Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-07-09
ARMY RED
TAPE.
Il Was Cut In the Nick of
Time by a Girl.
BY F. A. Mitchell

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Years ago when l was lieutenant
in the regular army stationed in what
was then the wild west at Fort X. we
had in the garrison an officer who was
a tyrant. The fort was a 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 Oh
several occasions to demonstrate 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 martinez for captain.
Stevenson was handsome fellow.
with a young face and massive frame.
remember one day when several In
CHM chiefs came to the fort on bust
ness for their tribes and saw him they
srunted 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 Conover, the daughter of an
ordnance sergeant who wore half
dozen service stripes on his arm. At
any rate. Madge fell desperately in
love with Stevenson. though believe
he was not disposed to fall in love with
amy one.
The recruit was as high strung as
lie was handsome. But. knowing moth
ing about the duties Of a soldier. he
very soon got into trouble His cap
guardhouse, and since Stevenson's
breaches Of discipline were entirely
through ignorance he justly laid up
his punishments against Hawkins. One
day for some misdemeanor the cap
tain ordered him tied up by the
thumbs. When his sufferings were
becoming unbearable Hawkins ordered
him taken down and gave him severe
scolding. The youngster thus goaded
while still suffering struck his cap
tain. Hawkins drew his sword and
was about to cut down the mutineer
when he thought better of the matter
md ordered him under guard.
The offense was. indeed, serious.
Stevenson was Informed by his friends
that he would be tried for his life
Had the case come to trial he might
have been sentenced TO be shot, but
the sentence would likely have been
COMMITTED to a long Imprisonment.
But it did not-at least. not the1-come
to trial. Madge Conover one night
contrived to draw away the attention
of his guard and made sign to him
to light out This he did, and before
his escape was reported to headquar-
ters he had mounted horse that
stood saddled and was soon galloping
over the plain.
Stevenson remembered that the Indi-
ans had said that if he would go with
them they would make him chief.
He directed his course to where he
knew the Arapahoes were encamped
and was received with open arms by
them. They did not at once make him
a chief. but be soon became a leader
among them.
1t was not long after the mutineer'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 it was now doubly so. In adj
dition to the charge Of mutiny he now
had to answer a charge Of desertion
and one Of taking arms against the
army to which he belonged. This time
he was confined in place where es-
cape was scarcely possible. A court
was at once convened: he was tried
on all three Of the charges. found gull
TT and sentenced to be shot. The find
ir1gs were sent to Washington. approx
: ed and returned to the commanding
officer.
Major Barton was at the time seri.
nusly 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
w 0AC' CAoOA uuO ~ Will
the young man, who be 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-
pitts ignorance Of military discipline
at the time his offenses were commit
ted.
It was long distance in those days
from Fort K. to Washington. While
the majors communication was on the
@vay 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-
ment arrived at the fort postmarked
Washington. the envelope bearing the
printed words "From the President of