The National tribune., 1896-08-20

born July S, 1904 George W. JsneA Dubuque.
Iowa, served In the war Of 1912 % drummer.
having enlisted in 1914 Ut Genevieve, Mo-. In
tho regiment commanded by Col. Henry
Dodge. He was born in vincennes. Ind, April
IL, ls04, He WAS delegate to Congress from
the Territory of Missouri in 1885 served ~
Surveyor-General of the Northwest Territory
from 1889 to 1s48; was chosen United States
Senator from Iowa in 1s4S. and in 1856 was
appointed Minister to New Zealand
X
Quite an effective method Of capturing de-
serters from the Army is in use by the War
Department at tho various posts. About SIX
years ago Congress established Military De-
tective Bureau under the Surgeon-Generai Tor
the detection and capture of deserters and other
military criminals. Before that time assertions
were very frequent, and there were many crlm-
inals in this country who used the service as
place of temporary refuge when they were
pursued by detectives for crimes. The Army
uniform and the secluded life of q post afforded
them protection which they could not obtain
while lodging around the country. The Sur
scheme to capture them otherwise. The idea
was conceived that all these men were ikeiy
to have permanent marks on their bodies ny
which they could be identified. and Surgeons
of recruiting stations were furnished ldentin'
cation cards bearing the outlines of an anaiomi-
cal man. When man shows up to recruit the
Surgeon strips him and subjects Him to scru-
tiny Tor scars, moles. tattooings, and other per-
manent marks on his body. He indicates the
nature of any marks he may find on one OF
these cards with ink. In three years from the
time the scheme was put into operation there
was a card on file for every enlisted man in the
service. The file has since been kept up TO
date and when Il man is honorably discharged
his card is destroyed. When man deserts, or
commits any other military offense, the COM
mander of the post at which he is stationed
forwards his name to the Department. and his
card is removed from the alphabetical files
The mans name is then lost sight OF entirely,
and his card is classified in a criminal hie by
the section in which his most prominent scar
is located. When man deserts, all the atten-
ton the Bureau gives to him is to file his card,
after his name has been forwarded by the COM
according to his most prominent scar. NO
matter how much he is wanted, he Is seldom
captured If lie does not re-eDlist 1t Is estl-
mated that three per cent. Of all the recruits
enlistimg since the organizatio of the Bureau
have proved to be previous military criminals,
aud many of them have been sent to Fort
Leavcnworth, the military pcnitentiary. 1t 10
not by any particular class Of marks that
they are captured, but by combination of
marks.
The American Consul at Copenhagen informs
the State Department that boatswain in the
Danish navy has invented telegraphic appa-
ratus for communication with ship at GER
tain anchorage without the use Of direct line.
An electric battery, with one pole in contact
with moist earth, aud Geographic key and
interrnpter at the other, constitutes the appa-
ratus, from which cable is laid to aud around
the anchorage in coil from ], 600 to l, 200 feet
in diameter. solenoid connected with tele
phone and the ship completes the apparatus.
The inventor is now at work to get rid of the
telegraph key and make the communication
wholly telephone. Among the advantages of
will not, as in the case of flags, be visible to an
enemy, and that ships moving near the shore
can communicate with various stations while
passing over locations arranged for the pur-
pose.
Several new words have been coined during
this political campaign. A Popocrat is either
Populist or Free Silver Democrat who sup
ports Bryan on the fusion ticket. The Repub-
lican who joins the Popocrats in favor of Bryan
is Rcpopocrat. The Gold Democrat who bolts
Bryan. but goes onIy.half. way to Mckinley by
advocating Sound Money Democratic ticket,
is mere Gorepocrat. while the Gold Democrat
who bounds clear over to Mckinley is full
fedged Godemlican. The Gold Prohibitionst
championing Mckinley is Prohigolican; tho
Free Silver Probibitionist cheering Bryan, d
Prohisilcrat.
The photograph or gIaphophons may play
| an important part in the Presidential cam
paisn. suggestion has been made to Senator
| Jones' Chairman Of the Democratic National
Committee, that he consider the matter Of buy
ing or renting graphophones and putting them
suggestion has, in part. already been acted
! upon by the Republicans. 1t is said that the
| Republicans have the photograph in larger
cities supplying campaign songs for the anuse-
| ment and edifcsti0n of enthusiastic Republi-
cans. The suggestion to Chairman Jones, how
ever, is that himself, Candidate Bryan. aud
other noted silver speake rs make 10 or Is ID in
ute speeches for enrolment on the cylinders Of
the graphophonc. These will be taken and put
| in machines which will be sent all over the
country. The Republican campaign machines
are made to pay their own expenses just like
all the machines in use for the public in geB-
eral.
X
Washington is full of historic houses The
Blair mansion, 1851 Pennsylvania avenue,
| is one of the most famous. 1t was built IN
| 1910 by DIR. Joseph Lowell then Surgeon Gen.
eral OF the Army. who occupied it until his
death. in 1886. 1t was purchased by Francis
Preston Blair. ST.. from the Lowell estate, and
lie resided there during the years he filed the
position of editor Of the Globe the Democratic
organ Of that period. The mansion was leased
to the late George Bancroft during his term as
Secretary Of the Navy, from 1916 to 1916. The
next occupant John r. Mason. who sue.
ceeded Dir. Bancroft AS Secretary in 1886. Dur
ing the latter part Of his administration Gen.
Taylor appointed Thomas Ewing, Of Ohio, Sec