davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-04-28

steel-shod rife swept forward.
Such fury could not be withstood.
The survivors fled to the other en-
placements and opened fire with
insane rage. Cukela wiped the
sweat from his eyes. There was
still much work to be done.
He gathered a couple of German
grenades from the pit and hoped
out to complete his job. A stream
of bullets blazed forth, and Cukela
moved straight forward into the face
of fire. Now he was close enough!
In quick succession he threw the
bombs, and before the gunners re-
covered from the blasts, Cukela's
bayonet was at their throats. Those
who lived flung up their hands in
eager surrender. Then Cukela's
platoon came up and stamped out
the other nest.
The sergeant and his platoon. a
much leaner, smaller platoon, toiled
on through the woods to the days
objective. The brigade suffered
some 5000 casualties that day, and
Cukelas men furnished their share.
Obtained Relief.
The night of the 10Th saw the
relief of what was left of the
marines. They tottered out, across
the fields they had bought with
their blood. And with them went
Louis Cukela, content with the
knowledge that he had performed
his task well. How we'll, he was
to learn later at Coblenz when
generals, colonies, majors and
marines were being decorated for
various deeds of valor. Louis Cukela
was at the right of the line, second
to none in position of honor. He
stood at rigid attention while they
hung about his neck not one, but
two Congressional Medals Of Honor.
One was awarded by the Army, the
other by the Navy. Only five men
have ever received this decoration
from both services; and only three
Of those men ever lived to wear
them.
There was still plenty of fighting
to be done. There was bloody
work in the Marbache sector in
August; the st. Mihiel offensive a
month later; then Blanc Mont
in the Champagne, and the
Meuse Argonne affair which ended
hostilities. Throughout these en-
gagements went Cukela, piling up
traditions of reckless courage, dis
tinguishing himself above the rest
in an outfit where courage was
collective quality. The marines
dwindled, were hacked to pieces,
until only corpal's gu6rd Of the
original regiments was left. Most
of Cukela's pals were gone; but he
remained. They took his sergeant's
chevrons and gave him the bars
Of lieutenant to replace them.
Nearly q quarter Of q century has
passed since Sergt. Louis Cukela
got into that nest of German
machine gunners and cleaned them
out with bombs and bayonet. But
what adventures those intervening
years have brought him; Nicaragua,
Haiti, San Domingo and China.
Turbulent years of jungle warfares
and more medals.
Well and faithfully has he served
his adopted country. Now he stands
on the threshold Of retirement. the
most highly decorated marine Of his
day. In generations to come, many
a young leatherneck will preface
his story with: "Once there was .
marine named Louis Cukela ;"
Evening star., 1940-04-28

to his platoon. The men stripped
to combat packs and then went on
again in the face Of the reddening
dawn.
Halted by Barbed Wire.
Barbed wire halted the advance
and they cut their way through it.
The woods were beginning to thin
out before the company commander
made the signal every one was wait
ing for. Cukela circled his arms,
and then extended them out from
his sides. His platoon obediently
deployed as skirmishers, as taught
on the fields of Paris Island and
Quantico. They were part of the
66th Company, holding the extreme
right of the line.
With an abrupt roar the batteries
in the rear opened up, drenching
the German lines in torrent of
shell fire. Cukela and his marines
leaned close up against the barrage.
You lose men that way from friendly
fire, but not so many as when you
Evening star., 1940-04-28

River-of Eastern Branch OF the
Potomac. To 1t were assigned one
sergeant and seven men, all
mounted, with headquarters at
UniontoWn (now AnacoStia).
No. 2 precinct, subsequently the
eighth, had one sergeant and nine
mounted men, with the station
house ION Seventh street, near the
first tollgate"
Precinct No. comprised all the
territory lying west of Rock Creek,
including Analostan Island in the
Potomac River, and the city OF
Georgetown.
Johnson's Service.
1t. johnson, who was in charge
of the old second precinct for many
years, was appointed on the force
late in 1861, shortly after the first
men were taken on, and was placed
in charge of this precinct as early
as 1862. About 1875. the police
precinct was moved to 2042 Georgia
avenue, and remained there until
u6dal lhopCa W ~ ot1CCG bCtWCCA
Ninth street and Vermont avenue.
Boundary street tnow Florida ave-
nue) was macadamized in the early
70s and was one of the best stretches
of road within the District. They
had their speeders and their speed
regulations then, just as they have
today. and they had their crazy
drivers then-just as they have to-
day. The man with a fast trotter
or PAGER. before the advent of the
automobile, was just as reckless and
needed just as much watching as
the careless and inconsiderate auto
mobile driver does at present.
Traffic Regulations.
1t was then against the law ito
drive any horse, mare or gelding in
Evening star., 1940-04-28
Marines Decorated Officer Through

Then abruptly the thread of SAN
ity snapped. One of the leather
necks whose grand-dao had charged
with Pickett. skriekeo the Rebel
yell-the battle cry that half CEN
tury before had resounded through
the Virginian hills. Other marines
echoed the cry and swept forward
in a mad assault. All the training
of Paris Island and Quantico van
ished with that scream. 1t was each
man for himself now. They clawed
forward, stabbing their>way to the
Boche rifle pits. Their only thought
was to close in, hand-to-hand. Ma
chine guns and rifles splattered
death among them.
The 66th Company painted for
ward. With them went Louis Cukela
biting savagely into the leather
strap of his helmet, his eyes mar
rowed to brilliant points. Suddenly
his platoon halted, the foremost
melting away under a spray of
machine gun fire. The rest wavered
Louis Cukela, fiat on the ground,
peered intently ahead. His keen
eyes searched for faint, tell-tale
wisps of steam. He got to his knees.
Il know where they are. Come on,
some of you birds, let's get 'em!"
One Chance in Thousand.
It seemed impossible to move in
that enfiladed area. It was suicide.
There was only one chance in a
thousand! But that was all the
fighting sergeant asked.
Stealthily he slid forward. Two
of his men started with him, but
they died within the first few feet.
Cukela went on alone.
He couldn't see the hostile guns
now, but he could hear them and he
crawled toward the sound, with
bullets Gathering about him. He
struggled forward an inch at time,
restraining desire to leap to his
feet and surge ahead in one wild
dash.
Then abruptly he saw them: Three
nests, the center one well forward,
the fianking two echeloned back
for mutual protection. The flaming
muzzles of eight machine guns
snarled from the emplacements.
Carefully the big marine worked
closer. Time and again the hostile
guns disappeared, only to show up
once more in some rift in the under
brush. Pulling his body along by
his elbows, Cukela circled around,
coming up on the flank of the first
gun. Now a new and deadly men,
ace presented itself. Bullets from
his own platoon snarled about his
ears. OF in the distance German
snipers observed his movements and
tried desperately to kill him. Closer
and closer he wormed his way
toward the unsuspecting gunners.
Only a few feet separated them now.
Any further movement must surely
be detected.
For moment Cukela lay studying
the situation. Then he pulled the
pin on grenade and tossed it, not
into the pit, but well to one side.
AS he expected them to do, the
Germans swiveled their guns away
from him to point toward the ex-
plosion. He leaped to his feet and
sprang toward the pit. They saw
him!
Before they could move he was
upon them, his bayonet licking In
and out like a serpent's tongue. A
gunner fired his pistol full in the
marines face and missed. The
Evening star., 1940-04-28

slogan of Marine Corps recruiting
poster caught his eye; and shortly
thereafter Louis Cukela, erstwhile
corporal in the 18th Infantry. was
trying to explain to an officious
first sergeant Of marines that the
IN. c. U. S. A on his service
record signified "naturalized citizen"
instead of mot citizen of the United
States" as was interpreted by the
recruiter.
On June rs. 1917, one Louis Cukela
with the globe and anchor emblem
of the Marine Corps transfixed in
his campaign hat, debarked with
the other leathernecks at st.
Nazaire, France.
The days rolled by in a rapid
cycle of training periods. On March
18 the outfit moved into a quiet
sector just south of Verdun. Before
month had passed, Sergt.
Cukela was cited and awarded a
Croix de Guerre by the French;
and cited in divisional orders by the
commanding general Of the I'd Di-
vision, A. E. F.
On May ~ some 40 divisions Of
German soldiery torrented down
from the north and rolled like 4
tidal wave toward the Marne. The
French defenses were swept aside, as
a rotten breakwater goes with the
flood. Frenzied poilus scurried back,
leaving a small and prosecuted rear
guard to die at the bridgeheads.
The I'd Division of the American
Army was hurriedly assembled at
what was supposed to have been a
rest area. In camions and on foot
they raced toward the front. There
was no time to be lost. The enemy
was coming fast. Thirty-five kilo-
meters In three days!
The marines were flung into a
tangled forest known as Belleau
Woods. Nearly month later, when
they came out again, those who
did, the woods were theirs; eternally
theirs, for the grateful French had
renamed the field Bois de la Brigade
de Marine.
Louis Cukela led his platoon
through those woods, their bayonets
flashing. His individual fearlessness
was recognized, and Sergt. Cukela
was recommended for the Con-
gressional Medal of Honor; but it
was not forthcoming-this time.
On the March Again.
On July 8, their mission accom-
plished, the marines were with
drawn, a well-mauled outfit. A
week later they were on the march
again. Scissors! Long after the
bloody horrors of Belleau Woods are
forgotten, the survivors of Scissors
will remember that fight!
The marines moved out of their
billets on the evening of July 16,
converged at the rendezvous, and
presently the entire brigade, bat
talon by battalion, was marching
down the broad, white highway.
Sergt. Louis Cukela was close to
the head of the column. His dark
eyes, protected by the ramparts of
high, weather-beaten cheeks, glinted
like cold gun-metal. He knew they
were marching to battle, for he
had interpreted all the little, intri-
cate signs that indicated another
engagement.
Cukela's hob-nails drummed out
the cadence on the hard-surfaced
road. Presently the column came to
q line Of waiting camions. The pack
ladened marines climbed into the
vehicles. Soon they were lurching
Evening star., 1940-04-28

verted into it. This sewer was begun
in 1879 and, when finished, was the
largest cylindrical sewer in the world.
AT its starting point at E street, be-
tween Seventeenth and Eighteenth
streets northeast, it is % feet in
diameter, inside measurement. 1t
extends along Florida avenue from
It's northeast starting point to about
Eighth street northwest. 1t was one
of Washingons greatest engineering
Evening star., 1940-04-28

For many years the men OF this
precinct patrolled more territory
than did the officers of any other
precinct. During the exciting years
of the Civil War period, the area
it looked after embraced all of the
District Of Columbia beyond Bom-
Diary street tnow Florida avenue)
and west of the Anacostia River to
Rock Creek, and the writer feels
satisfied that at one time q large
Evening star., 1940-04-28

part of the northern part of the
city south Of Florida avenue was
also included within its boundaries.
Shortly after the passage of the
act of Congress, approved August 6.
1861, providing for the Metropolitan
police force, the District Of Colum-
bia was formed into 10 police pre-
cincts.
Precinct No. ! comprised all the
territory east of the Anacostia
Evening star., 1940-04-28

feats and was constructed under the
direction of Maj. Hoxie.
The cutting through of v street,
from Florida avenue to Georgia
avenue, some time ago. caused the
removal of an old frame building
that once had served as the station
for the second police precinct, before
it moved next door to the brick
building still at the southwest cor
ner of Georgia avenue and v street.
Evening star., 1940-04-28
By Frank II. Renttrow.

Dy FTOUR II. HcnIJfOW.
The United States Marine Corps
Is losing a great warrior. A man
whose fighting heart carried him
from the enlisted ranks to the bars
of captain. One who wears on
his breast the Medaille Miltaire,
the Legion Of Honor, the French
Croix de Guerre with three palms,
the Italian Croix de Guerre, five
battle clasps on his Victory Medal,
and many lesser recognitions. But
above these decorations, at his
throat, he is privileged to wear this
country's highest award, not one,
but two Congressional Medals of
Honor. And Capt. Louis Cukela,
U. S. M. c., has, since the retire.
ment of Gen. Smedley Butler, re-
mained the only person in active
service entitled to wear two such
medals. In the entire history of
our country only II men have won
two medals of honor. Louis Cukela
nearly broke all records when he
was recommended for still another.
But the award was disapproved.
Capt. Cukela is not unknown to
Washingtonians. He served with
the marine guard at the navy
yard for two years; his glittering
medals, his 6 feet Of military figure
commanding favorable attention on
the frequent occasions when the
marines paraded down Pennsylvania
avenue. Now he will be seen no
more, for the romantic, fiction-li
warrior sheaths his sword in re-
tirement, the sword that has carried
him into many distant lands on
great adventures.
Louis Cukela was born in Split,
Serbia, on May l, 1888, and early
in his youth took up the profession
of arms in his own country. In
1916 we find him serving as a
corporal with the 18th United
States Infantry In the Philippine
Islands.
Those were grim days Of horror
for the allies. Tiny Serbia, ever
the butt of warning nations, was
being smashed to pieces. The
Austrians had struck time and again,
only to be flung back across the
frontier. Then the combined forces
of the central powers ripped their
way in, tore the Serbian defenses
up by the roots and trampled them
under foot. The tiny, resolute army
was scattered, and Louis Cukela's 5
father was held prisoner in the
fort of Maribor.
In his far-away Philippine station
Corpl. Cukela read q pathetic
appeal from home. I'VE are Tight
ing" 1t said briefly. Where are
you?" The young corporal didn't
hesitate. He bought his way out
Of the Army and was soon aboard
the S. s. Thomas, bound for the
States.
Considered Canada.
His first intention was to enlist
in the Canadian service; but by now
1t WAS apparent to every one that
the United States would soon be
In the conflict. THE first to fight!"
Evening star., 1940-04-28
Beyer's Park Had Fame
As Great Sports Center
Reedy Branch Flowed There
And Old No. 2 Police Station
Was Among City Landmarks
By John CIaqeff Proctor.

To many Washington resident who could qualify for admission to
the Oldest Inhabitants
located the Baseball
In the District especially from early
GIihdths Stadium,
ball
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08
Spotlight
By GraratIa,,d Rice
Every Sport Claims Number of
Magnificent Midgets'; Dave
O'Brien Gets Rice's Laurel
Wreath Award for Durability.
tNANA-WNU Service.)

I OS ANGELES.-Who were the
- little giants of sport, the smaller
fellows who have unmatched Drawn
and bulk with brains and speed?
In football the first of the 'little
giants" was Frank Hinkey of Yale,
"the disembodied spirit" who at $50
pounds was tearing $50 and 100
pound backs apart with his cyclonic
tackles. Ask any survivor of Har-
wards ''faraway and long ago"
team, around the early nineties.
Hinkey practically exploded when
he hit you-and so did the party of
the second part-the ball carrier.
The Hardest
In one way young Dave O'Brien
of T. c. u. and the Philadelphia Ea-
giles gets the main sprig of laurel.
talked with Texas Davey just be-
fore the Packers-Al Star game.
Short in stature, and none too
stOcky, weighing around 148 or $50
pounds, he looked even smaller out
lined against the two sets of masto-
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08
Ask Me Hnother
. A General Quiz
The Questions

l. Can you give three words,
having two recommendations each,
the meanings of which change with
the recommendations?
2. Which are the three fastest
animals on foot?
3. What is a martingale-a song.
bird, part of a horses harness,
or a Towering shrub?
4. What kinds of twins are
there?
5. What are the male and fe-
male figures used in architecture
called?
6. What three birds have be-
come extinct in the United States
in the last 100 years?
7. How far has an aviator fallen
before opening his parachute in
a safe descent?
8. Who first had coinage sys-
tenn?
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08
The Answers

1. Record, produce, minute.
2. The cheetah, the gazelle
and the race horse are the three
fastest animals on foot.
8. Part of a horses harness.
4. Identical, unlike, and Siamese.
5. Male figures, used as supports
in architecture, are called carya-
lids, female figures are called at
lantes.
6. The passenger pigeon became
extinct in the 1906, the Labrador
duck in the 1840s, and the great
aux in the 1840s.
7. On March /, 1881, E. S.
("Spud") Manning fell 1925 feet
before opening his parachute in a
safe descent.
6. The cubes of gold used by the
Chinese may have been the earli-
est coins. Gold and silver coins
were first used by the Lydians
about the Sixth century B. c.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08

"tsAA AAASs WIItIQ II collar
"Willie was one
you couldn't FOOL" Cy says. And Cy
fooled most of them.
In Boxing
Who was the all-time top of the
little fellows in boxing?
There was Jimmy Wilde, "The
Great Atom" 105-pound fly
weight who for years whipped men
who were Is to Is pounds heavier.
i saw Wilde near the sunset of his
career when he, Bob Edgren, Jack
Wheeler and I played golf together
before his fatal battle with Pancho
Villa, the pounding Filipino, who
nailed him after the bell had rung.
Wilde's frail system was loaded with
disaster for his opponents until Villa
caught him on the downward trail.
And I'd like to give you Harry
Greb, who at 160 was whipping Gene
Tunney, and Tom Gibbons, and who
mauled Jack Dempsey all over the
ring in a workout He almost
wrecked 180-pound Jack Dillon, The
Killer. Greb thought nothing of CIV
ing away 20, 80 and 40 pounds. And
he would still win in a common cam
ter, going away. They began to beat
Greb when he was blind in one eve
and half blind in the other.
The all-time top in tennis for the
little men was Little Bill Johnston of
California, now living quietly along
the Pacific.
Little Bill once told me his normal
weight was around 116 pounds. Yet
in 1919 he beat Big Bill Tilden
three out of four sets for the cham
pi0nship, and always carried Big
Bill head and head into the stretch.
Johnston had forehand drive
worthy of someone who weighed over
ITO pounds. 1t was terrific-smok-
ing hot. And that from a man whose
normal weight was considerably less
than 125 pounds.
And, of course, there is still Bry-
an ("Bitsy") Grant of Atlanta, who
only recently defeated Bobby Riggs
in Florida-Riggs the winner at
Wimbledon and Forest Hills.
saw Bitsy take the measure of
Ellsworth Vines as an amateur,
when Vines was on top. He was
the toughest little chunk of human
flesh that tennis has ever known.
These good little men may have
been outweighed, but they haven't
been outgamed. They pack some
thing that a lot of bigger men do
not have-and the records show that
they make the most of it.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08

dOns and mamm0ths on each side
Musso at 260, Baby Ray at 245,
and others at 240 or perhaps 230.
He is needle in footballs haystack.
Yet Dave O'Brien has never had
time taken out in three hard years
at T. C. u. and this last year, his
first as pro with the Eagles.
AS forward passer they have
bounced his head and slender body
off the ground more than 200 times,
but he has always bounded back
with grin. He has been the rub
Der ball of the gridiron. And, don't
forget, he can split line as well as
throw a pass.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08
Baseball's Share

Baseball has also known its share
of these magnificent midgets.
What about Johnny Evers, the
Human Splinter" Evers was a
stout 118-pounder in his early Cub
days, but Johnny was 200-pound
thorn in the side of John McGraw
and his Giants.
And there was Rabbit Meanwhile
Of the Cubs and Braves, another
chunk of guncotton, who was about
the size of a baseball bat.
And there was Dicky Kerr Of the
White SoX, one of the few small
pitchers who could make the grade.
To keep from being waylaid and
assaulted I'll also give you Wee Will
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08
COULD BE-MAYBE

A schoo1-teacher was very much
annoyed by the continued mischiev-
BUSINESS of one of her boys. At last
she exclaimed in evaporation: II
wish I could be your mother for
just about one week. would rid you
of your naughty disposition.
every well, I will speak to father
about it," responded the youngster
coollY.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08
Human Kindness

Al Falfa-Did you know that fell
low who is runnin' for Office has a
glass eye?
Tim Hay-No; can you tell which
one it is?
Al Falfa-Yes. You look at both
his eyes pretty hard, and the one
that has a gleam of human kindness
in it is the glass one.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08
Tip EN- Up

Clara-Ah, let me drink my fill of
the exquisite beauties of this starry
night.
Jack-O. K. There's both the Big
Dipper and the Little Dipper.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-02-08

lie hGeleT lTOIIl a
lost decade, who was
smart enough to
chit 'em where they
amt" I saw Keller
play 40 years ago
and I still think he
stands out as the
most scientific hitter
of all time. An old
timer by the name
of Denton Tecumseh
(Cy) Young agrees
with me.
willie was one
Won cOi1ldp't fool - n,
Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1940-07-10
AntOneScu
Is Arrested
Veteran Leader of Ru-
manian Iron Guard
Held Because of sun
friendly Attitude.

Bucharest, July lO.-(AP)- Inc
ministry of propaganda announced
today the arrest of General Ion An
tonescu, veteran leader of Rumanlas
pro-nazi Iron Guard" as King Carol
II moved to prevent the Iron Guard
from wrestling control of the govern
ment from him.
Antonescu, who had been trying
to unite various Iron Guard groups,
was seized yesterday in the Tran
sylvania foothills because of an I'M
friendly attitude towards the pre-
sent regime" the ministry said.
The king StrOve to win the sup
port of all factions and queIl any m
ternal threats to his totaIltarlan
party Of the nation to present
united front against outside danger
to Rumania'S existence.
King Carol has forbidden revival
of any outlawcd political parties. In
formed parties said this decree was
aimed primarily at the Iron Guard:
There have been numerous midi
cations all is not we'll between the
king and the guard. although the
new cabinet of Gigurtu includes four
members Of the long outIaWcd group