Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1917-06-08

1 have received from Danforth, who is
on board the Levant, a letter which
gives an account Of Nolan's last hours.
II removes all my doubts about telling
this story.
To understand the first words Of the
letter, the nunprOfessional reader
should remember that after 1917 the
position of every officer who had No
Ian in charge was one of the greatest
delcacy. The government had failed
to renew the order of 1907 regarding
him. What was man To do? Should
he let him go? What, then, If he
were called to- account BY the depart
ment for violating the order of 1907?
Should he keep him? What, then, If
Nolan should be liberated some day,
and should bring an action for false
imprisonment or kidnapping against ev-
cry man who had had him In charge?
| urged and pressed this upon South
ard. and | have reason TO think that
other officers did the same thing. But
the secretary always said, as they so
often do at Washington, that there
were no special orders to give, and
that we must act on our own judg-
ment That means. IF you succeed,
you will be sustained; If you fail, you
will be disavowcd." Well. as Danforth
says. all that Is over now, though
do not know but | expose myself To
criminal prosecution on the evidence
Of the very revelation | am making.
Here is the letter:
'Lcvant, % ." s. a 1912 w.
"Dear Fred try to find heart and
life to tell You that 1t is all over with
dear old Nolan. | have been with him
on this voyage more than I ever was,
ard | can understand wholly now the
way in which you used Ia speak of the
dear old fellow. | could see that he
WAS not strong, but | had no idea that
the end was so near. The doctor had
been watching him very carefully, and
yesterday morning came to me and
told me that Nolan was not so well
and had not left his stateroom-a
Thing | never remember before. He
had let the doctor come and see him as
he lay there, the first time the doctor
had been In the staterOom, and he said
I've should like to see me. Oh dear !
do you remember the mysteries we
boys used to invent about his room, In
the old Intrepid days? Wen, | went
in. and there, to be sure, the poor fell
low lay in his berth. smiling pleasant
~ rs he gave me his hand. but look
ing very frail. | could not help u
glance round. which showed me what
a little shrine he had made of the box
he was lying in. The stars and stripes
were triced up above and around n
picture of Washington, and he had
painted majestic eagle, with light
nings blazing from his beak and his
foot just casping the whole globe,
which his wings ovcrshadOwed. The
dear old boy saw my glance. and said
with sad smile. Here, you see. | have
country" And then he pointed to
| the foot of his bed whore | had not
seen before great map of the United
States. as he had drawn ii from mem
/ DRY, and which he had there to look
upon as he lay. Quaint, queer old
names were on it, In large letters
/ Indiana Territory Mississippi Ter
rltory' and louisiana as | supposed
/ our fathers learned such things; but
the old fellow had patched in Texas
too: he had carried his western bOun
dairy all the way To the Pacific, but on
that shore he had defined nothing.
"'Oh. BaRforth he said Il know
am dying. | cannot get home. Sure
t,II
Stop! stop. Do net speak till | say
what am sure YOU know, that Their,
is not in this ship, that there Is no
In America--God bless hcr!-a NOR,
LOYAL man than |. There cannot be +;
man who loves the old flag rs | do, oi
prays for IL as do, or hopes for II n
| do. There are thirty-fOur stars II
1t now, Danforth. thank God fol
that. though do not know what thei
names are. There has never been ont
taken away; | thank God for that
know by that. that there has neve
been any successful Burr. Oh Dan
forth, Danforth, he sighed out, 'hov
like wrctched nights dream boy
idea OF personal fame or of separate
sovereignty seems, Nu'u one looh
back on it after such life as mine
But tell mc-tell me somethlng-tcl
me everything, Danforth, before ! die
Bingham, | swear to you that | fel
like monster that had not told hin
everything before. =, Danger or no dan
ger, dellcucy or no dclicacy, who was
that | should have been acting tn
tyrunt all this time over this dear
: sainted old man, who had years az
expiatcd, ia his whole manhoods If,
the madness of boys treason? MI
Nolan said 4 will tell you evcrythin
{ YOU ask about. Only, where shall
I hcgnp
"Oh, the blessed smile that creI
over his white face and he pressed m
aand and aaid, God bless YOU! TIE
me their Names he said and he point
ed to the stars on the flag The las
| know Is Ohio. My father lived /
Kentucky. But | have guessed Mici
igan ana Indiana and Mississippi tina
was where Fort Adams is--they max
twenty. But whore are your oth'