Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-07-24
CHAPTER XXIV-continued

81
After Standing at attention" for
vbot seemed week, though in reality
# couId not have been over five min
rtqs we heard low whispering in our
rear and footsteps on the stone flag
ring of the courtyard.
Our officer reappeared and in a low,
but firm voice. ordered:
"About-TurnW
We turned about. In the gray light
Of dawn, a few yards in front Of me, l
could make out brick wall. Against
this wall was a dark form with a white
SQUARE pinned on its breast. We were
supposed to aim at this square. To the
right Of the form l noticed a white spot
on the wall. This would be my target.
Ready! Aim! Firew
The dark form sank into a huddled
heap. My bullet sped on its way, and
bit the whitish spot on the wall; I
could see the splinters fly. Some one
else had received the rifle containing
the blank cartridge, but my mind was
at ease, there was no blood of a
Tommy on my hands.
"Order-Armsl AbOut-Turn Pile
Arms Stand-Clear"
The stacks were reformed.
Quick March, Right - Wheel ~
And We left the scene of execution be-
hind US.
It was now daylight. After march
Inc 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 go hard
with the guilty ones"
We needed no urging to get away.
ad not recognize any of the men on
he firing squad; even the officer was a
stranger to me.
The victims relations and friends In
Blghty 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-
oentally Killed" or Died"
The day after the execution I re-
ve1'ed 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
~, Jnink-certainly the saddest. The
o,l1Sn war department is thought by
-au! people to be composed of rigid
equations all wound around with red
. @pe But it has heart, and one of
-s evidences Of this is the considerable
W! IN which an execution. 4 is concealed
suu reported to the relative of the IN
tC man. T'ey never know the
sr.- ne Is L'T in the bulletins as
1ols the "ac.-ueutally killed"
u Ne last ten years l have several
oa ,-Ss read stories in magazines of
~. W changing, in a charge. to he
s.s ! used to laugh at it. 1t seemed
ny Tor story-writers, but I said
N S'eh made that way" But over
r,..t .SNce l learned once that the
T GsaA Of yellow can turn all white 7
ha cs,. ~ 'he story, bit by bit, from
trss -a a, Of the company, the SEN
wall , NJ guarded the poor fellow. as
arv 49, 1,oln my own observations. At
So ~. I'D not realize the whole of his
ton !. ol' AFTER a week of investiga-
49, S'ood out as clear in nv mind
tie snr -. l'alnS Of my native West in
70 n r,,as sunshine. It impressed me
res b,I I 1nat / wrote it all down in
rs f, '.,s'S on scraps of odd paper
tue; -ba ems. are, as say. every bit
= 5ra ne feelings Of the man are true
tgb,i1I"r rom all underwent in the
NJ over in Frunce - INC
sssn,, WI WI call him Albert LLOYD. That
An L's name. but it will do:
TENS Lloyd was what the world
Bis london oal they called him a Stacker
agarss SOu - had been at war nearly
hkhah. nS' and still he was not
sdnsI r ba, no good reason for not an.
hs been Ss. as alone in the world, hav.
h. s0@ ~ :, educated in an orphan asv.
Oe'nx no one dependent