Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-07-30
A Dread
OF Peace
By F. A. Mitchell

Did you get wounded while you
were serving in the Cuban. American
war;"
No"
Not scratch?"
Nary scratch"
Get sick?"
Not even a stomach ache"
That's singular. always supposed
in war a man is exposed to great dan
ger"
so he is. but he's always In DANCE,
anyway. 1t Is fate that decides when
he gets hit. The biggest danger ever
encountered was so big that the risks
nothing to 1t. | was walking along
road one day in country SO peacefui
that there wasn't even a sound OF
lonely picket firing at an Imaginary
enemy.
Then the first thing knew | didn't
know anything. or rather the first
was to feel Il horrible Gravity sensation
shooting FROM the back OF my head To
every part OF my body.
Il sat ny then got up. Ii occurred
to NE that had been S;ndbaESed. 50
] looked IN my pocket for two ten dol
lar bills that had been in my posses
sion
They had been in a long pocket
book with some letters and papers
The pocketbook. with everything In II,
was gone. | dragged myself as far ny
| could, then went into wood beside
the road to rest. was looking for
good place to lie down when | saw
heap OF clothing partly covered by
leaves, Going to it, / found u dead
man.
II searched for something by which
to identify the man and found two ten
dollar bills. Satisfied that before he
died be had robbed me. took the bills
and put them in my pocket had
scarcely done 50 when | saw two men
coming toward me. They had simply
stumbled on me and the body. told
them what had happened. and after
conference between the two. during
which they looked at me suspiciously
they told me they would have to re
port the matter to the police and |
must go with them.
I'VE went into a town near by. and
told the story to the sergeant at the
desk. When got through he thanked
the two men for bringing me In.
whats your manner he asked me
II told him my name was Daniel
Morris and that had but lately been
disc harged from the army that took
Santiago de Cuba
HE sent out for the body. and when
1t was brought in it was searched. My
pocketbook was found in it with pa
pers and letters bearing my name.
Whats your game In taking the
mans name" asked the sergeant
mo game at all I'm Daniel Nor.
ris.'
He looked at me contemptuouSly.
but said nothing. He put me In a cell.
however. and that was the end Of my
liberty for months
We'll. | wished another war would
break out and ! could enlist to go
where | could stand up and be shot at
I'd had shells burst before me. behind
me. beside me and above me without
getting hurt I'd been in the sweep
of Calling guns. I'd seen 60 per cent
Of the brigade to which | belonged
come down with camp fever or some
other disease. And here | was in II
peaceful country knocked senseless
and robbed. then arrested for murder
"'If ever | get out Of this | said to
myself. I'm going to country where
there's perpetual war. no matter how
barbarous.'
The evidence against me was over
wheIming. | sent for my captain to
identify me. but I'd been bleached for
a month in a CELL besides being thin
ned by worry. and when he looked at
me be wasn't willing to swear that
was Dan Morris of his company ia
been caught ritling dead man whose
skull ! had smashed. whose money
had taken and who for some reason
that no one could understand | claim
ed to be, The consequence was that
was tried. convicted and sentenced to
be banged.
You can have no idea how longed
for a big battle. Somehow it seemed
that II | could bear the bullets and the
shells and the b-r-r-r-r-r OF those Cat
ling guns II would be sweet music ana
| could shake off the horrible load on
me that had come in the midst OF
peace.
Instead | was barred in and wait
ing to be strung up like an army spy
| couldn't even be shot like a deserter
my hanging day was pretty near
when the lawyer came to my cell 10
tell me that n letter addressed TO Dan
lei Morris had been found on the per
son Of 8 man who had been caught bur
Cling
When asked how De came by the let
ter be said N was taken from man