Newspapers / Polk County News and … / July 5, 1918, edition 1 / Page 6
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POLK COUNTY NEWS, TRYON, N. C. MACHINE EMPEY IS MEMBER OF FIRING SQUAD WHICH CARRIES OUT DEATH SENTENCE. Synopsis. Fired by the sinking of the Lusitania, with the loss of American lives, Arthur Guy Empey, an American living in Jersey City, goes to England and enlists as a private in the British army. After a short experience as a recruiting officer in London, he Is sent to train ing quarters in France, where he first hears the sound of big guns and makes the acquaintance of "cooties." After a brief period of training Empey's company is sent into the front-line trenches, where he takes his first turn on the fire step while the bullets whiz overhead. Empey learns, as comrade falls, that death lurks always in the trenches. Chaplain distinguishes himself by rescuing wounded men under hot fire. With pick and shovel Empey has experience as a trench digger in No Man's Land. Exciting experience on listening post detail. Ex citing work on observation post duty. Back in rest billets Empey writes and stages a successful play. Once more in the front trenches, Empey goes "over the top" in a successful but costly attack on the German lines. Soon afterwards Empey and his comrades repulse a determined gas attack launched by the Germans. CHAPTER XXI I IContinued. 20 I shouted to the driver to stop, and in his nervousness he put on the brakes. We nearly pitched out head first. But the applying of those brakes saved our lives. The next instant there was a blinding flash and a deaf ening report. All that I remember is that I was flylrfg through the air, and wondering If I would land in a soft spot. Then the lights went out. When I came tp, At well was pouring water 'on my head out of his bottle. On the other side of the road the cor poral was sitting, rubbing a lump on his forehead with his left hand, while his right arm was bound up In a blood soaked bandage. He was moaning very loudly. I had an awful headache and the skin on the left side of my face was full of gravel and the blood was trickling from my nose. But that ambulance was turned over In the ditch and was perforated with holes from fragments of the shell. One of the front wheels was slowly revolv ing, so I could not have been "out" for a long period. The shells were still screaming over- ; head, but the battery had raised its fire and they were bursting in a little wood about half a mile from us. Atwell spoke up. MI wish that offi cer hadn't wished us the best o' luck." Then he commenced swearing. I couldn't help laughing, though my 1 head was nigh to bursting. Slowly rising to my feet I felt myself all over to make sure that there vlere no broken bones. But outside of a few bruises and scratches I was all right. The corporal was still moaning, but more from shock than pain. A shell splinter had gone through the flesh of his right forearm. Atwell and I, from 'our first-aid pouches, put a tourniquet on his arm to stop, the bleeding and then gathered up our equipment. We realized that we were in a-dan-gerous spot. At any minute a shell might drop n the road and finish us off. The village we had left was not very far, so we told the corporal he had better go back to it and get his arm dressed, and then report the fact of the destruction of the ambulance to the military police. He was well able to-walk, so he set off in the direction of the village, while Atwell and I con tinued our way on foot. Without further mishap we arrived at our destination, and reported to bri gade headquarters for rations and bil lets. That night we slept in the battalion sergeant major's dugout. The next morning I went to a first-aid post and had the gravel picked out of my face. The instructions we received from division headquarters read that we were out to catch spies, patrol trenches, search German dead, reconnoiter In No Man's Land, and take part in trench raids and prevent the robbing of the dead. I had a pass which would allow me to go anywhere at any time in the sec tor of the line held by our division. It gave me authority to stop and search ambulances, motor lorries, wagons and even oflicers and soldiers, whenever my suspicions deemed it necessary. Atwell and I were allowed to work to gether or singly it was left to our Judgment. We decided to team up. Atwell was a good companion and very entertaining. He had an utter contempt for danger, but was not fool hardy. At swearing he was a wonder. A cavalry regiment would have been proud of him. Though born in Eng land, -he had spent several years In New York. He was about six feet one, and as strong as an ox. We took up our quarters in a large dugout of the royal engineers, and mapped out our future actions. This dugout was on the edge of a large cemetery, and several times at night In returning to It, we got many a fall tumbling over the Braves nf ttnrii0h French and Germans. Atwell on these occasions never lndulred In IWAsrinir though at any other time, at the least ANAMEBKM50IMR WHO WENT , Mlil(il)YI;riPIT OTEftERYlNGIN TOUICf l7 OY ARTHUR W ttVCf stumble, he would turn the air blue. A certain section of our trenches was held by the Royal Irish rifles. For several days a very strong rumor went the rounds that a German spy was In our midst. This spy was supposed to be dressed in the uniform of a British staff officer. Several stories had been told about an officer wearing a red band around his cap, who patrolled the front-line and communication trenches asking suspicious questions as to loca tion of batteries, naiehine-gun emplace ments, and trench mortars. If a shell dropped in a battery, on a machine gun or even near a dugout, this ' spy was blamed. The rumor gained such strength. that an order was issued for all troops to Immediately place under arrest anyone answering to the description of the spy. Atwell and I were on the qui vive. We constantly patrolled the trenches at night, and even In the day, but the spy always eluded us. One day while In a communication trench, we were horrified to see our brigadier general, Old Pepper, being brought down It by a big private of the Royal Irish rifles. The general was walking In front, and the private with fixed bayonet was following In the rear. We saluted as the general passed us. The Irishman had a broad grin on his face and we could scarcely believe our ejres the general was under arrest. After passing a few feet beyond us, the general turned, and said In a wrathful voice to Atwell : , "Tell this d n fool who I am. He's arrested me as a spy." Atwell was speechless. The sentry brutted In with: "None o that gassin' out o' you. Back to headquarters you goes, Mr. Fritz. Open that face o' yours again, an' I'll dent In your napper with the butt o' me rifle." The general'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 was 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 had personally Issued the order for the spy's arrest. It was a habit of the gen eral to walk through 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 him 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. 1. 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 1 his right hand. I started to ask bin) what was the matter, when he put hip finger to his Hps for silence and whiS pered: U "Get on your equipment, and, with? out any noise, come with me." jf This greatly mystified me, hut I obeyed his order. , If Outside of the billet, I asked him what was up, but he shut me up wlthj "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 havett been an old barn. In the darkness, I could hear pigs grunting, as If v they had just been disturbed. In front of. the door stood an officer in a . mack. (mackintosh). The R. S. M. went upj to him, whispered something, and thetf left. This officer cafled to me, asked;; my name, number and regiment' at the! same time, in the light of a lantern he,,! was holding, making a notation In 8; little book. ' f When he had finished writing, h whispered : , ;( - "Go into that billet and wait orders-,, and no talking. Understand?" f I stumbled Into the barn and sat on! the floor In the darkness. I could sej no one, but could hear men breathing; and moving; they seemed nervous an restless. I know I was. . During 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. Then1 he commanded : .''! "Squad 'Shun ! Number!" 5 There were twelve of us. 4 "Right Turn! Left Wheel ! Quicks March!" And away we went. The", rain was trickling down my back and I was shivering from the cold. With the officer leading, we, must! have marched over an hour, plowing' through the mud and occasionally1 stumbling Into a shell hole In the road, ' 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 ceased, In front of us were four stacks of rifles, three to a stack. The officer brought us to attention and gave the order to unplle arms. We each took a rifle. Giving us "Stand at i ease," In a nervous and shaky voice, I he Informed : "Men, you are here on a very solemn duty. You have been selected as a firing squad for the execution of a sol dier, who, having been found guilty of n grievous crime against king and Buried With Honors. country, has been regularly and duly tried and sentenced to be shot at 3 :28 a. m. this date. TWls 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 arc 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 'Shuv!" ' We came to attention. Then he left. My heart was of lead and my knees shook. Empey, in the next install ment, tells the gripping story of a "coward," whose streak of yel low turned white. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Inculcating the Spirit It was holiday week, but a mother and child had mnnaged somehow to get a whole seat on the car. Sudden ly the little girl slid off the 'seat, and, facing her mother, cried out, with anguish In her childish voice: "()h mother, I forgot to git anything fer teacher." "Well, what uv It?" the mother an swered tartly. "She didn't git nuthln fer you." and she sat the child down hard on the seat, partly to keep the woman In the aisle from taking any privileges, and partly, perhaps to Im press on tlje child the Christmas spirit as she saw It. Still on the Job. "The old-fashioned door-knocker seems to have gone out of style,"" re marked the Observer of Events and Things,, "but, don't make any mistake, opportunity Is U11 on the job. IMPROVED DKIFOSH INTERNATIONAL smwSfflooi, lesson (By REV. P. B. FITZWATER, D. D., Teacher of English Bible in the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.) (Copyright, 1918, Western Newspaper Union.) LESSON FOR JULY 7 BEGINNING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. LESSON TEXT Acts 16:13-34. GOLDEN TEXT Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Revela tion 22:17. DEVOTIONAL. READING John 15:4-16. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR TEACHERS Acts 2:37-47; 8:26-40; Romans 5:1-1L PRIMARY TOPIC-Loving and trusting Jesus. John 1:35-5L MEMORY VERSE We love because he first loved us. I John 4:19. I. How Lydia Began the Christian Life (vv. 13-15). Lydia was the first convert to Christ In Europe. Hers was a typical conversion. Note the steps therein: 1. Attendance at the place of pray er (v. 13). The acvffstomed place here was at the river side. The 'ccustomed place today Is In church. God can and does save men and women without any seeming connection with places of es tablished worship, but he appears to most people at such places. The very fact that he has established and sus tains churches here and there Is an urgent call to all men and women to place themselves In the way of salva tion. While no one can save himself, yet all can put themselves In the way of saltation by attending church, read-, ing the Bible, etc. 2. Listening to the preaching of the 1 Word of God (vv. 13, 14). raul took advantage of the oppor- hunlty which was given him by the assemblage of this group of devoted i women to preach Christ to them. He was alert for and prized highly the op portunity to tell the people about i Christ. He knew also how perilous It was to neglect to witness for Christ &t a time when unsaved people are gtogether. The opportunity is Gods tun iu yi cuv. ii Vviii iou 3. Her heart was opened by the ! Lord (v. 14). The individual may place himself f n the way of salvation by coming hear to the means of grace, and the preacher may preach the Word of God, but there Is no hope of salvation until the heart Is opened by the Lord (John 6:44, 45). While the salvation of every one is dependent upon this sov ereign act of the Lord, yet we can be jjure that he is willing at all times to do this for those who, like Lydia; lace themselves in the way of his saving grace. 1-4. She was , baptized, (v. 15). This ordinance follows belief in Chlrst. The invariable rule In the ifarly church was for believers to be baptized. While there is no salvation (lh the water of baptism, yet hearty expedience should be rendered in this respect (Acts 2:38-41; 8:12; Mark 16: 16): Lydia brought her household to Christ. This is as it should be. She ;E&6wed signs of the new life, in that she expressed grfftitude toward those vho had been instrumental in her con version (v. 15) by constraining them tp share the hospitality of her home. II. How the Phllippian Jailer Be gin the Christian Life (vv. 25-34). l. The occasion (w. 25, 26). jThe casting out of the spirit of di vination from the damsel landed Paul Riid Silas in prison. The pain of bleed ing backs, and of feet in stocks, kept tljem from sleeping; but not from pxaylng and singing. The Lord heard their prayers and sent an earthquake ivjhlch shook the jail, opened the doors e; the prison, and loosed the bonds tipra the prisoners' hands. ;2. The method (vv. 27-34). f(l) Visitation of the supernatural 27-29). The jailer was awakened m his sleep by the earthquake. This earthquake was unusual In that it tobsed the bonds frcm the prisoners' liifnds. In his desperation the Jailer v$s about to commit suicide. This wfis averted by Paul's assurance that Slj were safe. The fact that the doors Vere opened and the prisoners free a;iid yet no one escaped, showed him that something unusual had occurred. Therefore, he came trembling and prostrated himself before Paul and tlas. XZ) The great question (v. 30). In the presence of the supernatural he cried out, "What must I do to be sav One's salvation is not far off fen he utters this cry with sincerity. f'k3) The vital answer (vv. 31, 32). i l'Beileve on the Lord Jesus Christ,' & ! . the only way to be saved. (Acts 4:12). Though the way rsalvation is restricted, It is simple ajid easy. No one who has believed or Christ has failed to receive it. The jailer's faith was not blind faith, for tfjey spake unto him the word of the L'brd, and to all timt were In his house. T&ey were taught the meaning of be lief In Christ. !(4) The evidence of a transformed lie (vv. 33, 34). fa) He was baptized (v. 33). As sckn as one believes on Christ he wnts to be baptized. "(b) He tenderly washed the stripes 05 ( Paul and Silas, showing that he wp no longer the brutal jailer (v. 34). (c) He rejoiced (v. 34). The one wip really accepts Christ is filled with Joyj. ld A transformed home (v. 34). HJ- believed on Christ and was bap- ttxfid,- and bis household. .. . . . There are middles, smocks, sweaters and coats for outdoorlng, that Is, for all sorts, of sport and recreation wear. And their comrades are skirts, bloom ers or breeches, according to the sort of service to be required of them. For tennis and golf, skirts that will wash again and again and come out as fresh and unfaded as when they were new, have not been rivaled as yet by bloom ers -or breeches for some other sports, 'skirts are a thing of the past. With these washable skirts plain blouses are worn and swagger little coats made of summer flannel, serge or other ma terials and, of course, sweater or sweater coats. The coat's the thing this iyear that has almost absorbed the attention of those who specialize In designing sport clothes. And It has been presented In a variety of new styles' so that when It Is slipped on over a skirt and blouse It tones up the cos tume, lending it neatness. Sleeveless coats of satin and velvet were among these new ideas and have proved them selves successful. Among new arrivals Caprices and Why the veil? Merely masculine minds will never figure out the answer aitnough they will have the rest of time .to ponder the question. Veils were and are and will continue to be. They are a strictly feminine Institution and whether they are worn to add charm to the face or to call attention to charms already there, or for some other reason, these are mysteries only the veiled lady can solve for us. But they make opportunity for capricious ornamentation and for variety two very good reasons for the loyalty with which women favor them. New face veils this summer are near ly alt woven with a large mesh; the hexagon-shaped mesh appears to be best liked. Two examples of this par ticular weave are shown at the left of the picture. They are circular and float about the face. The veil at the top Indulges la the caprice of little and big chenille dots and little pasted-on Velvet leaves, all of them dancing in all the wayward wandering breezes they chance to meet. A few dots splat tered over a lovely chin, make us think twice of Its delicious curves. ! A silk scroll: wanders In the most aimless and happy-go-lucky way over the veil be low, but it just misses the eyes and Just hits a very alluring pair of lips, which goes to prove that a veil should be taken seriously and adjusted with care. At the left appears the "war. bride" veil one of the small consolations al lowed to the girl whose sweetheart is away in the service of his country. It Is of navy blue chiffon and is draped about a navy blue or navy blue and white turban. , This one Is finished with a narrow silk fringe, but most of )0 the simple but swagger little shown in the picture, need not 2 comparison with coats of more cJi goods it has some points of advaJ over them. It is made of summer 2 nel in any of the gay bright colors and touched up with white in pearl butto pique collar and arrow-head finish pockets. Just the skirt for this coat is shot with it. It Is of heavy white p?q and fastens at the middle of the front wnere a row of white pearl buttons Ishes the overlapped seuru. Ther? are any number of sport hats that wffl top off this practical and pretty out fit. But its youthful wearer has chosn a tam of white corduroy, one i the "blue devil" models that embcdla much dash.. Its long tassel matcha the coat In color. Where somethiryr more dignified is needed, for an older woman, one of the coconut braids li white embroidered with yarn or silk flowers against the crown, would mah a good choice, and there is the perennial Panama with handsome hand or scarf that belongs to all summers. Conceits in Veils them are simply hemmed. They probably destined to a shorMiveu ularlty but they are very cm harming Veils should be tried on and select carefully as hats are, for some faces look best under a plain, ciose without figures. Scrolls or dots or o er figures in front of the eyes, never pleasing; they k I1U comfortable. The Isabella Color. Once a Spanish princess ")W to change her lingerie till a c i - tivit took n1 war was won, and as tn.u i months, the result was that ia- able Spanish ladies of the wtie- $ looked to this princess for leiU t0 in the matter of dress, soon ca adopt a yellowish-brown sort for their 'kerchiefs, t"',,r!!- J priD- and other similar appavi- cess' name was Isabella. : s I i i o known " ocrasionaltt n". bella color, and one o .t--' t0 this name applied in 1 . ,irPt this day to a sort of .vell,n'.!" 0 that really does look Hke 11 had been dedicated to a nX 'i existence. Although we every shade of lingerie, we 'ngto yet had this color. The m-M it, and something that sure j . i.,rf; eru appeal to all womankin . lingerie of nickel-gray that o( put on the shelves of one o the exclusive women's shop Is a complete set of this wear In crepe de chine. 1 45 . : . ( '
Polk County News and The Tryon Bee (Tryon, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 5, 1918, edition 1
6
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