Show the last victim ot of the illic gnant let lct an imperial bearen hearing the date of the of august augua 1854 and the sf emperor n geror francis joseph c or ju t has abolished abali aad for CT armore Z the he realms of whole austrian iari empire chit terrible chastisement iiii run ning ang the terrible it was in eed a cruel land and barbarous remnant lhome lh oae dark and dismal times called the middle ages ages I 1 witnessed the tha last execution of tins this lind kind and record it for tie the benefit t of those who still ding NN with ith a strange fondness even to the worst 11 arst legacies ot of by byo gone o one centuries on an autumn morning morning in in the year ear 1851 the garrison of abe the fortress of on the eger river liver in oxman was nas formed in in a large square j the e spacious accious before the cace of the commandant in the M mide id 4 1 bof ae of the square dracup up in in file stood B company cm of a rifle battalion to v which ie e delinquent belonged it was na un amed r ed each pm private ate there were ere three da d being provided with a switch and placed abed at a small sm all distance from his a IM hattman man at t the stroke of the ti lock k ahe drums dr s were ivere I 1 beaten and amid I a silence deep and oppressive e the prisoner wag as marched into the square he nas fine ille taie have is looking a man manas as ever set eyes upon tall powerful a well formed his handsome hands omd feares ives to which a black moustache gave a wd and martial expression shone forth the full glow and vigor of manhood Y they vere ivere of a deadly paleness he e v was as a non commissioned N I 1 during d uri tha last campaign in in officer italy ma he e had distinguished himself betth ili a manner jis ru ofil 11 arshad bd him for promo it 1 austria austri is is more 1 1 ore generous than kind lind towards toward those liose t that thatched shed their I 1 I 1 in her service service and he be would le 6 been inaam a commissioned officer I 1 lince ein in of his humble oriand br his poverty if it had not been balt a t fatal achis as liis impediment imie diment this imp edi own passionate passi orate e temper was s IL a choleric man harah and bru fal aids 13 lis ls f moro and 4 bl morose e hav n to awards wa ds his superiors superiors whenever whenever J ed it necessary toche to i ch eck cLor ur I 1 rebuke abke him lie he was hated by the mer men to the utmost there was not a in in the w whole hole battalion that had not olec him revenge ile he had never made ont one friend nor did he care to lial hav e one strict in in the performance of J bis is military service service the most minor minor duties of which lie he discharged Is charged with the utmost dewent he went hisor hiso ii navay way proud reserved solitary in innumerable numerable um erable were the punish ments which in aich he had brought upon the men for however slight the offence offense in maht 11 t be he wa was sure not to pass pas it 01 ovet et in in silence his superior officers respected him for his usefulness hia hi ability and his exactitude but they did not like him the evident lack of humanity in in the man made him an object of doubt rather than of love moreover there was w a vague rumor abbet hi his rha having struck once at his bis own in the midst of a caused by a hand to hand encounter with the enemy the report never nev er took a deal clear shape the officer having icen been killed in in the engagement and the gossi go slings pings of a few fei wounded 1 I imd ed soldiers soldier having been much too incoherent nt and contradictory to lead to a formal investigation of the matter besides it was vv as itt at the vi v bictory cr of nov arra he had greatly distinguished himself and old field I 1 beld marshal lad had with his virn own hands affixed the golden medal on bib breast the rumor however together with the knowledge of his harsh and violent temper caused his namo name to be erased from chelist the list of those hose that tha were tAvere recommended for higher promotion hen this itic incident ident was made known to him birn he became everi more sullen more rigid more cruel than ever but always a it was well weir understood for the benefit of bf the service service the slightest test demands of which he be perform performed id 7 with the iho same immutable strictness as he enforced them to ta be done by others A few weeks previous to the dreadful P punishment unish ment which j he hadlow had now to undergo lie he was mounting guard guardin in the outworks out works with some twenty or an fn e men of his own company it was a chilly rainy night and v m hn hen the sentries sen trie were vera relieved they were glad to stretch themselves wet as they were upon the floor near the large stove in in the middle of the guardroom guard room roon roo n the floor not fot being very verb clean beani floors seldom are in these localities and the white uniforms of the men being wet iret it it was wa no wonder vonder that the dirt adhered to them with a tenacity that defined all exer exertions i ons to get it off when the wearers bearers were roused by this to prepare for standing guard once more the more they tried to rub their clothes clean the more sturdily he lent a helping hand to their endear ors by in an application of the sad bad equipment of every evex austrian an noncommissioned commissioned d officer ake the stick whilst he was f u I 1 at borc cuttin cutting gr away aw ay at the men with i a pon powerful arm arin the door opened and the officer on duty entered I 1 the iha guardroom guard room attention lOn commanded the ser beant bant and I 1 saluting his su made the usual report re that h at hothir nothing woith w orth remarking markin ha lad Eapp enod the officer a young ascii of sigh fresh from the military sell school ool and almost a boy took no notice whatever of this important n news es wt but aced the in in a busk brisk and somewhat impetuous manner ma what he was va again striking t r R h the men for the already much annoy annoyed bd it at this interference gavel gave a surly ai aid d unwilling answer and when the iia oung icer aa rebuked him hi in au a severe ferdand and per laps somewhat haughty manner in the i tillett and passionate lossin man lossing all ali self control lifted up ins his hand a ag ainest us officer il kit it q 1 it awas was buchite but one fital fatal moi moment nent quick as biml ii td flago 11 light the uplifted land hand never de seen tin t was pas cau caught lit by a dozen dozea pow poli I 1 erful erf ul arms ile he was felled to the aroun and disarmed balfan half an hour afterwards afterward he found himself in irons in the case mates lifting the arm against a super superior lor i considered onside red a ca capital pital crime in this thi s cas it t had ad been committed whilst both par ties were on duty auty and le the austrian mil lary laws are re the very last in the world woric t to be trifled t with the th e follo following vu da he was trica I 1 by court martial gr ani sen fenced to be s shot hot when the sen ten tenc tence was forwarded to the competent author ity for rat ratification it n happened to be the superiors anniversary day capital pun ishm exit was commuted the crin crinnian nial had hac t to 0 run the gauntlet I 1 I 1 A cru cruel laet act of grace g go was this th is comme tat aaion ion when the first s sentence irence had hac I 1 beebread been read over to him lie he had rei retrained I 1 cold and impassible arop as sible not a muscle mu escle of his proud face stirred he did not death he had looked it in the face nany a time lime without flinching and to diem die in the I 1 open air pierced by y a dozen balls a soldiers irs death what should he cafe cae much for that but when he was informed that he had to gunthe run the gauntlet twice through his company aft after e r laving been beell previously degraded be trembled for the first time in M his s life lie he imek of many a soldier who had run nn the gauntlet through a whole bd battalion alion and not been the worse for it after al he knew of some that had even maried a afterwards f vernnar d s and had brought brought 11 up fa fahil bilies ies of children he was fully addre awa rei that ther the issue orthis of this terrible de entirely upon the dispositions of t the men dreadful reflection i above all lie he thought of the sha shame in e the ahon or and nd his proud heart was wel we nih nigh giving way I 1 on the evening previous to the punishment ish ment the second rifle battalin of Khern huller infantry would have been unfit for s service ervice the men were drunk they had bad got up a carousal in jo joy and honor of the coming day but ii ia the I 1 morning they were ei enough lough the I 1 drums ceased to beat as soon a as s lie prisoner had bad arrived in the middle of the square his escort fell back ili hi stood alone near the right wing of the company there was a dead deaC silence not a respiration was nas to be heard bromall from all the thousands gathered on the spot the commanding officer read the sentence over to to him for the second time this done he exhorted the men according to custom to dispense with all feelings of compassion com pa on an and to do their duty duly conformably for ably to t the e law the colonel went through t this is part of the formality in a quick bic and n hurried manner as a if he were unwilling ilung to forni it per perform so lie he was w as lie he knew but too well that aa this instance there here was no need whatever for exhortation aaion these preliminaries being baing over the pil prisoner was delivered into the hands of the kt pr provost arost IV when he the latter tore off from his uniform the golden lace and balloons gal loons the marks of military rank throw ing them together with the golden bredal medal at his feet beet the face of the unfortunate man m became purple and his dark eyes flash aal 1 edmire ed fire when W hen lie he was w as stripped of his coat 1 and shirt and placed at the entry of the I 1 terrible street through which 1 ch he had to pass he be became pale again two sol liers diers writ went ahead of I 1 him they marched ia their thair bayonets arcs presented anted 0 o his br breast C a st so 0 a as to force him to leep keep 1 neasure isaur to a drum which aich brought up h he e r rear r the drum was muffled its its slow low and dismal beats sounded ded ae the of a bunei funeral al procession i hen ho received tho the first stroke his i lature assumed an expression of pain I 1 set lips quivered tJ JUt yi I 1 lr I 1 ayi fyi i this was however the only sign of sensation crossing his arms 0 ver over his breast and pressing ng bis teeth close together his proud face remained henceforth immovable ilis his merciless enemies mies enjoyed hut but an incomplete triumph after all they might slash his bis body in pieces es but bat his proud and indomitable spirit spir i t th they could not break the blows desce descended nd leidi with a fearful violence upon him after the tha first dozen blood came but never did he utter one single ercla mation of pain never not even wi with th a look did he implore for mercy an anex ex 1 on of scorn and disdain was deep bressi ly y se set t on his face as pale as death when he had readied reached at last the left win wing of the company his lacerated back pr presented resented a frightful appearance even his most e exasperated enemies might i bell elt have been satisfied now if it had but been possible the commanding officer himself would have interfered in his behalf e but this was not even to be thought of the law must have its course they faced him ri right ht about chehad he had to make the 1 same e way y back again there was one forr formality nali connected with his punish ashment which was a cruel barbarous and shameful mockery the deli delinquent had bad I 1 to thank his executioners execution ers for his tortures when the victim had arrived at the file leader of the fight wing winf of bf his 11 company c pan yand and the dread execution was vas over aver at atlist last he threw one last long look full fall of contempt at his tor mentors then he was seon seen stagg staggering ernig jike a dr drunken unk e n man biow towards ards the boin commanding mandin off officer iper his eyes ees swollen with blood bloc d beamed with ai an unnatural brightness his respiration was short ana 6 na painful touch touching ilig his mad head with his ri right hand in token c of I 1 the military salute he staid said in a voi voice ce that came out of his throat with a rattling 1 sound but that was nevertheless list distinctly u betly audible all over the place 1 I I 1 have hai e to thank your honor dorthis for this esq I 1 site punishment a and nd fell down don dead |