The daily Alaskan., 1915-04-26
ARMY RED TAPE
It Was Cut In the Nick of
 Time by a Girl.
By F. A. MITCHELL

| asSSStSsSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSS$SSSSSrSSSFSr
 Years ago when I was a lieutenant in the regular army stationed in what was then the wild west at Fort K. we had in the garrison an officer who was tyrant The fort was two com pany post. and he commanded one of the companies. Captain Hawkins was so severe with his men that Major Bar ton, commanding, felt called upon on several occasions to remonStrate with him.
 A young man named Stevenson was sent out to Us with lot of recruits and assigned to Hawkins company. He had very little knowledge of mill tary discipline and was unfortunate in having a martinet for a captain. Stevenson was a handsome fellow. with young face and massive frame remember one day when several ln- dian chiefs came to the fort on huSi- ness for their tribes and saw him they grunted their admiration. one of them saying to him: You come with Us. We make you chief" Perhaps it was this manly beauty that won the heart of Madge COnovCr, tue daughter of an ordnance sergeant who wore half a dozen service stripes on hiS arGn. At any rate, Madge fell desperately in love with Stevenson, though believe he was not disposed to fall in love with any one.
 The recruit was as high strung as he was handsome. But knowing noth- ing about the duties of soldier, he very soon got into trouble. His cap tain was always sending him to the guardhouSe. and since StcvenSon's $ breaches of discipline were entirely through ignorance he justly luld up his puuiShmeuts against Hawkins. One day for some miSdemcanor the CHp- tain ordered him tied up by the thumbs When his Sufferings were becoming unbcarablc Hawkins ordered him taken down and gave him a severe scOlding. The youngstcr thus goaded while still suffering struck his cap tain. Hawkins drew his sword and was about to cut down the mutinccr when he thought better of the matter and ordered him under guard.
 The Offense was, indeed, serious. Stevenson was informed by his friends that be would be tried for his life. Had the case come tO trial he might have been sentenced tO he shot, but the sentence would likely have been cOmmutcd to a long Imprisonment But it did not-at least, not thcn-comc to trial. NIadge ConOvCr one night contriycd to draw away the attention of his guard and made a sign to him to light out. This he did, and before his escape was reported to hcadQuar- tcrs he had mounted horse that stood sadded and was soon galopiu- over the plain.
 Stevenson remembered that the luGi- ans had said that if he wouId go with them they would make him a chic!. He directed his course tO where he knew the Arapahocs were cncampei and was received with open arms by them. They did not at once make him chief. but he soon berame d lcnier among them.
 It was not long after the mutincpC'S escape that the Indians became trou- blesome. and force from the fort was sent out to regulate them. During a skirmish with them Stevenson was captured. If his case WAS desperate before 1t was now douhly so. In ad- litiOn to the charge of mutiny he now had to answer q charge of deSertiOn and one of taking arms against the army to which be belonged This time he was confined in a place where es. cape was scarcely possible. X court was at once convened: he was tried on all three of the charges. found gull ty and sentenced to be shot. The find ings were sent to Washington. approv- ed and returned to the commanding officer.
 Maicr Barton was al the time seri- ously considering whether he would not prefer charges against Captain Hawkins for cruelty to the men. He was aware of all the facts in the case of Stevenson and sympathized with the young man. who he knew had been driven to what he had done by Hawkins severity. He recommended to the president that pardon be granted Stevenson in view of the cul' prit's ignorance of military discipline at the time his ofrenScS were commit ted.
 It was a long distance in those days from Fort K. to Washington. While the majors communication was on the way Stevenson was under sentence of death. and unless a pardon came be- fore the day set for execution he must die. for there was no one authorized ! to set aside the findings of the court except the president of the United States.
 A few days before the day set for Stevenson's execution an official docu,
 ,+ npytrDo nT Tl