Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-07-26
CHAPTER XXIV-Continued.

After standing at attention" for
what seemed week, though in reality
il could not have been over five min
utes. we heard low whispering in our
rear and footsteps on the stone flag
gng Of the courtyard.
0uf officer reappeared and in a low,
but firm voice, ordered:
"AhOut-Turn 7"
We turned about. In the gray light
Of dawn, few yards in front of me, l
could make out brick wall Against
this wall was 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 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 no blood of
Tommy on my hands.
"Order-Arms About-Turn! Pile
Arms. Stand-Clear."
The stacks were reformed.
Quick = March! Right = Wheel y"
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
from the officer in command:
Return, alone, to your respective
companies, and remember, no talking
ABOUT this affair, or else it will 90 hard
with the guilty Ones"
We needed no urging to get away.
ald not recognize any of the men on
he hrlng squad even the officer was a
stranger to me.
The victims relations and friends in
bnghty 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-
mentally Killed." or Died"
Inc day after the execution 1 re-
vei'ed orders to report back to the
ins, and to keep still tongue in my
head
Executions are part of the days
%ork' put the part we hated most of
al, think-certainly the saddest. The
brush war department is thought by
mony people to be composed of rigid
situations all wound around with red
~ ape But it has heart, and one of
e'luences Of this is the considerate
way IN which an execution is concealed
,a reported to the relative of the un-
~, man. They never know the
ome NJ lie Is listed in the bulletins as
o'ig the accidentally killed"
,n ~ 'he last ten years l have several
coma s read stories in magazines of
roos us changing, in charge, to he
eoss used to laugh at it. It seemed
nv. lor story-writers, but 1 said,
IN e n aren't made that way" But over
stroai 'hce learned once that the
nio,', Vi yellow can turn all white. 1
tho u up the story, bit by bit, from
trss ptdih OF the company, the SEN
we, "no guarded the poor fellow, as
6r.. 20 from my own observations. At
stor, uiu not realize the whole of his
uon !. out after week Of investiga-
as tha STOOD out as clear in my mind
tho se mountains Of my native West in
so mn s sunshine. 1t impressed me
ras. uch that / wrote It all down in
Tho s , oillets on scraps of odd paper.
true. ~ are, as l say. every bit
! b.. ''e feelings Of the man are true
agbt,n aow from all l underwent in the
WY w over in France.
wasn,t VIII vi call him Albert Lloyd. That
An. MS name, but it will do:
terms Lloyd was what the world
he london they called him Stacker
eightoo .ouhtry had been at war nearly
ID kbat, months, AMI still ne was not
lr,ie In had no good reason for not en-
ing 81 oeing alone in the world hav-
lun, ma educated in an orphan asy-
acre being no csc dependent