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 a Discharge.

A mil!tiaman's lot in New York Ia not
a particularly happy one, II Private
Frederick Lawson. of Company \.
Twelfth Regiment n. q. S. y. y, gives
correct version OF hs troubles. He
says :hat though his hve 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 al drills.
Lawson is 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 I
told my captain. h. e. Smith, dentist
at so West Thirty-hfth street, that
was going out, and asked how much !
was in arrears, as | wished to square UP
accounts. | said | thought owed about
s.. and Smith answered, IN think about
that | saw him twice again on the
same subject and received the same
answer.
John A. Croker told me he was going
to arrest me for owing SO. | told him
owed nothing. but finally paid 1t when
he threatened me.
took me to Ludlow Street Jail saying J
owed 81. | stayed In jail TIL July T. ahl
paid the money under protest On July
out giving me any opportunity to send
word to my wife or friends. rushed me
off to Ludlow Street Jail again, TINS
time he said ! owed $50 | paid the
money next day under protest again.
never received any notice up TO ina
time that | was in arrears to the regi,
received due notice from the regiment
for slO75. | suppose Croker Will be
around again to arrest me.
81 claim my discharge Is correct correct
due me, because my attendance percenl,
age for my first three years was IN
and for the last two years 60 ~hicf
entities me to an honorable discharge.
| "C'rokcr's persecution has nearly
ruined me and would have cost me m!
situation but for the kindness or my
employers, who believe as ! do, that
and have stood by me. My LAWYER II
to see the DistrictAttorney and ascer
tain II croker has not acted Illegally ant
.try to have him indicted :.
Rutherford, \. j., and has mall "a
dress at 1s5 Eighth avenue. He was no
to be found by an Evening World re
porter this morning. Capt. T.. &. Sfniti
lives on Long Island. Ne is away on
vacation and did not go to his Thirty
fifth street office to-day. $500
Col. Heman Dowl, of the Twcfti
Regiment. was seen at his Office . Mas
sau street. He said he fnew nothing U
the status of Lawson's case. The De
linquent Board OF the Regiment tried a
cases of non payment of dues and de
linauents who did not pay were arreste
on a warrant issued by the Board an
executed by the Provost Marshal, VIII
locked them up In jail until they sci
tied. Sucn procedure was entirely lega
Col. Dowd said Provost Marshal Croke
was an ex-Polce Sergeant, with a clea
record. If Lawson had been illegaii
locked up he had a remedy by proceed
ing against the Warden OF Ludlo'
street Jai, for taking him In without IN
necessary warrant. He said that he be
lieved that 1t would be clearly prove
that Lawson had not been unlawful
dealt with.