The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-07-21
WOES OF A PRIVATE.
Lawson Says He Is Prosecuted
BY a Provost Marshal.
Put in Jail Twice and Forced to
Pay Fines and Dues.
Claims that He Owes Nothing and
Is Entitled to n Discharge.

A milltiaman's lot in New York IL not
particularly happy one. II Private
Frederick Lawson. of Company a,
Twelfth Regiment. N. q. S. n. V, gives
a correct version OF his troubles. He
says that though his nve years enlist
ment term in the regiment expired last
October. he has been twice arrested by
the Regiments Provost Marshal, ,x-
Police Sergeant John A. Croker. locked
UP In Ludlow Street jail, and, after be-
ing imprisoned several days. only re-
leased when he had paid fines aggre-
eating $3.50 for non-attendance at drills.
Lawson In a butcher and works In
kallman Bros meat market at 1891
Third avenue. He was seen there by
an Evening World'' reporter this morn
ing and told his woes in detail as fol
lows:
"A week before left the regiment
told my captain, e. C. Smith. a dentist
at 50 West Thirty fifth street. that
was going out, and asked how much l
was In arrears, as l wished to square up
accounts. said | thought owed about
IS, and Smith answered. IN think about
that saw him twice again on the
answer.
lin February last Provost Marshal
John A. Croker told me he was going
to arrest me for owing s22. l told him
l owed nothing, but finally paid 1t when
he threatened me.
"On July 2 Croker arrested me and
took me to Ludlow Street jail, saying /
owed 81. stayed in Jail till July 4. and
paid the money under protest. ON July
II Croker again arrested me, and with;
out giving me any opportunity to send
off to Ludlow Street, jail again This
time he said ! owed $50 I paid the
money next day under protest again. !
never received any notice up to that
ment. Yesterday, for the first time, !
received due notice from the regiment
for ss75; ! suppose pposs, Croker Gre Will be
II claim my discharge Is correctly
due me. because my attendance percent.
age for my first three years was 100
entities me to an honorable discharge.
"Croker's persecution has nearly
ruined me and would have cost me my
have been most outrageously treated,
and have stood by me. My lawyer is
to see the, District and ascer,
tain II Croker has not acted Illegally, and
try to have him indicted. ,
Provost Marshal Croker resides in
Rutherford, n. j., and has a. mall al,
dress at l65 Elghtn avenue. ne Was Ho'
to be found by an Evening World re-
porter this morning. Capt E. c. Smith
lives on Long Island. He Is away on
vacation and did not go to his Thirty
fifth street office to-day.
J Col. Heman Dowd. of the Twelfth
Regiment, was seen at his office, % Mas
sau street. He said he knew nothing OF
| the status of Lawson's case. The De-
linquent Board of the Regiment tried al
cases of non-payment Of dues and de,
linquents who did not pay were arrested
on a warrant issued by the Board and
executed by the Provost Marshal. who
locked them up in jail until they set
tied. Such procedure was entirely legal
Col. Dowd said Provost Marshal Croker
was an ex-Police Sergeant with clean
record If Lawson had been Illegally
locked up he had a remedy by proceed
ing against the Warden Of Ludlow
Street Jai, for taking him in without the
necessary warrant. He said that he be-
lieved that IL would be clearly proven
that Lawson had not been unlawfully
dealt with.