The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1918-08-03
CHAPTER xxiV-Continued.
--21--


After standing ut ATTENTION" for
whit seemed II week, though in reality
II could not have been over five min
utes. We heard u low Whispering in our
rear and footsteps on the stone flag
ging of the courtyard
our officer reappeared and In a low,
hut 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 a white
square pinned on it's breast. We were
supposed to aim at this square. TO the
Tight Of the form)I noticed white spot
on the wall This would be my target.
Ready! Aim Fire."
The dark form sank into huddled
heap. Ny 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
ct ease, there was no blood Of u
Tommy on my hands.
II
Arms Stand--Clear."
The stacks were reformed.
Quick - March Right - Wheel"
And we left the scene Of execution be-
hind us.
II was now daylight After march.
ing about five minutes, we were dis
missed with the following instructions
yr,,,, tb. ,ui,.r IL,
Return, alone, 10 your respective
companies, and remember, no talking
about this affair, or else Il will go 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
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
will appear under the caption "Acci-
dentally Killed" or oiled"
The day after the execution ] re-
line, and to keep still tongue In my
head
Executions are part OF the days
work, but the part we hated most Of
all, ] think-certainly the saddest. The
British war department is thought by
many people TO be composed Of rigid
regulations all wound around with red
"a, DnV . kaS art nd nf
Che evidences Of this is the considerate
way In which an executia 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 In magazines Of
roes. used to laugh at 1t. II seemed
easy for story-writers, but ] said,
Men aren't made that way" But over
In France ] learned once that the
streak Of yellow can turn all white. i
picked up the story. bit by bit, from
the captain Of the company. the SEN
tries who guarded the poor fellow, as
VNli Us iIoiu ny o"u oDotf NubOhSs nj
nrst did not realize the whole Of his
story, but after week of investga-
ton II stood out as clear In my mind
~ the mountains Of my native West In
the spring sunshine. II impressed me
20 much that wrote II all down IN
rest 0billets on scraps Of odd paper.
The Incidents are. as say. every bit
true; the feelings of the man are true
Il know from all ! underwent In the
ngbting over In France.
We will call him Albert Lloyd. That
wasn't his name, but II will do:
Albert Lloyd was what the world
terms a coward.
In London they called him a Stacker.
His country hsd b~sp at war nearly
eighteen months, ans stifi he was not
n khaki.
He had no good reason for not en-
1AstinG being alone In the world. hav-
ing beeA educated In an orphan asy-
hmm. and thsrs being no one dependent