The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-06-21

OuI olfccr IeuIptuEtu ana In a IOt
but firm voice. ordered:
II -About-Turni
We turned about. In the gray llgl
\ OF dawn. few yards In front of inc.
could make out brick wall. AgaIns
this wall was a dark form with whit
square pinned ON its breast. We wer
supposed to aim at this square. To IN
right OF the form noticed white spo
on the wall. This would be my target
Ready Aiml FireI
The dark form sank into huddle,
heap. My bullet sped on its way. an,
hit the whitish spot on the wall;
could see the splinters fly. Some on,
else had received the rifle containing
the blank cartridge. but my mind wal
at ease, there was no blood of /
Tommy on my hands.
-order-Arms About-Turn ! Pile
Armsl Stand-Clear."
The stacks were reformed.
"Quick = March, Right Wheel r
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 ii will 90 hard
with the guilty ones.'
We uaadad NJ ,,rcf,,Ex - - -. y
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
Blighty 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
VIII appear under the caption -Acci-
dentaIly Killed. or Died"
The day after the execution I re-
ceived orders to report back to the
line, and to keep a still tongue In my
head. M
Executions are 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 IT has a heart, aud one Of |
the evidences Of this Is the considerable
way In which an execution Is concealed
znd reported to the relative Of the I'M
fortunate man. They never know the
ruth. He is listed in the bulletins as
imong the accidentally killed.
In the last ten years / have several
lines read stories In Dr yazines Of
towards changing. In charge, to he
oes. used to laugh at it. 1t seemed
'asy for story-writers. but said,
Men aren't made that way.Y But over
n France l learned once that the
freak Of yellow can turn all white.
licked up the story. bit by bit, from
ne captain Of the company. the sem
ries who guarded the poor fellow, as
'ell as from my own observations. At
rst did not realize the whole of his
tory. but after a week Of inyestiga-
ON 1t stood out Is clear in my mind
the mountains Of my native West in
he spring sunshine. 1t impressed me ,
. much that wrote 1t all down In
Isl biilets on scraps of odd paper. ,
ne incidents are. as say. every bit 6
ne; the feelings of the man are true
i know from all 1 underwent in the
,hting over in France. ,,
We will call him Albert Lloyd. That !,
asnt his name. but II will do:
Albert Lloyd was what the world !
rms a coward. !.
In London they called him Stacker. },
His country had been at war nearly
ghteen months. and still he was not \
khaki.
He had no good reason for not en-
ting. being alone In the world. hav- n
been educated in an orphan asy- =,
u, and there being no one dependent 4,
'on him for support. He had no good n,
sition to lose, and there was no
eetheart to tell him with her lips =,
go. while her eyes pleaded for him =
stay. y
Every time he saw a recruiting ser -
ant he'd stink around the corner out %
sight. with terrible fear gnawing .
his heart When passing the big re- a.
lifting posters. and on his way TO -
siness and back he passed many, he -
uld pull down his cap and look the -
er way from that awful finger 81
nting at him, under the caption, -,
Dur King and Country Need Your -,
the boring eyes Of Kitchener. which -.
ned into his very soul, causing him ~
shudder. 20
hen the Zeppelin raids-during III III
%, he used to crouch in a corner of Wv
clearinghouse cellar, whimpering
a whipped puppy and calling upon
Lord to protect him. oiu
ven his landlady despised him, al ont
Ugh she had to admit that he was nre
ID pay" one
e very seldom read the papers, but cio
momentous morning the landlady =
the morning paper at his place be- not
be came down to breakfast. TAX -ov
his seat he read the fiaring head whi
"Conscription Bill Passed." and A
~ tainted. Excusing himself, he he
lbled upstairs to his bedroom. croi
the horror Of 1t gnawing into his par'