The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-07-25
REGULARS in 1T.
Several Blue Coats Arrested for
Aiding Reform School Girls
to Escape.
One OF Them Escapes and Two
others Desert Their Regl-
ment.

OF June 28, and the subsequent arrests
of several soldiers of the regular army
camping at Lakeview, near Red Wing,
have been the cause of some sensa-
tional developments of revolving
deeds on the part of the regular
soldiers.
1t appears that the soldiers thought
that they we're doing nothing out of
the way in aiding the young girls in
making an escape. While under the
influence of liquor they told how the
escape was made. There we're several
more girls, they claim, all ready to
escape, but their courage failed them.
All had made prearrangements with
the soldiers. Sheets were twisted to-
gether, but as the girls did not wet
the knots they slipped and let the
first one who tried the descent fall
few feet, but she escaped uninjured.
The second girl did not fare so we'll
and sprained her ankle; then the
others did not have the courage to try
the descent; so but two of them got
away.
The one who escaped uninjured
went down and informed the soldiers
of the misfortune of her companion,
SO they went up and assisted her in
getting away, but could not induce
the others to come. The girls were
given blankets to shelter them from
the cold, and after resting awhile the
two girls went to Frontenac. From
there the soldiers claim they we're
taken to Camp Lakeview by ooat and
a comfortable camp made for them.
The soldiers say that the girls
came along of their own accord and
that they were dressed in mems uni
forms until dresses could be made.
Had the girls not been saved when
they were, they would have been sent
to St. Paul to enter a house of i'll
fame, where they would have been
cared for by the men who had hand
in bringing them to camp. They
we're called the "Red Wing Recruits"
Fred. Violet of Co. D., one of the
soldiers is in Jail, but Private Haynes
made his escape, leaving the grounds
in violation of orders, and going to
Fort Smelling to get his citizens
clothing. Here he was arrested and
told to got his blanket preparatory to
going to the guard house. After get
ting his blanket he broke into a run
across the parade ground, going down
the bank of the Minnesota river. He
was pursued by Corporal Toole, who
fired seven shots at the fugitive, not
one of which took effect.
Upon reaching the river bank
Haynes hailed farmer passing in a
boat and demanded passage across
the river, which was granted. Cor
poral Toole was afraid to shoot at
Haynes in the boat, lest he might hit
the farmer, and gave chase in another
boat. Two privates from the fort also
took another boat and made chase.
Haynes, however, had too much the
start of them and succeeded in getting
ashore under shelter and making his
way to railroad track. His pursuers
we're soon on the scent again, and
they chased him down the track for a
considerable distance, but without
gaining on him. Haynes soon over
took women driving in buggy, and
at the point of bis revolver compelled
her to turn over to him her equipage,
with which he was able to increase
the distance between him and his
pursuers. Corporal Toole secured
horse as soon as possible and kept up
the chase until dark, following Haynes
to the border of Dakota county, where
he lost track of him altogether.
Haynes was we'll known at the fort as
a leading athlete, and the best half
mile runner at the post.
There were two other desertions
during the week, Privates Curran and
Galloway, both of Co. B. Curran
asked for permission to visit Fort
Smelling. The officer to whom the re-