Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-16

!
81 him:
We'll. IL the KiHE amt done moth
Ing for you English. he's dcnO less for
us 1rish. but | volunteers! TO como
cut hero for him. and hero ] am. and
glad OF II. too, and hopes some day TO
Get into Berlin with tho Kings forces.
YOU won't drink his health: we'll. you
can batho his health with that hc
threw the vino into the bliEhtcr's fncc
and smashed him in the nose with his
fist. The fellow went over like a log.
| with the lrishman still aEoin' for him.
II We hadn't OF pulled him OF, think
he would have killed that conscientious
| objcctor. The military police came in
| TO sec what all the row was about.
had clicked three days c. Is. CONFINED
| to burracks). and didn't want to get
| arrested. so in tho confusion / made
tracks for my billet.
| The next time ! met the blokc was
when we buried old Smith. cut OF the
| Tenth Platoon. in the cemetery at LA
! Basscc. Flo was ono OF tho Eravo
diSEers All during tho burial service
no stood looking at tho Union Jnck
with queer look on his face. When
old Smith was lowered into the ground
| and tho dirt was thrown on him. tho
conscientious objcctor. watkins, was
his name. game over to me and said:
~ hear he pointing at old Smiths
Eravc) is forty-ciGht years old and has
left n vito and three nippers back in
Blighty. lie was too old foI the draft
wasn't he? Then he must have voiun-
tocred.'
Il answered: 'ot course. he volun-
! teered. and there he lies. dcadcr than
hn1l htN Il III,
| kids Will DO proud of him--and that's
more than your Kids will DO about YOU
WATKINS MUSES. Up CORPORAL
FOR CALLING HIN A COWARD
lilo sncakcd of without answering.
Three days later nearly dropped dead
when our lance corporal came into our
billet with bloody nose and u beau
tifully trimmed lamp. When ! asked
| him how he cot Knocked about, no told
me that n fellow out Of the noncom-
! blatant corps named Watkins had
Riussed him up just because he had
called him Il whitc-livercd coward
watkins duckcd twenty-one DAYS
No. l on the wheel. and when his SEN
tence was finished they transferred him
10 lighting Unit, and bans! into our
platoon ho comes.
'iMany talk | had with him about
that pacihst stuf--hc hadn't changed
q bit In his ideas-hut he kept his
mouth shut about the King and tho
top hats at home.
Then NC went into the trenches. and
knew his finish was near A firing
squad or rest in peace was 10 be his
lot: they all set cDc or the other sooner
or later.
After two days in. Fritz got rough
and opened w with pretty s;iT bonn
Iva rdmeEt
watkins was in the fourth SQUAD In
duSout in the support trench when
Mimic registered a direct hit on
tho roof and cavcd her in. Every one
nat watkins was iSilied. How he es-
capped was y marvel. the rest of the
squad being smashed up something
awful We collected the pieces and
buried them the next day. Watkins
helped dig the graves
For TWO days watkins scarcely
spoke word. just wen, round with a
far-away look on his face.
WATKINS VOLUNTEERS ron
BoAInING SQUAD
On the third nigh; after the burial.
volunteers woro- called for bombing
raid. and l could scarcely believe NV
ears when l heard that Watkins had
volunteered. Il was the truth all rich,
he went along.
We crawied our into no mans land,
uHaer cover Of our harrase and waited.
watkins was mex, 10 me- Suddenly a
star she'll went I'D. and We cro,r,,s1
down in its light. was having so
that could see Wa!kins-hl;me me
he had TO rife o. hayonet yvhispcred
over 20 him, Where's your riher He
answered. 1 threw il away Before l
had time 10 reply the signal TO rush
the German trench was given, and
los. s!Eht OF him
IL was rough going in the German
trench. and &c had quite T. little OF
! hsnd-to-haad lighting. Star shells
We're going up al around us. One o.
o"T boxes in front OF me was Just
gong around the corner Of n traverse
When big German GO; hin, through
me throat with his bayonet and no
Went down. Something sp-sng mas,
ne like a wildcat and closed with The
FRITZ The: both went down together
just then another German came a; M.
from the entrance OF q dugout. and
was oNsE managed 20 set him
zen our lieutenant and two rasn came
round. gave the order 10 get hac, ~
7
over the three bodies in from, O. no
orc OF them g-oaucd. u was wilkins
Al! right tnsrHied. re had sprang 4,
lhN German, and WITH his Bare hands
mad ohoked him 10 death. but he had
! {" Nasty Jagged hayonet wound IA his
'iSht side. We managed 10 get him
PACK to our trenches, hu, ne died on
I ne Hresten. Before cashiag In he
looked Up a. the lieutenant and VIII
( n gin on his tace said. Tell Ire
Aloomin' King and -l.o top hats q, hone
;hai died FOR England. and hope
that. like old Smith my ai7pers viii
| be proud Q: their father God save
;Ae. king'-and then he died.
SUCH DIRECTORS ARE EITHER
CoWARDS or PRo-GERSIANs
+ We hurried him aex; morning. No.
NY opinion Of conscientious ob;ec.ors
and pae!hs:s has no; changed They
( are either towards o. p-o-Gcrmans.
( You Sc. Watkins wasn't either. re
vas . soldier OF N. King ana ,