The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, September 10, 1919, Image 9
)LUKt'L XXXVI LAURENSt SOUTHI CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1919.
nQw A YOUNG 0B1
WAS SAVED FROM
By R. 11. Greneker In Newberry Ob
server.
Tlat wounded soldiers were buried
alive on the battle elds of France,
where it Is said the poppies grow
crilsol-huled from soll enriched by
the blWood of heroes, is Verliied by ad
y oung Newberrian who narrowly es
caped 'such an awful fate. If it makes
01n slIIdde' to think of the terrible
slaughter when men fell as fast as
the watch clicked, according to a
Writer recently describing tlhe scenes
where men were "pliuinging forward
in the teeth of a terrific and terrify
Ing electric tornado." as it seetlied,
what must be one's thoughts wie
one reflects that some of the men who
fell and were taken for dead were ac
tually buried while still living.
This is sup)osd to bw, and doubi -
less I., tie from the standpoint of
the young soldier in question and the
incidents related by him. lie lay on
Ohe hattlefield wl(en "he streaks and
shafts of fire an( t he flying shrapnel
as a veritable spray of molten lava
thrown from the bowels of a mad
dened volcano puInctutred the l)Iack
ness with a rain of red as mereiless
as the fires of hell." There where
the unwounded m11 kept going on
"ith a coutrage that was supreme
and a spirit that strengthene( even
the weunled and (lying mon on to
final efforts or sublime heroism that
challenges today the history of the
wVoIld to show Its equal"!
In Writing up1) this returnedi New
herri-1ana I am also holding iup) to pub1I
lie view for loving inspection others
of our boys. some of whom 'were also
wounded and who suffered on those
fIelds the hardships of cruel war; all
to whom I have been wanting to pay
tribute, including those who wanted
to take part In the great conflict but
who were dented the privilege.
The sub'ject of this sketch is Robert
T. Gilliam, son of Mrs. Mittle C. Gil
Ham, of Oakland avenue. Robert was
a pupil of the Speers Street school,
taught by Miss Bess Burton, and was
a classmate of Richard Julien, who
Is now In the navy. Young Gilliam, be
ing under age, but determined to en
list in the army, gained the consent of
his mother for his enlistment and en
listed when but only a little over 15
years Old. Ile was a member of Coin
pany E, 16th infantry, 1st brigade of
the 1st division and was soon pro
mote( to first-class private. 1le was
one among the first to go with the
AmerIean expeditionary forces, and,
with I his comrades of the First divi
sion to win from Brigadier General
Parker these high words of praise:
"There is, to my thinking, 1 nothing
finer in this world than the self-ef
facing role of the true private soldier
of Infantry, and nowhere in this war
has th is private solier of infantry
bee'n truer to his country's exi'ecta
flons of him than in the Sixiee'nth In
fantry;" the mnen, he said, "-who, wvith
th- ii sweat and blood, have takeun the
ground that meant victory," and ''who
have~( 1ipressed upon0) 'Eu rope, in the
supremne test of battle. thle quality of
American manhood."'
The story of tho 16th infantry "Is
ani VpiItomel of Amelrica)'s aeh ievementC
in the world's war,'" with, as has been
sad "ea'h 0on in his apliiedl plaice,
each one to his own work, and each
man's1 diuty of etiiual importance in the
face di dcaLth."
The 10t h lnftantry was originally
com ported of regulars, but was re'-or
ganlil.ed( for over'seas service1(. The reg
ient h as the c red it of hiavinog galined
all the objectives assignied to It ini
each of th(e grceat battles t hat followed
-('ant igny, Soissons. St. M ihie, thle
Argonn and Sedan. It was att Sola
sons where young (ilia m fell,
woundedi4( nigh lunto) death, IthIle 18t h
uday of .Juiv, 1918, hmaviuig beeun lit ini
thle hitad by a bu rst ig shell.
Tihe bivtorlan has it that I ire whleat
tlid ( thri owh wleh theliy swe re passin g
wa'~~s soon found to 12e Infested wiih
mlacinue gun nests. The doughiboys
ingssed these wvIth a single order of
"Iur nder( or dleath"u'. Th'e colonel
ty hadl forbliddeni the setndinug in of' the
rePOrt. "'11oid upI by machinte guns,''
nad thl ii 1th had no Intent ion of be
ins h 1(1 up by anything. it was with
pseat diffIculty and heavy losses that
theu object ive-the 'arls-Soissons r'oadl
.-wo,' mnr510. That rnnel. the hIntorinn
TRY SOLDI[R
B[ING BRI[D AlIY[
goes on to relate, lIned with tall trees,
wa.i i veritable dead line. 0'Cery tree
sheltered a machine gun, and from
Inearby knolls the road was literally
i swept by light Maxims. The enemy
artilliery from two directions was fo
ussed upon that region and the
avions were circling overhead. Never
up to that moment had the 16th en
couniered such desperale resistance.
wo companies vre almost. wiped out
In a short time. Soon all the olicers
were gone, and a sergeant took comn
mand of the surviving elements of
the battalion.
Private Gilliam lay where he had
fallen- and for seventeen hours was
1inuionsel(ous. When lie came to he
could neither move nor see; all he
could (10 wias to hear, and what he
I heard fo' four days and nights was
enough to turn to gray the blackest
Ihairs of a human's head. Blind from
the fearful wound in his head, and
drinking his own dripping blood to
quench his terrible fltrst, part of
that awful time of his paralysis he
could hear the groans of the wound
led and the dying, but was powerless
to make himself noticed.
Finally a little Jew doctor came to
his as he lav with his ldeath tag on,
for -lie had already been ttigged for
burial, and, sticking a needle in his
arm, said to one of the Red Cross
nurses, "This kid is not (lead. What
do you :want to bury him for?" They
carried him to Paris, where he lay
for two months without being able to
move hand or fot or to see. lie was
then shipped to the Ellis Island hos
pital, New York, the 25th of October.
Ills mother went there to see him
on the day the armistice was signed,
November 11. She found him- still
as helpless as a baby. Ile had re
gained the use of one eye.
Later lie wvas removed to the Cape
MAty, Nevw Jersey, hospital and was
aftrwards allowed to come home, hay'
ing recovered suliciently enough to le
able to walk with the aid of a stick
and the help of others.
Pieces of the shattered shell are
still working through his flesh. With
sight restored. and able to wvalk about,
lie is now enjoying the tender min
istraticons of his devoted mother at
home. She it. was who told me of the
above incidents when I went to the
home to get the facts for'this sketch,
as he did not like to speak of the
horrible sights and experiences which
even now unnerve him in their reci
tal.
Almong otlihei horrifying i e ident
related is one similar to his case.
Among the dead bodies that had been
phiced iI the trenehes for burial, a
nurse saw a flnger move and called
attention fo the fact. Removing the
young soldlie: i *am the sickenlin g
pile, he was given at tent ion---and is
now at hiis huome, well and happy, to
the~ joy of' his pecople. Th'ere must
have been cthler iuinconselous andc near'
(lead soldilers amnong those .plii huliir
i'iecliy pireparedc for hasty burials who
were not so for't unat e as the two men
t ionecd to lie snatchded from the very
jiaws cit deatht.
It is stagger'inr to think of. Imagine
a young sohiicr lying among the dead
ieadyv for' hbrial,. conscious of what is.
goling ont by3 hieaingi, buiit tinabIe to0 see
or move, waiting for his tuitrn to lie
thrown in, knowing that his still liv
ing body had been taggeud 14)'he soon
('ov'redl in thle g roundi
liut ilobert Giliamn is safe at home.
having the satisfaction of knowinug
that the 111th, to whtich lie belonged,
has the proud record of haying b"'en
in the "'invinc'ible first,'' and was "the
first to arrive in IFrance. tiirst to flre
a shot, first to shed its blood''.
As it was "a little Jew dloctori" who
di'cov'eied %:'ns rif life In the body'
of vonnu fiillianm. T am reminded thaf.
I)ir. I sadlcra Wha I ver i. formerlyV of I ,a ii
icns, is "a. little Jlew dcctoir.'" who w'as
with the Amencricani xpedfIticina ry
forces, lie may not have been1 thei
doctor in ctuestion, but. it wvould lie
jumv lIke him to discover such cas'es.
Whucn I knew 'din in his home town i
hie'h'old the r'epultat Ion of bein one of
the finest doctors in his pr'otessioni
andI a diagnostician withomt a super
lor' and perhaps no e'iual. Whoever
it may have been that saved hIs life
so miraculously, Robert Oll1iam has
case for everlasting n'rattitaln to
CLASH AVERTED
IN 3I1NE FIELDS
JBelligerents Returing to Their
Homes on Special Tralns. Ooveriior
Corntwell of West. Virgini on Verge
of Asking for Troop 31 ovement.
Charlestown, W. Va., Sept. 7.-The
several thousand in iers who took up
a march across coitry yesterday
with the avowed purpose of forcing
non-union miners iII Logan County to
organize were prevalled upon today
to desisI in t heir efforts after almost
hourly telephoniic conferences through
out the gIreater part of the day be
tweeni Governor Cornwvell In this city
nid rana k Kueeny, president of Dis
trict 17, United Mine Workers, the men
were started back to their homes late
this afternoon from hainville and
Clothier at which polnts they had
eamped ovriiht..T were h),o ght
h-ck iII spelil traln n t fo 1lhe reni
dezvouis by tlie governor and the union
ofliclals saidl that all will return to
work foiorrow mornintz. The men
had taken Ip the marcli without in
s-triict11ons or coilnsel With Presidelit
Keeny. Ruiors and repors that are
said to be falso and misleading in
ted the miners and with one see
tion of the little army it was the de
termination to remedy the reported
conlditionl in Logan County. Some of
the reports that reached the milners in
the Kanaw ha field were that .women
aid children were being murdered by
mine guards in Logan Couinty anld It
was tleir detormination to pt a stoP
to it. Saturday morning President
Kleeny was called upon by the gov
ernor to go to the ien who Were a!.
Danville. iloone County, and 1rge them
to disperse and return to t heir homes.
President Keeny notifled Ithe governor
that the men had voted to ret1in aAld
upon that notification three special
trains were sent to bring the m1en
hack. It was expected(( t'hat thle men
would come back at once as the
Irais were on the scene at 10:. it.
was 3:55 hofore the first train started
a-way. In the meantiie on the g'v
erinor's (leskc was a telegram to Gen
eral Wood at Chicago, who hits had
two regiments of troops under waiting
orders at Camp lierian for 2.1 hours.
These troops were lie)( under orders
to move at ai moment's not lice and just
when the governor was about to give
up hope of a peaceful dispersilng of tle
men President Keeny telephoned that
the men were boarding the trains and
would inmove out at once.
Three hiundred men, who are at
ClIthier, nearby refused to board the
trahis and said they would return as
they camo.
N E'(lt0ES 1,YN('1t
BY .ACKSON VI ilI 31011
1'nknhow Nm 1en Break Into .11a01 to Se.
cure Victims Chared witi 31 rier.
Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 8 - -
known iiiein broke into the cotily jail
at anl early hour tiis morning. took
therefrom two negroes held for file
mu11irdle recen I ly of Ceorge I I I tore,
enrried them ini au tomobi les out int o
the outskIrts of the city, rliddlld thiein
wvith hullets. tput. rotpes arioiind thleir
nieeks anad d ragged thec'm IiroghI tihe
City streets dIrotpping one of thle hodijes
in front of one of the leading hotels.
Shei'sT deputies and police are
now out huntIng for the other body.
The sheriff lieard ealy In thle n ighi
thait there might lie an at t eimt to
lynch a negro held In jiail on the
charge of assaultIng a little white girl
so, on adv ice of .huudge Sinmmion s he put
tIbs negro in an auttomnobIle antd tunt
himui to St. Auguistiine for sate koe9
iiir. .\:rr'iaig at the jail and iiot find
In g thIiis negro, thle mob took t he oithIer
two and pult thieni to denthI.
It Is estimanted t hat therme were only
aboui 50 mon in thle CrDowd thait gai ined
entrance to the county jail. Anaswer
Ing a knocking at the front door of the
jail shortly aifter I a. mi., .laller Turk
or, as lie oip'nid the door which was
the entrmance to his residence, was
rove red wI th gutns anad orde rd to ma~ik e
no0 miove or outIc ry. 'Thle jailer was
iickly handcuffed, relijevel of his
keys andl ot-d'eed to potint oiut till tier
of cotlIs In which the tu wanted negroesi
we're ('onin aed. The imen evidentPly
knew the negr'oes and after seizing
hem left thme jail.
"the little Jew doctor'', and to Ithe
overrulIng hProvidenice that guided tile
liantd, and the eol of(J Nowbherry
hae esomethiung to wondomr at in thle
fact. that wvalking in their imhilst is
one whlo had so remar'kable an ex
pon'Inncn as thnt anhnen enlnad
IAy COP1PROtISE nesday and probably taken ul)p for con- iretative character."
IN TIE'ATI IGHTI 1(sideration next Monday. Ito itubl)ican senatIors continued of
eiinor iiiuiioi~,Non ('i'ol~ii, ~ IProbabl1y tk'C 1Inm;t i impo11 ant rlev f- bu to ('01111St' tliffl' ic i o'; over a ic
enator Simmons, North Carolinh, Says
Sonme Concessins will hane to be
dons, m-III 11.114. noflan I. Solwfu ms M c( mm bet'N, North
\Va i ngtonl, Supt. 8.,\tarked indl( l-Oliint, l) Il l I t i( t loOf, o f W isco i n. w ere -aid to htni
\\a4JiI u wt, ept S---\I red 11(1-istlto nl 1 adonab ip, dcc hiltin 'soille of J.; f tod Ol ~ i i C soevalolls4 witch
cationis of a. com prom ise in the se9 co llossioO S i) O wi y of w ere dissclseed p) vat ely odaey ill
coltrovery ovrI' reCservatiolis to the 1005 will bav to imit t) 5t'.o(
league of nations covenlant (amie today its ratiiiltioi.' .Ilhotlltierty'
from both democratic and republican o 'pOsi ig soit, of t l odge reseA
sourcos after Iteptiblican Leader Lodge toits, S'-Iiator Sillitiis sai l was
had announc ' ed that thw perlace treaty a c w I vitality mill energy b) purifyig awl e,'
l d wa s o blood. You Can doy fwal its Streth
woud1(1 he reo )oihted to tbne seyate \ed- esntia ii rcuitvatO iO, titg, ivigorating lfct Pjec 60c.
FOR
Children R
W1NTE~
Cold
W eatherI ., #;;;;
School
Dresses
o r 6Sonitory1 school 0~g
Plaids, Stripes and Fancy Gingham in all
the new Fall colors.
Priced at 25cts, 35cts, 50cts and 65cts yd
Renfrew Devonshire Cloth
RENFREW None better for School Dresses,
DEVONSHIRE Rompers and Boys'Wash Suits,
For and the colors are tub-proof,
Wohe Devonshire comes in all shades,
Plaids, Stripes and Fancies.
Price 50ct the yard
MISSES' SCHOOL HOSE
Mi3ses fine Gauge Ribbed School Hose. Black, Brown and
White. Price 35cts and 50cts the pair.
BOYS' SCHOOL HOSE
Boys' heavy Ribbed School Hose, double knee, heel and toe.
Black only. Price 35cts, 50cts and 75cts. Sizes 8 to 11 1-2.
GIRLS' SCHOOL SWEATERS
Here you'll find a large line of Girls' School Sweaters in
Victory Red, Green and Salmon, all sizes. Price $3.95,
$5.00 and $6.50.
* FALL DOMESTICS
Ot tngs, Canton Flanne~l,Kimono Fleece, Wool Flannels
Cheviot Shirtings, Cotton Checks, Apron
Gingham, Bed Tickings
A GOOD PLACE Tf( TR ADE