Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1915-12-24


one on either side. left q narrow space
Of glass. turned my head. and fell
crashing blow across the crown,
which threw me forward, half stunned,
upon the floor. had just sense
enough to feign unconsciouEness
Through my halt-closed eyes / saw
the face Of Hans. as he peered short
sightedly into mine.
He raised the butt of his revolver,
with which he had struck me again,
but hesitated. think he was afraid
he had killed me. The blow had
opened the scalp. infiicting a consid-
cradle loss of blood, but had taken
worse blows in my time. After an in.
stant's hesitation the man stopped
over me, as lay motionless upon the
floor. and felt my pulse: then. appa-
rently satisfied that was not dead,
he distracted my gold watch and
chain, crossed the room, turned the
handle OF the door, and disappeared
noiselessly along the carpeted CORR
dor.
lay upon the door. unable to move,
but my mind was singularly active.
So Hans had known of my connection
with the government, and had either
followed me to Dublin or seen me by
chance at the station, as he had let
me infer. No doubt he had warned
the conspirators, who. becoming
alarmed. had taken measures to keep
me out Of the way for the time being.
But was John Redmond inculpated
IL this dastardly plot? Or was this
the doing OF the kaiser's more or less
irresponsible agents?
lay on thu floor In q half coma. l
was partly delirious, I believe.
Events and persons or earlier life
came crowding in on me. know that
1t was all could do 70 remember
where was, to summon resolution to
move toward the old-fashioned bell
pull that hung at the side OF the bed.
With a great effort l managed to crawl
toward it. Then my attention was
suddenly arrested by a sight which
almost recompensed me for my stu
alton.
My eyes were level with the middle
portion Of the pane Of glass between
the curtains. saw the window across
the court, and. through this. the strong
features OF John Redmond, made. by
some optical trick Of a late summer
afternoon, as clear as though he stood
within my room. And at his side were
two men.
One was Kaspar Weisknopf, the
Berlin member Of the money trust. |
had never seen him, but recognized
him from his likeness to Louis, the
leader, at Vienna. The other was a
debonair young man whom | had met
many times In Berlin. He stands so
near the throne that l mention no
name.
And both were pleading with John
Redmond.
Perhaps it was the exultation of
some spiritual faculty of discernment,
in my half-delirious state-perhaps
imagination; but, though 1t was impos-
sible to hear word. knew that they
were rendering him something that
had not been rendered within the
British Isles for centuries.
1t was the crown of Ireland.
And l saw Redmond's strong fea-
lures CULVER with emotion. The
hooked nose, the little moustache, fast
turning gray. the massive profile were
clear as shadow picture on a screen.
What drama was being played in
that little back room OF the Green
Harpi"
! saw him shake his head; | saw
them crowd upon him. grasp his coat
lapels; in imagination | heard them
telling him that the time was ripe
as it had never been ripe before. BY
nightfall he could rule three-Gourths
Of Ireland, while England, rendered
impotent by Continental war. must
acquiesce. Would ne take the bait7
Would he?
And at the supreme moment the pic
ture dissolved. ! saw the room filled
with figures. heard shouts and
yells of execration. A mob filled the
courtyard. The streets were infernos
OF sound. Then heard the crackle of
rifles, and. with all my remaining
strength | pulled the bell rope and
tainted away
The victim OF robber, they called
me when ! awoke. three days later,
and ! did not deny the statement. For
knew that the time was past for pri-
vate justice. Justice ON the most i'm
posing scale In history was being pre-
pared for Grant nations.
1t was not hard to learn what had
occurred. My nurse at the hospital
was full of the story. telling II 60 me
with indignation In her blue eyes and
quivering lips.
The soldiers. called out to seize the
arms of the Volunteers. had been as.
sailed by the crowd. They had fred
on them without orders. perpetrating
what is now known as the Dublin
Massacre. IN the ward that ad-
Joined my private room a dozen
wounded lay. Ireland was mad with
rage; and. II there had been q man
on the spot ready to seize the pretext.
he could have shaken on England's
yoke forever.
What pity. all said. THAT Redmond
was not thereI He would have been
Of more use In his own country than
in Westminster. Needless to say, |
kept my counsel
But when Germany struck at Bel
GUM. and England declared war on
her. John Redmond's speech in the
house Of commons. pledging the sup