The evening times., 1896-06-13
REED HAD PECULIAR WAYS
This Officers Eccsnlricifies the
Talk Of the Navy.
WHY He WAS TURNED DOWN
His Failure to Pass Exa mination for
Promotion said TO BE Due to His
-PeculiaritiesuCsed sed.tiie Bathtnb to
store Potatoes In and Washed His
Own Linen,


The story has gone abroad that Capt
Allan V. Reed, OF the United States Navy
recently examined for promo otion, was
turned down" Becai,se he did some thin gs
| as other men do not and failed TO do other
things in the Conventional way. Capt
Reed was a bright student at Annapolis
and stood well up in his class at graduation
There seems to, be no question as to his
mental capacity. Equally it is undoubted
that he is TO an extent eccentric and this
had more or less to do with his failure to
pass ut the examination.
Capt Reed has lived pretty much all his
lie IN Washington ana has a house on Iowa
circle After heFwas refused promotion he
applied for and was granted retirement
on three-fourths pay under the forty
years-servicc rule. This gives him un in
come OF about $1,000 Il year. A prominent
naval officer said last night: HE showed his
good sense in doing this. If he had awaited
the action of the President, his pay would
have been reduced about 81 ,2UU" Capt
Reed mas now gone to Portsmouth, his
last place OF duty, To settle up his affairs
and bring his family here to live.
WASHED HIS OWN LINEN.
One OF the stories about Capt Reed that
mas been going the rounds or naval circles
Tor years Is that he had no use for his BATH
tub at sea ana kept itonlyto S, ore potatoes
In. This is supposed to point to habits OF
careiessness III dress and care OF his person
Another point made against him is that
he refused TO follow the ordinary methods
about having his clothes washed His way
was 10 wash his own linen and hang il out
or the port holes TO dry. Whether this was
done III a spirit OF bravado or just TO carry
out whim is not known
Ihere are also reports about the way he
coihpeu his hair, wore his clothes and be-
naVed toward his subordnates, that show
ed careiessness OF the opinions OF Others
and independence OF conventionaIity that
was very saddening to his superiors and
subversive or discipline and clean gloves
at parade on the part of the nliddies.
one thing at the bottom ofaIl Capt Reeds
troubles is the great row he had with Ad-
mirai Gillis. He was with the admiral for
Two or three years ON the Richmond in the
south Atlantic, going fromone South Amer
lean port To another and all through that
time a bitter quarrel was kept up bet ween
them.
CONTROVERSY Y WITH A DMIRAL GILLIS
Finally they were brought before n board
OF INQUIRY. and after long and tedious
investigation II was decided that Cant.
Reed was technically in the right and had
much the better OF the controversy. There
were. however, many Officers friendly To
Admiral Glii.s. who, while they disapproyed
OF much that he did. thought the had great
ptofocation. and secretly despised Capt
Reed for being right in the way be was.
They recognized that he was within the
rules. but they thought his methods mar
row, uBscnerous and unworthy of the
navy Accordingly they have been wait
ing Tor INN when his turn should cu,ne for
examination and promotion n nd fave made
every possible poins against him. or course
there is no possible proof o I all this aocessi-
b'c TO The public. hut IL is the gossip. and
II Is probably well grounded:
TITS several months since Cant. Reed wos
called for his eSaminat tion, and the case
mas been hanging ntc Sdprlng thar time
Inc examination does nsAt+consist or a Sc.
Hes of questions from the bAoss. assin the.
case OF men of 10 yer fank IT Is /, N inyes,i-
CATION OF the app9LHntss entire record /, 8 an
officer and inciuAes his whole life In the
navy. his efficiently as a commander of a
smp, ms conduct Upward his Interiors, his
management of dcfcatc Situations and i'm
Portant business and governmental inter
ests. His care OF the ship and the condi.
tioh III which she comes from his hands
is considered.
INQUIRY NOT HURRIED.
The inquiry is not hurried Ev.rvbo.dv
Is called who has anything OF interest ia
olicr ana the facts are taken nm i'm tho
greatest detail. Such matters as Cant
Reeds alleged eccentricities would IN
uoubtediy enter into the determination or
the problem. Nevertheless, a member or
Que ol the examining boards which had
Capt. Reeds case under consjder,tin IL
nied yesterday very positively that he was
relected on account of his peculiari,ias
he said no officer would be turned down
on such grounds. He admitted however
tlat tapt- Reed WAS not lacking in his
knowledge or experience and thar IL WIS
really MS record that caused him to he
thrown out. w
capt. Reed was examined twice and nv
.he iirs1 BOARD was recommended fer Dfo-
motion. This first beard consisted Of
Admiral Brown, Commodore Pythi.,n and
commodore Howell. They went over fine
iacts with care and after taking into CON
siueraton all the circumstances of Cant
Reed's experience, especially on the Rich-
mono. decided that lie was worthy. and co
recommended. 1 ''
CAPT. REED TURNED DOWN.
iheir iInding. however, had TO po be.
Tore the President, who scrutinizes ali suct
cases very closely. After considerable do.
iay MI Cleveland passed upon the finding
oi the board unfayorably, and so directed
Sapt. keed was then given another hearing
before a foa rd consisting OF 4 dmiral WaJter
oil The lighthouse beard, Commodore sicord
OF the New York station and Comrodorc
norton oi The navy yard here. These gentle
liieh spent month upon the case. n
was rumored. meantime, that the reason
ior The Presidents rejection was TINT bo
thought the first hoard had attached tro
,ii uiuch Importance 10 tile favorable result of
his contest with Admiral Gillis.
AT the last conrt-martial Can't. Reed,s on
pohents made a big effort to ret.aiI ,ho
uniavorable facts together hefore tbe hoar,I
ana they succeeded in securing an ppfovor.
able verdict. The order relieving him from,
duty at Portsmouth was issued a day or
two ago. oi