The Washington herald., 1919-09-29
C0URT-MARTIAL OF
SOLDIER Is FATALT0
GRIEVHVG MOTHER
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GkEVNG MOIHEkl
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In the mothers mind said Mrs.
Katie Hampton, sister of Mrs. sebas-
tian. from whose house the boy had
gone to ight.
Mary was not yet 20 when she
died. She had been large and strong
and healthy. But worry over him
caused her sudden decline and
death.
@she lived to learn Of her sons
pardon. but she never recovered
from the shock Of the news of his
sentence It killed her. I know IT
did.
nut we never did, ut any
umes get . word Of oficiaI news
from pe War Department about
tne bsys trial and eendemna-
ion. The nrst we learned Of
his sentence was IN the neyvs-
papers, And we heard of the
pardon the same way,
Il suppose IL the boy hadn't been
pardonedv~ and they had carried cut
the sentence. we'd have never been
dead. =
For three months Forests
mother was frantic to know what
mad oefallen him His regular let
ters stopped: then his ailotments
ON which she was partially depen-
oent stopped; but no explanation
came.
And then Mary fell sick. The
absence Of news from her son. fol-
lowed by the report in the news
papers that he had been sentenced
20 death. served to aggravate her
growing illness. The pardon by
the President comforting as 1t was.
didn't relieve her, and she died five
weeks before Forest was killed.
Up to the very last, Mary held
out that she knew her boy hadn't
meant to be q coward. She knew
he would do his duty like q man.
Forest never mentioned his trou-
BILE IN letters. even after he was
freed. until he found out we had
heard of 1t through the news
papers"
Mrs Hampton brought out the
letter from Forest Sebastian in
which he made his first reference
to his sentence and pardon:
"Tn not going to say any
thing about Ii now. Some day
may be able to explain to you
all about II. But PLEASE don't
think Pm q coward. Don't think
an chteken-hearted.-
Eldorado's citizens are proud of
Forest Sebastian for wiping out the
stain on his name. IL stain It was.
They also have some ideas of
what injustice 1t is to let q group
OF army officers condemn one OF
their best boys without fair trial.
And they have already made them
know TO Representative Thomas s.
Williams. Of the Twenty-fourth
Illinois district.
sEBAsTIAN's BUDDY TELLS
STORY OF sLEEPLESs DAYS.
They are also very proud OF
Claude Younger, another husky
young coal miner. Younger had
been Sebastian's lifetime pal. The
two boys were the first to volunteer
from Eldorado, going away on
April IL. only eight days after war
declared.
Younger returned home two
months ago grieved because he had
to return without FROSTY" as
young Sebastian was known.
Younger again at his work. leaned
on his pick handle to tell his chum's
story for The Herald readers.
7 had been transferred to the
third battalion with q machine gun
unit" said Younger. Sebastian
was with Company G of the second
battalion So / wasn't with him
when he got into trouble. but l
talked TO him about II later.
zone day I went to Demaigne,
where he was confined. and I saw
Frosty working among q gang of
prisoners on the streets. That was
before he was sentenced to death.
He was trying to keep up his spirits
even as a prisoner. He didn't seem
to realize what serious trouble he
was in. He talked about how eager
he was to go to the front. That
was the last time I saw him. We
went to another sector. ] did not
learn Of his pardon until after his
death. :
Frosty as he snatched an op->
portunity to talk to me away from
the eyes of his sentry. told me for
Gods sake not to write and let
mother know the trouble I'm in. 1
wouldn't have the folks back home
know IL for the worldr
"But his eomrades told me.
before that, that they didn't be-
lieve the Kid went sound asleep
on his post anyhow. He told
them he didn't. at least, and
they all said the corporal who
turned him in,' did II to get in
good with the captain. The cor
p0ral didn't get his wish. He's
In Leavenworth now for disobe-
dienee Of orders.
Frosty just dozed a little and