West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-07-22
SOLDIER BRAVE GIVES UP
HIS LIFE FOR A FRIEND
Tale of Gallant English Officer that
Is an Epic of the War-Althoush
= Life Had Been Spared by the
Enemy He Dies that His Chum
Might Live

Under a Paris date the London Daily
| Express publishes the following:
| There lies n gallant English gen
ueman," said the Bavarian officer.
Lying I'm the British hospital at Yer
sailles Is young city man. n clerk
from stock brokers' office. who Join
cd Il territorial battalion of the Bed
fordshire regiment shortly after the
outbreak of the war sitting by mis-
| mcdside l heard his poignant story.
told i'm simple language. tale OF Il
man who gave his life so that his
friend might have a chance of return
ing TO his wife and child.
A friendship that began at school
was continued I'm manhood Two
young men entered the same Office.
and sat on adjoining stools. One. my
informant, married last July.
You can talk about shlrkers." he
said, "we were both shirkers then.
Why should we risk our lives, asked
my pal one morning as we came up
from Surbiton together. Then came
Belgium and the atrocities. We began
to realize things more. My pal said he
was going TO enlist, and said / would
too. He tried to dissuade me, because
| was married His only relative Is
his mother.
we argued the point. Then spoke
To my wife. She said Co although
there were tears In her eyes when she
said IL.
We were in the same company and
stood side by side I'm the ranks. our
period OF training was tedius. we had
taken the plunge. and wanted to get
out as soon as possible. Eventually
we found ourselves at Bologne, laugh
ing and cheering and trying TO believe
we should soon be home again. After
week i'm billets we were sent into the
trenches.
THE regulars. who we relieved, had
christened the trench HelIs own and
IL was pretty hellish can't tell YOU
what ! felt like when the big shells
came plunging into the trench. saw
chaps | had come TO like go down
without word. II was hell. II seem
ed like eternity waiting for the beg
gars TO charge. They threw grenades
as they came. and these wiped out n
few more of our chaps. My blood was
up then, and / simply wanted TO kill.
II was hideous.
Il shot an officer and saw him fall.
My pal climbed out of the trench.
walked toward the man had dropped.
picked him up and carried him back
to- our trench.
II was mad with him. / think we
nearly quarreled. but he said he could
not see the devil lying there bleeding.
81 set my teeth and went on firing
1t was no use. They simply wore us
down We were only 20, and II was
no good going on. They took us away
and put us I'm barn together.
"In the middle of the night an Off
Ger q learned we had been opposed
to the Bavarians) came to the barn
and said we were going TO be shot at
dawn, all except my pal they would
let him off because he had saved an
oiiicer's life. | confess I felt a bit
down. thought OF my wife and the
baby / should never see. My pal said
nothing at all, but all OF sudden he
asked one of the guards II he could
speak to the officer. They took him
away. and in about an hour he came
back
Where have you been? / said. i
have seen a general he said. It's all
fixed up they're going TO shoot me in
stead Of you
Il didn't know what he was talking
about lie wouldn't explain; just sank
down and went of to sleep. I slept
ftfuly.
at dawn they awoke us with kicks.
Not you said one OF the soldiers 10
me, you stay here, we don't want you
They tried to keep me I'm the barn. but
! pushed my way out with the others.
II was only then that I realized what
was going to happen
MY pal gripped my hand Tell the
mater I've gone West he said I ney-
ar told you before, Jack. old man.
''' Your wife chose the better man.
- Give her my love.
They didn't bllndfold em. They
stood. 70 Of EN-. back to the wall. and
they fell at the first volley.
There lies gallant English gen
tioman. said the Barayian officer. He
knew