The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-05-28


son. The steady humping of the SEN
try's step abruptly ceased. There was
a heavy thud, smothered chuckle,
and then silence.
An hour later Dean, accompanied
by the corporal of the guard, came
to relieve his younger brother, Joe.
They found the boy in an inert heap on
the wet ground, the back part of his
head almost severed by the upward
swing of a bolo. Next DAY Joe was
buried with military honors in lone
ly little graveyard at the edge of
town. After three volleys were fired
and taps blown, Dean barred his head
and stood by the new-made grave.
"Joe," he said, "Pll git the yaller
dawg that done this eff l have to stay
in the PHILIPPINES till l ret. Jest you
rest easy, boy, kase I'm agwine TO git
the houn'"
Thereafter Dean mixed much with
the natives around Lipa He even per-
suaded rather good-lol1ing girl Git
was easy) to teach him Tagalog.
Then, one night in a vino shop, his
efforts were repaid. Juan P1anchez
was drunk-loquaciou drunk-and
certain remarks of his made it clear
to Dean that his brother had gone
down at the hands of juan
These remarks were not of a nature
that would carry weight in court, but
that made not the slightest difference
to the white man. He was from the
Tennessee hill country, where feuds
are actual. His father and grandfather
had lived by the hill co6e and died
with their boots on. Whereupon Dean
drew his revolver and shot the Filipino
with the same justified feeling the
average man has when he kills a
snake.
The natives scurTied ou. of the place
like frightened rats. Not knowing
the cause of Deans action they very
naturally thought he had run amuck.
The shriveled little proprietor pat
tered to the guard house as fast as
his bare feet could carry him, and
chartered out wild story to the effect
that. Dean had gone loco and was
shooting Filipinos as fast as he could
pull the trigger.
The sergeant, expecting to find dean
vino-crazy, took two members of the
guard and set out for the scene of &C
ton. Halfway they met their man
calmly walking toward quarters.
well, what do you know about
this?" said the sergeant. "a native
Just came in all scared up and told me
you was down town waging little
war of your own. What's the row
down there, anyway
"Wa'n'tmuch row." stated Dean. Il
found out, t'night, who the skunk was
that boloed Jim, and 1 sent i'm back
to hell where he came frum."
bad thing to do now" said the ser
geant. "You see, this civil govern
ment is all puffed up over itself. AS
l understand it, they claim this amt
war since all the big guns have been
caught or come in. Say these gugus
we been rounding up lately are about
the same as outlaws would be back
in the States; that we got to give 'em
fair trials and all that Say the only
way we can make 'em respect us and
teach 'em justice is to treat EN- just.
Orders are strict about it, too. So I'll
have to lock you up till morning"
The sergeant took Dean to the
guardhouse and sent a corporal and
two privates downtown to restore
order. When the corporal returned he
reported that Juan was not dead, but
badly wounded and that he had taken
the Filipino to the army hospital.
When told of this, dean grunted his
disgust.
Huh" he said. That comes O.
these here burned six-shooters. |
could shoot straight wild 'em. Bet eff
it hader been a rifle he wouldn't be
pizenin' the air now"
Next morning when the case was
laid before Colonel Burke, he shook
his head.
pretty serious" he said. eff this
Filipino dies we'll have to turn Dean
over to the civil authorities, and it
will be murder charge, sure. On the
other hand, if he pulls through, we can
try Dean by court martial and make
it a little easier for him. At any rate,
keep him in the guardhouse till the
doctors can be sure about Juan"
Nine days Juan lay in the hospital
with bullet hole through his left lung
and hung between here and hereafter.
And nine days Dean lay in the guard
house and grew surly. Every one be-
.ieved Juan guilty, but every one ex-
erted themselves to pull him through.
They hated to see a white man hang
for a murderer. At last the doctors
announced Juan safe. Then court
martial was convened and Dean tried
for wilful assault on a native. That
was the highest charge they could