The Monmouth herald., June 28, 1918, Image 2

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" AlweTi ral'speeculess. The sentry
batted Id with:
"None o that gassln' out o' you.
Beck to headquarters you goes, Mr.
Frits. Open that (ace o' yours again,
an' Til dent In your napper with the
butt o' me rifle."
The generai's face was a sight to be
hold. He was fairly boiling over with
rage, but he shut up,
Atwell tried to get In front of the
sentry to explain to him that It really
ffas the general he had under arrest
but the sentry threatened to run his
bayonet through him, and would have
done It, too. So Atwell stepped aside,
and remained silent I was nearly
bursting with suppressed laughter. One
word, and I would have exploded. It
Is not exactly diplomatic to laugh at
your general In such a predicament
The sentry and his prisoner arrived
at brigade headquarters with disas
trous results to the sentry.
The Joke was that the general bad
personally Issued the order for the
spy's arrest It was a habit of the gen
eral to walk tBrough the trenches on
rounds of Inspection, unattended by
any of his staff. The Irishman, being
new In the regiment had never seen
the general before, so when he came
across htm alone In a communication
trench, he promptly put him under ar
rest Brigadier generals wear a red
band around their caps.
Next day we passed the Irishman
tied to the wheel of a limber, the be
ginning of his sentence of twenty-one
days, field punishment No. L Never
before have I seen such a woebegone
expression on a man's face.
For several days, Atwell and I made
ourselves scarce around brigade head
quarters. We did not want to meet
the general.
The spy was never caught
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Firing Squad.
A few days later I had orders to re
port back to divisional headquarters,
about thirty kilos behind the line. I
reported to the A. P. M. (assistant pro
vost marshal). He told me to report
to billet No. 78 for quarters and ra
tions. It was about eight o'clock at night
and I was tired and soon fell asleep in
the straw of the billet It was a mis
erable night outside, cold, and a drizzly
rain was falling.
About two in the morning I was
awakened by some one shaking me by
the shoulder. Opening my eyes I saw
a regimental sergeant major bending
over me. He had a lighted lantern In
bis right hand. I started to ask him
what was the matter, when be put his
finger to his lips for silence and whis
pered :
"Get on your equipment and, with
out any noise, come with me."
This greatly mystified me, but I
obeyed his order.
Outside of the billet I asked him
what was up, but he shut me up with :
'Don't ask questions, It's against or
ders. I don't know myself."
It was raining like the mischief.
We splashed along a muddy road for
about fifteen minutes, finally stopping
at the entrance of what must have
been an old barn. In the darkness, I
could, hear pigs grunting, as If they
had just been disturbed. In front of
the door stood an officer In a mack
(mackintosh). The R. S. M. went up
to him, whispered something, and then
left. This officer called to me, asked
my name, number and regiment at the
fame time, In the light of a lantern he
v.ii.i holding, making a notation In a
little book.
When he had finished writing, he
whispered : '
"Go into that billet and wait orders,
and no talking. Understand?"
I stumbled into the barn and sat on
the floor In the darkness. I could see
no one, but could hear men breathing
and moving ; they seemed nervous and
restless. I know I was.
Daring my wait three other men
entered. Then the officer poked his
head In the door and ordered :
"Fall In, outside the billet In single
rank."
We fell in, standing at ease. Then
he commanded:
"Squad "Shun ! Number I"
There were twelve of us.
"Right Turn! Left-Wheel! Quick
March !" And away we went. The
rala was .trickling down njy back and
1111
who Wn
MACHINE GUHNCR. JERV1NG IN fRAffCE
WmKWYtfWY'
t was snivermg trora tne cold. -
With the officer leading, we must
have marched over an hour, plowing
through tho mud aud occasionally
stumbling Into a shell hole In the road.
I i ..." .. ... . -i.a. ... 1 ni. -. .kAt.i
Burled With Honor.
when suddenly the officer made a left
wheel, and we found ourselves In a sort
of enclosed courtyard.
The dawn was breaking and the '
rain had ceawd.
In front of us were four stacks of
rifles, three to a stack.
The officer brought as to attention
and gave the order to unplle arms. We
each took a rifle. Giving us "Stand at
ease," In a nervous and shaky voice,
he Informed :
"Men, you are here on a very solemn
duty. Ion have been selected as a
firing squad for the execution of a sol
dier, who, having been found guilty
of a grievous crime against king and
country, has been regularly and duly
tried and sentenced to be shot at 3 :28
a. m. this date. This sentence has been
approved by the reviewing authority
and ordered carried out It is our duty
to carry on with the sentence of the
court
"There are twelve rifles, one of
which contains a blank cartridge, the
other eleven containing ball cartridges.
Every man Is expected to do his duty
and fire to kill. Take your orders from
me. Squad 'Shun !"
We came to attention. Then he left
My heart was of lead and my knees
shook.
After standing at "attention" for
what seemed a week, though In reality
It could not have been over five min
utes, we heard a low whispering In our
ear and footsteps on the stone flag
ging of the courtyard.
Our officer reappeared and in a low,
but firm voice, ordered:
. "About Turn!"
We turned about In the gray light
of dawn, a few yards In front of me, I
could make out a brick wall. Against
this wall was a dark form with a white
square pinned on Its breast. We were
supposed to aim at this square. To the
right of the form I noticed a white spot
on the wall. This would be my target.
"Beady!, Aim! Fire!"
The dark form sank Into a huddled
heap. My bullet sped on its way, and
hit the whitish spot on the wall; I
could see the splinters fly. Some one
else hud received the rifle containing
the blank cartridge, but my mind wus
at ease, there was no blood of a
Tommy on my hands.
"Order Arms! About Turn ! Pile
Arms ! Stand Clear."
The stacks were re-formed. ;
"Quick March! Bight Wheel!"
And we left the scene of execution be
hind us. ,
It was now daylight. After march-:
Ing about five minutes, we were dis-,
missed with the following instructions
from the officer In command :
"Beturn, alone, to your respective
companies, and remember, no talking
about this affair, or else it will go hard
with the guilty ones." j
We needed no urging to get away. I
did not recognize any of the men on
the firing squad; even the officer was a
strunger to me.
The victim's relations and friends in
Blithty will never know that he was
lira teifw
sxecuivu; tney win be under tne nn
prcsxlnn that he died doing his bit for
king and country.
lu the public casualty lists his name
will appear under the caption "Acci
dentally Killed," or "Died."
The day after the execution I re
ceived order to report back to the
line, and to keep a still tongue lu my
bead.
Execution are a part of the day'a
work, but the part we hated most of
all, I thluk certainly the saddest. The
British war department la thought I y
many people to be composed of rigid
regulation all wound around with red
tape. Out It has a heart, and one of
the evidences of this Is the considerate
way In which an execution Is coucealed
aud reported to the relative of the un
fortunate man. They never know the
truth. He Is listed In the bulletin aa
among the "accidentally killed."
In the lust ten year 1 have several
time read stories In magazine of
cowards changing, lu a charge, to he
roes. 1 used to laugh at It. It seemed
ensy for story-writers, but I said,
"Men aren't made that way." Hut over
la France I learned once that the
Rtrenk 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
well as from my own observations. At
first I did not realize the whole of hi
story, but after a week of Investiga
tion It stood out as clear In my mind
ns the mountains of my native West In
the spring sunshine. It Impressed me
so much that I wrote It all down In
rest billets on scraps of odd paper.
The Incidents are, as I say, every bit
true ; the feelings of the man are true
I know from all I underwent In the
fighting over In France.
We will call him Albert Lloyd. That
wasnt his name, but It will do:
Albert Lloyd was what the world
terms a coward.
In London they called him a slacker.
Ills country had been at war nearly
eighteen months, and still be waa not
In khukl.
lie had no good reason for not en
listing, being alone In the world, hav
ing been educated In an orphan asy
lum, and there being no ono dependent
upon him for support He had no good
position to lose, and there was no
sweetheart to tell him with her Hps
to go, while her eyes pleaded for him
to stay.
Every time he saw a recruiting ser
geant he'd slink around the corner out
of sight, with a terrible fear gnawing
at his heart When passing the big re
cruiting posters, and on his way to
business and back he passed many, be
would pull down his cup and look the ,
other way from that awful finger ,
pointing at blm, under the caption,
"Your King and Country Need You
or the boring eyes of Kitchener, which
burned Into bis very soul, causing blm !
to shudder.
Then the Zeppelin raids during
them, he used to crouch In a corner of :
his boarding-bouse cellar, whimpering j
line a wnippea puppy ana caiung upon
the Lord to protect blm.
Even his landlady despised him, al
though she hud to admit that he was
"good pay."
He very seldom read the papers, but
one momentous morning the lundlady
put the morning paper at his place be
fore he came down to breakfast Tak
ing his seat he read the flaring head
line, "Conscription Bill Passed," and
nearly fainted. Excusing himself, he
stumbled upstairs to bis bedroom,
with the horror of It gnawing Into bis
vitals.
Having saved up a few pounds, he
decided not to leave the bouse, and to
sham sickness, so he stayed In his room
and bad the lundlady serve bis meals
there.
Every time there waa a knock at the
door be trembled all over, Imagining It
was a policeman who had come to take
him away to the army.
One morning his fear were realized.
Sure enough, there stood a policeman
with the fatal paper. Taking It In his
trembling bund he read that he, Albert
Lloyd, was ordered to report himself
to the neurest recruiting station for
physical examination. He reported Im
mediately, because he was afraid to j
disobey. j
The doctor looked with approval
upon Lloyd's six feet of physical per
fection, and thought what a fine j
guardsman he would make, but exam- j
Ined bis heart twice before he passed
him as "physically fit;" It was beating j
so fast.
From the recruiting depot Lloyd was :
taken, with many others, In charge of
a sergeant, to the training depot at Al
dershot where he was given an outfit I
of khakl, and drew his other equip- j
nient. He made a fine-looking soldier, 1
except for the slight Shrinking In his
shoulders and the hunted look In his
eyes. j
At the training depot it does not
take long to find out a man's character,
and Lloyd . was promptly dubbed
"windy." In the English army "windy"
meuns cowardly, 1
The sm'ullest recruit In the barracks
looked on him with contempt, and wa
not slow to show It in many ways.
"Lloyd was a good soldier, learned
quickly, obeyed every order promptly,
never groused at the hardest fatigues.
He was a'frald to. He lived in deadly
hlttt. They also despised blm.
One morning about three month
after his enlistment Lloyd's company
was paraded, and the names picked out
for the next draft to France were read.
When bis name wa railed, he did not
step out smartly, two paces tu the
front, aud answer cheerfully, "Uere,
s'r," a the others did. He Just faint
ed In the ranks and was curried to bur
rucks umld the sneers of the rest
X.'int nUit was an agony of misery
to him. He could not sleep. Just cried
and whimpered In bis bunk, because
on the morrow the draft was to sail
for France, where (to would see death
on all sides, nnd perhup be killed bl in
self. On the steamer, crossing the
channel, be would huve Jumped over
board to escape, but wa ufrald of
drowning. s
Arriving lu France, he aud the rent
were huddled into rattle enrs. On the
side of each appeared In white letters,
"Homines 40, Cbevaux 8." After hour
of humping over the uneven French
roadbeds they arrived at the training
base of Bouen.
At this place they were put through
a week' rigid training In trench war
fare. On the morning of the eighth
day they paraded at ten o'clock, and
were Inspected and passed by Ueueral
II , then were inarched to the quur
tenuster', to draw their gas helmets
and trencb equipment.
At four In the afternoon they were
again bustled Into cattle car. This
time the Journey lasted two days.
They disembarked at the town of Fre
vent and could hear a distant dull
booming. Wlfh kneed shaking, Lloyd
nuked the sergeant what the noise wus,
and nearly dropped when the sergeunt
replied Id a somewhat bored tone:
"Oh, them's thejguns up the line.
We'll be up there lu a coupio o' dnys
or so. Don't worry, my laddie, you'll
see more of 'em than you want before
you get 'ome to Blighty ngiiln, that Is,
If you're lucky enough to get bark.
(low lend a hand there uulondln' them
Irs, and quit that everlustln' shukln'.
I believe yer scared." The laat with a
contemptuous sneer,
They marched ten kilos, full pack, !
to a little dilapidated vllluge, and the
sound of the guns grew louder, con
stantly louder. i
The vlllago was full of soldiers who J
turned out to Inspect the new draft j
Die men who were shortly to be their '
Train into Monmouth
L've Portland 71.5, m, Gerlinger 10:20. Imlepeiul'ce 10.32, Monm'th 10:50
" Salem " " " " ' ' "
" ' " 1.40, p m Dallas 2:45 " 3.10
"... " , 8.45, ", Cerlingcr 4:24, Independent 4:37. Monmouth 4:55
" " 6.00, " " 6:45, 6:67, " 7:10
" Portland 3.30, ConnecU with above
" Corvallis 6.45, am Independence 7:3ft Arrive Monmouth 7:45
" " 1.15, pm " 2:14 " 2:30
" Dallas 7.00, a m, Arrive Monmouth 7:25
' Airlie 8.30, a m and 3:45, pin. Arrives Monmouth 9:05 a m and 4:13 p m
Leave Independence, 6.50 am, 7.35, 8.45, 10.35, 12.20, 1.30, p m, 2.20, 3 50,
4.40, 7.00
Train out of Monmouth
L've Monmouth 7:05 a m. Independence 7:35, Gerlinger 7:49, Ar Salem 8:30
" Same as above Portland 11.10
" Monmouth 1:45, p m, " 2:14. " 2:27, Salem 3:10
" Same as above Portland G:f0
" Monmouth 4:05, " 4:40, " 4:55, Salem 6:30
" " 9:05, a m Dallas 10:00 " 11 :(H)
" " 4;30, p m " 4:45, " 5:35
" " 9;05, a m, Independence 10:32, Corvallis 11:20
" " 4;55, R m, " 6:67, , " 7:45
" " 7;25 a m and 3;10 p m. Arrives Airlie 8 a m and 8;40 pm
Leave Monmouth 7.05, a m, 8.15 9.05, 10.50, 12.30, M, 1.45, p m, 2.35, 4.15,
4.65, 7.10
If you have pride in the farm that gives you a home and a
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corresponding on' printed stationery? Ask us about it.
Good Printing is the Product of the Herald Print Shop
bAnk and buy
in monmouth
THUS will you keep your money circulating where
it will do YOU the most good. Money spent with
Monmouth merchants remains in the community or
comes back in "value-received" merchandise. Money
deposited in the First National Bank goes out again in
support of legitimate industry.
Make Monmouth YOUR TOWN and
the First National YOUK BANK.
Ira C. Powell
J. B. V. Butler
Q Emma M. Parker
FlRSTMnONALBANK
inonmouth
going "up the line" on the morrow, to
"take over" their certain aoctor of
trenches.
The draft wa paraded In front of
battalion headquarter and the men
were assigned to companies.
Lloyd wa tho only man assigned to
D company, I'erhap tho officer In
charge of Ihe draft had something to
do wllh it, for be called Lloyd aside
and suld:
"Lloyd, you are going to a new pun
pany. No one know you. Your bed
will be a you make It, so for God's
sake, brace up and be a man, I think
you hive the stuff In you, my boy, to
good-by and the best of luck to you."
The next day the battalion took over
their part of the trenches. It happened
to be a very quiet day. The artillery
behind the line was still, except for
an occasional shell sent over to let the
German know the gunner were not
asleep.
In the darkness, In single file, the
company slowly wended their way
down the communication trench to the
front line. No one noticed Lloyd's
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company
In the trcuches, Lloyd, wllh two of the
old company men, was put on guard In
one of the traverses. Not a shot was
fired from the German lines, and no
one paid any iittentlou to him
Touched on the firing step.
On the first time In, a new recruit la
cot required to stand wllh his bend
"over the top." He only "sits It out,"
while thcoldcr men keep watch.
At about ten o'clock, all of a uddn,
he thought hell hud broken loose, and
crouched and shivered up against the
parapet Shells started bursting, us ho
Imagined, right lu their trench, when In
fact they were landing about a hun
dred yards In rear of them, In the sec
ond lines.
One of the older n.en on guard, turn
ing to his mate, said :
"Thero goes Frit with those d d
trench mortar again. It's about time
our artillery 'taped' them, and sent
over a few. Well, I'll be d--1,
where' that blighter of a draft man
gono to? There' tils rllle leaning
against the parapet. He must have
legged It. Just keep your eye peeled,
Dick, while I report It to the sergeant.
I wonder, If the fool knows he can be
shot for lucb trick a lcavln' his
President
Vice-Pres
Asst-Cashier
CJ r e 6
reooa