The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1915-04-24

except the president Of the United
States
A few days before the day set for
SteVenSon's execution an official doc
ument arrived at the fort spostmarked
Washington, the envelope bearing the
printed words From the President of
the United States and addressed to
Major Charles +. Barton, command
ing. 1t happened that the command
was away on an expedition and, the
fort had been left in charge of Ser
geant Conover. Tile sergeant was not
authorized to open the mail and
would have kept the 4missive until the,
; majors return, but, suspecting it per-
tanned to the matter. of: Private Stew
enson, concluded to send it to his COM
handing officer.
Stevenson, when the command
started on the expedition, was trans
ferred under guard to Fort G., some
20 miles distant, where his execution
was to take place.
Sergeant Conover knew. of the dis
tress his daughter was suffering at
Stevenson's misfortune and that she
was in an agony of suspense as to
word from Washington concerning
him. Fearing a disappointment, he
did not tell her of the message from
the president. He had no one to send
it by to Major Barton except private
named Cassidy, worthless creature,
who had been left behind when the
expedition started. Mounting Cas-
sidy on the, best horse. the garrison af-
forded, CQnover savA9him the message
and told him to ride with it to Major
Barton as fast as possible. -.
| During the night that Cassidy
! started the sergeant told his wife of
the arrival Of the message from the
| president and his forwarding it to
Major Barton by Private Cassidy. Mrs.
| Conover, knowing that the execution
of Stevenson was set for near date,
scolded him for intrusting SO impor-
tant message to so unrelia BILE a mes
senger. Madge, in an adjoining room,
heard every word that was said.
! That night Madge was missing, also
horse from the stable. Madge had
taken the horse for the purpose of
overtaking Cassidy and to make sure
that the message was delivered with
the utmost expedition. ~,
The next day at noon Cassidy
mand and on feeling in his belt for
the message from the. president to
give to Major Barton discovered that
he had lost it. He had reached a
settlement the night before, where he
had spent much time carousing, and
had lost the dispatch. Barton learned
from him that the envelope bore the
mark of the president of the United
States and surmised that it contained
either a pardon for Stevenson or
refusal to pardon him. =.
The major was in a quandry. He
was without a. message. Stevenson
was to be executed, and even if a
4 pardon had been granted there was
hardly time to send word to stop it.
Barton had been in the army during
a period when red tape was much in
vogue, and the situation quite, upset
him. Though. a human life was at
stake, he had no order to, interfere.
To give an order in the name of the
! commander in chief Of the army and
navy of the United States was more
! than he dared to assume 5tTIe debated
SO long as to what course to pursue
that it would be impossible to send a
message to stop the execution even if
he were willing to take the response
bility for: doing So. ..-.. ~: - =
] Madgc ,Conover, starting after mid
| night without a guide missed the
road, was obliged to retrace; her steps
for quite a long distance and did not
reach the settlement where Cassidy
had. stopped. till the next afternoon.
Then she learned that he had IN
I there ana had gone on rather the
worse for his amusement during his
stay. Madge~ remounted her horse
and was galloping onward when she
saw before her an oblong., paper lying
beside the road. Something moved
her to get down and picl1sit up. She
did SO and, turning it over, saw on
the left hand corner the printed words
From the President Of the United
States s & TX .3s@F. a5 I'LL 4 nj, :
A message from the president,
Though not: addressed to her, was not
a matter of reverence so long as Jim
$Stevenson's life was at stake. Her
/ loving heart Was#not tied up with, red
tape. She tore ftheEenvelope to shreds
4 to get at the contents ana, + unfolding
/ the letter with Strem bling hands. read
that the president had granted par
! don To- Il Private 7'rI ames Stevenson, 1T h
infantry, United States Army. /. Nh
l3s$5 .Madges was At one, anglesof q TRAN
4 gle,,s Ma jor ton at an ther and the
/ como emned man I'll anot i. ID he
4 shortest sas on Hut stev-