The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-04-27

been thought sin, by all the regiment, u
have suspected McAleer Of being dissem
bier. 1t seemed all must have regarded hin
rather as "a poor creature and been sur
prised that, already showing gray hairs, h'
should have been so indiscreet, as, moved by
patriotism Tor his adopted country, he should
have undertaken the hardships, danger:
and expo sures incident to military service
him till we had got to Lagrange, Tenn
From that he SO craftily managed his case MS
to create a favorable opinion in my mind, to
the end Of later carrying out chief pur.
pose, After arriving at Memphis, in July,
he came under my obseryation-ever careful
to present himself only at my private quar-.
tiers, with well-marked symptoms of asthma
--'teezzic" AS he chose to call it, While
remarkable that 50 grave q disease should
for the first time so suddenly develop itself
Mt his age could not imagine 1t possible a
case Of deception, so skiliully had he simu'
lated it. So | was infinitely careful in my
examination Of it, not only 4" for the good Of
the service" but from intrinsic interest in
it as case. | could not but pronounce it a
bad case of asthma; aud relieved him from
duty, with such treatment as was immedi.
ately indicated.
lie had fairly opened his closing business.
Case continued bad, despite all treatment.
Not long, before "the poor old man" came to
me with ian all broken down." desparng
look, as though it were no use further to
continue the struggle. Seriously deplOrng
to leave the service thus early in it, his duty
seemed clear that he must apply for his dis
charge. And it was duly Obtained his de
parture Immediately followed
As, independent Of his " tizzic," he seemed
still possessed of good stock of vitality, |
was careful, in physical explorations and
generally, to see if his case did not offer
reasonable prospect of recovery in no long
time, But so skilfully had he conducted
the ruse, could but conclude it was a con
iirmed and hopeless case of asthma, forever
him for military service.
Sometime after McAleer had left, it !
CHANGED that our camp was pitched where, |
from the nature Of the ground, observance
Of the regulation method was impractica,
bic, and the rear of my tent was but few
feet from that Of one of Co. X. 1t was late in |
the night, and as usual was busy with my |
papers. There was talking in the other
tent, which ] could not have helped hearing.
Oh the two voices recognized that of Sergt.
Kennedy, formerly one Of the commission
ers Of La Sale Co., talking of McAleer,-
relating his doings, deep-lad plans, and
powers Of discrimination. Withal,
how successfully he had played it" on the
% Ould Soorjun' to get his discharge. That
be had long been in the British army and
had learned "all the dommed thricks and
play offs, and could bate Everybody and the
iiul himself, at it," That knowing so well
how to do it, he had started in as q bounty
Jumper in the first Of the war, and had al
ready got discharged and had re-enlisted
.@ice before and was intending to continue
i as long rs bounties were offered: then
ny it AZ a substitute, for bonuses, as would
probably be chances; proposed to continue
his to the end of the war; re-enlisting in
iiiIerent places remote from each other, IN
Ter different names; and, at length, after the
var should close, moving to secure pensions
n each case, if he should get out alive and
survive long enough after to complete his de.
ign, As related by the Sergeant, it showed
| mastery plan of a superior mind 1t would
rave oyertaxed my crtdulity if it had
hanced to have been related directly to me,
,ut in all the circumstances there was an
Iir of plausibility in 1.-THE more in that
was the spontaneous tale Of n man who
NEW McAleer, we'll, and evidently intended
or no ears but their own. Also, because, since
he war, cases have been cited in the public
Prints where the fact has been repeatedly
detected and the persons punished who had
evcral times thus re-enlisted, in the way
described, and afterwards essayed to supple
nent the plan by claims of pensions.
Among the impedimeuta of the medical
ervice, Feigning" played 50 important a
art that believe should hardly overdo it
y citing two or three other sample cases
ext week, together with remarks on differ,
mt methods of treatment in certain instan-
es. WIN. w. WEIGH
Galesburg, ILL.,, Apr. %, 1889.
Notice.
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