The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-09-06
CHAPTER xxIv-continued.

-21-
After standing at attention" for
what seemed week, though in reality
1t could not have been over five min
utes, we heard a low whispering in our
rear and footsteps on the stone flag
ging of the courtyard.
Our officer reappeared and in low,
but firm voice, ordered:
"About-Turn!"
We turned about. In the gray light
Of dawn, few yards in front of me,
could make out a brick wall. Against
this wall was dark form with white
square pinned on it's breast. We were
supposed to aim at this square. To the
right of the form noticed white spot
on the wall. This would be my target.
Ready Aim! Fire!"
The dark form sank into a huddled
heap My bullet sped on its way, and
hit the whitish spot on the wall;
could see the splinters fly. Some one
else had received the rifle containing
the blank cartridge, but my mind was
at ease, there was 40 blood Of a
Tommy on my hands.
,aOrder-Arms About-Turn! Pile
Arms! Stand-Clear."
hshe stacks were reformed.
S'Quick - March! Right = Wheel !"
And we left the scene of execution be-
hind us.
1t was now daylight. After march
ing about five minutes, we were dis
missed with the following instructions
from the officer in command:
"Return, alone, to your respective
companies, and remember, no talking
about this affair, or else it will so hard
with the guilty ones"
We needed no urging to get away. |
did not recognize any of the men on
the firing squad; even the officer was a
stranger to me.
The victims relations and friends in
DIighty will never know that he was
executed; they will be under the i'm
preston that he died doing his bit for
king and country.
In the public casualty lists his name
will appear under the caption "Acci-
dentally Killed." or "DieI."
The day after the execution l re-
ceived orders to report back to the
line, and to keep a still tongue in my
head.
Executions are a part of the days
work, but the part we hated most of
all, Enthusiastically the saddest. The
British war department is thought by
many people to be composed of rigid
regulations all wound around with red
tape. But 1t has a heart, and one of
the evidences of this is the considerate
way in which an executio is concealed
and reported to the relative of the I'm.
fortunate man. They never know the
truth. He is listed in the bulletins as
among the accidentally killed"
In the last ten years have several
times read stories id magazines OF
towards changing, in charge, to he
roes. used to laugh at it.. 1t seemed
easy for story-writers, but l said
'Men aren't made that way" But over
in France | learned once that the
ttreak of yellow can turn all white.
picked UP the story, bit by bit, from
the captain of the company, the SEN
tries who guarded the poor fellow, as
We'll as from iiiy OWN ODoCi folAoiio' a
first l did not realize the whole of his
story, but after a week of investiga
ton 1t stood out as clear in my mind
as the mountains of my native West IL
the spring sunshine. 1t impressed me
so much that / wrote it all down In
rest billets on scraps of odd paper
The incidents are, as l say, every BIZ
true; the feelings of the man are true
II know from all l underwent in tht
fighting over in France.
We will call him Albert Lloyd. Tha
wasn't his name, but it will do.
Albert Lloyd was what the worlC
terms coward.
In London they called him Stacker
His country had been nj war nearl!
eighteen months, an. still ne was no
in khaki.
He had no good reason for not en-
listing. being alone in the world, hay
Ing been educated in an orphan asy
lum. and there being no one dependen