only run
ming, Peterkin was thinking with the
rapidity of man falling from a high
building. He was certain only that
he was bound to strike ground.
AN inch is as good as mile!" He
recollected the captains teaching,
"only one of q thousand bullets fred
in war ever kills a man"-but he was
certain that he had heard million
already. He looked. around to find
that he was still keeping up with Eu'
gene and felt the thrill Of the bravery
Of fellowship at sight of the giants
flushed, confident face reveling in the
spirit Of q charge. And then, Just
then. Eugene conyulsiyely threw up
his arms, dropped his rife, and
whirled on his heel. "A he went down
his hand clutched at his left breast
and came away red and dripping.
After one Wild backward glance, Pc
terlxin plunged ahead
'Eugenel" Hugo Mallin had stopped
and bent over Eugene in the supreme
instinct Of that terrible second, sup
porting his comrades head.
~The bullet IL not--made--" Eugene
whispered, the ruling passion strong
70 The last A flicker Of che eyelids,
gurgle a the throat. and be was dead
Hera szon ere not going q 81 OF
Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-26
synopsis.

CHAPTER TAT their home on the IRON
Oar between the Browns and orays MAT.
4 oailand and her mother. entertainni n,
Tain Lanstron, stan intelligence ofncer o.
the Browns. injured BY fall In bis asro-
plane.
CHAPTER u-rsn ysars later. Wee.
nnrlinR nominal vice but real ohiet OF
star. reinforces South La III. meoita.s.
On war. and specula'ss On ms oomR Rc =
Sisitins In the Gray capital
CHAPTER m-wsStsrling calls On
Marta She tells him Of her tsaon,n1
shlessn shS f0l hn % % prevent n war wSs
e chief q staa. and Rrsdlcts that Y
X makes war againSt ths Browns he
win not win.
CHAPTER Iv-on the 1aroh WITH ne
ehist dscriss war and piave1-ent patriot:
IN and q placed under Agyost Colonel
LAnStrUn OvSThearinG, bogn BIN on saying
the anaschist Eiil heht wsn Whsn en-
EAged and 4. IN Paa
CHAPTUR v-.LanstrVa. cells o. Marta
esr e:s s'u Ssrta tails fAsslTsn that abe
SSlfeVss Fellsr 70 b Q sDy. IAnstron
eo4feaees lis 6VA :. .~-
CHAPTER vF-IAnstrgn slI0ws Marta
a fsiephone watch Fsiisg has concealed In
q secret passage under the tower Tor use
70 bonedt the Browns ~ wNr ernergon-
Giles, pointing out it, value e. being In
the center Of the lighting nbae In case Of
var. Marta consents for q and galler
20 remain for the present LAnstrOn de-
olarap hls lore fgT Marta
CHAPTER vII-wsstspiinG and the
Gray premier plan 20 use q trivial inter
national AFFAIR to foment wallike 0atriot-
Ism in army and people and strike before
declaring war. Partow, Brown chief OF
stan, And Lanstron, made wee. discuss
the trouble. ana the Brown defenSe6. Par
tow. reveals hia plans to LAnstron.
CHAPTER VIM - At the frontier the
two armies lie crouched for attack and
defense; In the town with the non-com-
batantB fleeing from the danger gone,
Marta hears her child pupils recite the
peace oath
Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-26

was the fourth man from him. lay with
his chin on his rife stock and tiny
trickle of blood from a hole in his
forehead running down the bridge of
his nose.
Young Dellarme, new to his cap
tain's rank, watching the PLATA
through his glasses, saw the move
ment of mounted officers to the rear
of the 128th as a reason for summon
ing his men.
Creep up! Don't show yourselves!
Creep up carefully-carefully!" he
kept repeating as they crawled for
ward on their stomachs. And no one
is to fire until the command comes"
Hugging the cover of the ridge of
fresh earth which they had thrown up
the previous night, they watched the
white posts. Stransky, who had been
ruminatively silent all the morning,
was in his place, but he was not look
ing at the enemy. Cautiously, to avoid
q reprima2d. he raised his head to en-
able him to glance along the line. All
the faces seemed drawn and clayish.
They don't want to fight! They're
just here because they're ordered here
and haven't the character to defy au-
thority," he thought The leayen. is
working! Ny timo is coming!"
For DelIarme the minute had come
when all his training was to be put to
q test The figures on the other side c:
the white posts were rising. He was to
prove by the way he directed @ CON-
pany Of infantry In action whether or
not he was worthy Of his captains
rank. He smiled cheerily. In order
that be might watch how each man
used his rife, he drew back Of the line,
his slim body erect as he rested on
one knee. his head level with the
other heads while he fingered his
whistle. The instant that Eugene
] Aronran rrrang over ,he Nhlts posi
Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-26

q meats first and third Monday evBn-
tnam A each month at Masonic hai
NFneF Third and Gpruca. J. M Enal
-. y Z. Wor1eys Secretary, Varifl
n brofhrsa walco1a-
Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-26
ABILENE SOCIETIES

OVAL. ARCH AEAsoNs-Cyrus Chas
r No sS meets In Masonic hall on the
scond and fourth Fridays q each
noel. Secretary.
Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-11-26

was the fourth man from him. lay with
his chin ON his rife stock and tiny
trickle of blood from a hole in his
forehead running down the bridge of
his nose.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-19
NOAH'S LAMENTABLE ERROR

Noah made a great mistake in
loading. The flood was ordained to
blot out all sinners and sources of
sin. Following the failure of Adam
and Eve, the Divine hope of regen-
GRAFTON was perpetuating the species
while eliminating all of the unfit.
The evolutionary theory of sirvival
of the fttest is clearly illustrated in
the entire story. And evil might
have been eliminated at that time
had Noah not put in the donkey the
way ne did. Perverse, obstinate,
and opposed to progress, the donkey
according to tradition as trust
worthy az any other as to how the
great corralllng was done, baked on
the gang plank. Noah used all the
art sof persuasion in vain, and at last,
giving the stubborn brute kick in
the flank he said: Go on. and the
devil 90 with you" The donkey
went Immediately aboard, and the
next day Noah discovered the devil
bedeviling the tails of the elephants
and whales on the main deck. Ac-
cording to this story. which is more
interesting than any of the others,
Noah, prostrated with grief to see
that the Prince of Darkness, who
was to have been drowned with the
others. had escaped the deluge, asked
him how he got aboard. Il came in
with the donkey" answered Satan,
on your personal invitation"
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-19
NO MAN CAN TELL

No man knows for a certainty
whether he would be able to stand
the tests that caused the fall OF the
men now behind the bars. John
Mcdonnell formerly head of the
House of Correction; Detroit, Mich
igan, Is quoted as saying: Too
many men are sent to prison. In
the past, men have served sentences
who are fundamentally no verse
than than thousands of undiscovered
criminals who walk the street every
day. never harmine anyone. Many
men are criminals who have never
committed crime. They, have nev-
er been put to the test, that's all.
None of us know just how we would
stand certain tests that have landed
others bahind the bars. Man never
knows his weakness until he has been
led into the one temptation. which
means his undoing."
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-19

ing towards the other fellows, that
seemed centered in my heart, stayed
and got stronger. and they seemed
to answer to it and opened up to me
in good comradeship more than ever
before. / commenced TO count time,
which had before been so heavy, as
nothing. so long as did my duty.
But there was more than this that
happened. That picture of golden,
living light in my mind. it seemed to
become like a presence standing
about me or around me somehow, as
well as in me. AT night especially
| seemed to get kind of help from
it, fine thoughts, and ideas about
what 1T was best to do and leave
alone. 1t stood for MY soul to me,
and maybe my Higher Self does use
it somehow as way to get at my
mind. They always call the Higher
Self lightdon't they? Maybe there's
what we call reap light, what we
see, and mind light, and a sort OF
light that's still higher. Maybe the
three are the same, according to
what it's acting on, something con-
scious all the time.
But that's just ideas. Pm not
understanding the thing yet. l only
started out to tell you what know,
what the thought of light spread
everywhere, in and around me and
the rest, did for me. It's enabled
me to take the first step to self-con-
quest. It's wakened me up and
and heartened me up all through,
and Pm not afraid of anything, not
even death.-The New Way.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-19
CHRISTIANITY THE ONE LAW.

The Mesaba Ore, that very ably
edited newspaper which reflects the
highest credit upon it's publishers
and upon the community it repres-
ents; has this to say regarding a
recent criticism of Mirror meth
ods:-
The Herald, weekly newspa-
per published at Tracy, Minnesota,
criticised the Saltwater Prison Mir
ror for its advocacy of the Go-to-
Church Sunday movement, in appli-
cation to prison life as we'll az to
those who are free to go and come
as they will, and those who read
the Mirrors effort were touched by
it's reflection Of the peace on
earth" doctrine.
The point sought to be raised by
the Herald was, that the Mirror
might better have devoted its tai
ents to the advocacy of u course of
instruction in law. the only law
the natural law-wherein the unfor-
tunates could learn to figure from
cause to effect mathematical pos
sibility whereby man can see every
step from freedom to servitude
without takingany one of them.
The point is a weak one, for the
very simple reason that there is no
law, and can be no law, that can
supplant the law of Christianity
for keeping man out of pitfalls
The man firm in his faith. in true
Christ religion, does not find his
way to a felon's cell-his pathway
is straight and narrow.
The Prison Mirror views things
from the inside, to be sure, but it is
usually right on all moral questions. ,.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-19

Work on the west wing of the new green
house is progressing rapidly and it will be
ready for occupancy in few weeks.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-19

regulars, are mere fraction, being
about $4,000 officers and men. Our
MALTA or national guard has an or
ganizea strength of approximately
125, 900 that may be called on for
defense or service. Taking these
figures as basis there is-little space
for comparison.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15

had it been observed would have caused
my release on parole a few days after
my arrival at the penitentiary.
But it appears that such rulings by
"A trial Judge have no weight with the
Department of Justice, and | am will
ing to admit that the Judges ruling in
my case seemed rather like whipping
the devil round the stump-an evasion
of the manifest intent of the law, which
if | We're guilty, | had no right To eX-
pect. At all events. the Attorney Gen
eral made a decision, based upon my
case. that hereafter no such eVasions
were To be allowed: and | presume his
authority must be superior to that of
any Federal Judge.
But my friends case did not come
under this category His four months
in Jail came after. not before. his con-
viction; and yet. when he arrived at
Atlanta. he was told that this -four
months would not be deducted from his
penitentiary time. Turn this which
way YOU will, YOU cannot escape tn.
conclusion that this man is getting fuur
months more than the sentence Of the
Judge required.
Well, NJ. applied for parole on the
plea of perfect conduct during his inn
prisonmont: no denial of that was Of
fered but he was informed that his con
viction seven years before. for which
he had been duly punished at that tim"
prevented the board from giving fay.
orable attention to his application.
This looks To me like trying n man
twice for the same offence and twice
cond-mning him; and | can find nothing
to warrant 1t in the wording of TIA"
parole law. If every actual or alleged
misstep of mans whole life can be
quoted against him as ground for re-
| fusng parole it would seem tantamouut
tn stultifying tn" law for parole. This
: is not done in every ease, hut tn" point
| is that it may Toe done in amy case. and
thus the fate of the applicant Is at the
arbitrary and absolute disposal of the
board, whether or not hc has complied
with the stated provisions of the law.
The president of the parole board IL
my time was Il Robert l.aDow.
! former deputy warden of the LcaVcn-
worth penit"ntiary. one W. II. MackaY
wrote a letter to the Attorney General
/ on the 9Th of November, 1913. parts al
which We're published in newspapers
about that time. In this letter he said
! that Mr.. l.aDow was .gotistical, AFRO
/ CANT, Negligent, tNtfi\dSaht VISIONARY
! and Impractical, showed iaVuritism I,
| prisoners aud was totally unfit for tn,
position he held II" goes on as fol
| lows:
| "pcrsonally, he knows nothing o!
| l.eaVenworth Federal prison he is toe
! Cowardly Ia go among the prisoners II
the yards to make personal inv"stga'
ton of conditions; he has dealt unfairly
! hn eli Ia. u,i,h al, l., A.,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15

will succeed and. as l hav" already
shown. he is not seldom kept in this
torturing uncertainty until the day
when he is either turned loose or told
that he has been rejected. This seems
unnecessary. and often appears to be
due To sheer Carclessness: the papers
are not promptly submitted to the At
torncy-General. or they are pigeonholcd
and forgotten. 1t may be tru" that tn"
law does not extraordinarily demand that
Il prisoner shall he released Immediately
upon "A favorable report: but there is
no obvious reason why he should not
he. and it is cruel To keep him in sus-
ense.
There was a young fellow while ] was
there, well educated and agreeable
man. whose conduct had always been
uneNceptionable he applied when eligi-
BILE for parole and was Informed that
he would be released Every morning
thereafter for three weeks he arose with
the hope that the release would come
that day; every night he Went tn bed
with "A heart h-aVr with disappointment.
He could not eat or sleep. he could not
talk connectcdly. he trcmbled ana
turned pale and was on the way Ia be-
coming a nervous wreck: hut no cN-
PLANTATION was vouChsafed h.rI.
At last he was suddenly told that hc
might co. The sole reason that | ever
heard for the delay was that the papers
had been overlooked. There are a great
many Government employees At Wash
ington: it might he worth while to ap-
point one more. charged with the duty
Of seeing that the overlooking of par"l"
papers be henCcforth avoided. This
was "A very mild instance. ! hay" related
how poor Dennis fingered for sin months
and finally died from the same indtttn-
ton or indifference.
There was a friend of mine NJ, a
highly intelligent, good natur"d fellow,
active and efficient in his prison duties,
ALWAYS courteous and ohliging he was
serving "A sentence of five years, | THINK,
I for some theft or confidence game. lie
had done time some SIX or seven years
previously. hut during the interval had
/ lived straight.
At the time Of his last arrest he had
! been kept in the local jail somewhere
in New England after conviction for
/ four months before being transferred To
Atlanta. Time spent in local jail be-
| fore conviction is not counted in the
prisoners favor, for example, | was ar
rested several months hcf"rc my con-
| viCtion, and the trial itself lasted four
months and after the trial | spent ten
! days IN the Tombs.
With the exception of the last ten
days, however, ! was lucky enough To he
out on bail; but none Of this time was
| applied To the lessening of my soiourn
in Atlanta, although the Judge specified
| in his sentence that my imrris"nmen,
| there was tn count from the time when
the trial began; an injunction which
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-15

oners face to face. Prisoners
will stand punishment without a muir
muir if there is a just reason for ii. and
they will permit YOU To he the Judge. but
when men under the law are entitled In
parole and the f,nsy excuse 20 hold
them in confinement is made that they
Will he a menace to society they cannot
see il in that way. The parole board
ut this time is arrogantly dominated by
I.aDow; il is practically "A one man
board
when the board meets here the men
do not know sometimes for weeks and
months afterward what their fate is.
Instances occur here where the
board acts unanimously upon IA parole
Mr.. LaDOw takes these cases to Wash
ington and holds them thirty. sixty and
even ninety days on some tiimSy preteNt
or other. He often claims press Of BUSH
ness until finally some senator or Con-
gresham or influential politician calls
on him. and then h. gets busy very
suddenly.
when he comes To- a parol" meeting
he begins work generally with a rush
and a furry. Usually has about
$50 cases, he PUSHES them at n" rate
of SIXTY to eighty a day. without getting
at the merits or giving them serious de
liberia ION. lie brings a st"nngrlpher,
his private secretary. from WASHINGTON
at heavy cNI"us". Then when
th"y return t" Washington the st"n"g-
rlph.r writes mp the result Of n" meet
ing, while lapow VIII take n junkoting
trip at Government expense as
"A sort of recreation from the arduons
duties"
had not been long in Alanta before
a guard Informed mo that I.aDnw was
the best hated man in the prison by
officials and Convicts alike. Nor did ]
find any prisoner there aftcrward who
did not speak to the same 'un", If he
j." really an efficient and trustworthy
official this is singular and unfortunate.
Mr. Mackay's charges against him at
l.cavenWorth are almost id"n'lcally the
Sam" as what may u" heard AGAINST
him any day in Atlanta. If there be
any basis for them perhaps it would he
tcNpcdl'ut for tn" Government, 10 super
s"d" him. TIL" parole law AT It's best
seems To h" rather a weak kn.cd and
porNcrSc institution. and IL would he
| pity To deprive il Of what valu" it may
| have ny committing its disprnsation to
/ the hands of "A man not peculiarly fitted
/ hV nature and temperament to carry
out its provision. II was Napulcun's
opinion that a bunder is worse than a
crime.
. ,Copyyipht, 1914. bV Ju!ian HnirthorncD
The ncTi instdlmCnt a. Julidu HdW-
Nornc's prison 'rpoSc 1riH appear IN
/ me sun n'Tt SHUdGU