The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-01

| IL KNOWN InAB they are hDOut w v N.NO
bring them back TO the ship after they have de-
serted. Al n matter OF courtesy. the police Au.
t%horities, of foreign countries make every euort
to apprehend deserters from ships epreadlnR the
flags of countries with which their own nation
may be upon good terms. but assistance OF TINS
commanders whose ships are full-handcd. Not
long ago two marines deserted from an Ameri-
They deserted In order to %enlistin the Hawaiian
army, the privates and non-commissionea ON;
GERS OF which are exceedingly well paid. ana
have very little to do-twO features which
have attracted to Its ranks such numbers OF the
free-lances and soldiers Of fortune that
Of this %s ort. 'TTShr The two u" dns"srtIns marines
we're admitted promptly to tho ranks OF the
s,gnaI M Gevernmens , 81 aTm ny ana snarS Te ef Mrs qs.
Dominis. the ex.Queen, who was then q prisoner
IN the palace Of the Kanakas. While perform
ing this duty these two marines we're seen oftcn
by officers OF the American war ships packing
their rifles and ~"humpln'" their posts around
the palace grounds, sud looking well fed and
Hawaiian army 10 AN e~x-of1cer of the American
navy, and he could scarcely have been ignorant
OF tho identity of his two new recruits. Not
long after the two ex.narines had enlisted the
cholera epidemic broke out in Honolulu. The
two men happened to be eent to guard tho dock
At which the inan-of.wars steam launch landed
with shore-R going officers many times a day, and
there was IA good deal Of twinkling of eyes when
%ealutes were exchanged between the two ex-
AMERICANS in the foreign service and the ON
GERS. These two marines are In the Hawaiian
When a bluejacket or marine has decided to
DESERT he says very little about. 1t even, to init
mate friends among his, shipmatrs. but, for
satisfactorily explained. and probably never
smons the men forward Tint so.and. 80 is about
to- go over the side" Occasionally, the news
no difference to the deserter. after all, for tho
officers decline to bother their heads about In
tending deserterr. Owing to the extraordinary
reaches the hrst class before going. A man who
Ia M Ia f~t 90, IA 81 ana d. nr-.tt tnl - sea "a. zrlt
one-fourth OF the money due him from the
government. Tho third.class man gets one
eno.half. He WHOSE n n Is enrolled on the
first cond net class is entitled 70 draw every
month all OF the money that is due him for his
listed man In the navy is bliged to have on the
books OF the paymns,er OF the ship during
cias 3 man. thus punished for misconduct. such
as coming aboard ship drunk. or for liberty
breaking. Is raised on good conduct one class a
month, and 1t thus takes three months for him
to get his name on the first conduct class. which
ashore. So the intending desertcr has to biddss
his time and make his preparations meantime
for for the ne tump s,l He .r, goes g IN lifht,"arGs.
any Value hi no sells for almost nothing to ship.
use. as. for instance. underwear. he does up in
q small package. together with what few family
tess aud wish to keep. and give, the bundle to
,hs oamboat man who stocks a dinghy with
TOBACCO, soap, brushes. ana such small articles.
and sells them at exorbitant prices to the men
forward on war ships. The bumboat man,
Oft an ex:oineiseGr e. or OIL. m "a him,
S SiS purposes jumping S'e sSip o. t and " hS
takes good care Of tho intending de-
The bnmboat man also volunteers to look
around ashore for a cheap outfit, CT clothes.
the navy without waiting for his discharge. He
makes a small commission oa tho outfit.
intending GeSArter draws ALL fha Nnnpv No haa
earned except the months pay retained. 1t
may he only a few dollars or several hundred
dollars. Tho amount depends upon the length
OF time he has been figuring upon deserting. for
the men always save their money for his event.
being experienced in the mournful business OF
JonrneyinG on the hog train.
Then comes the day upon which he Is entitled
come se back. The &c officer deer Of a''I his s' d%ipisio 10r report. 10
him absent, without leave for ten days-and
every time he does go there is a general grin
along the lines of men Forward Assem- bleI at
ouartera-nnd then he is marked on the ships
log ~ a d~eserter. The chief master-at-arms
who has probably known all about IL since the
day OF the deserter's departure. goes through
the form Of looking through the wire locker OF
the man who has gone. and of cour-e finds moth
ing except. perhaps. an old pair of suspenders.
n emp ribbon. n forage cap. or n solicit watch
himself up he may have TO serve from one to
two years at the naval prison on Mare Island or
at Boston. but he Is not hunted.
among recruits. 1t il an exceedingly difficult
matter to get n crew for a new American vessel
y ot oio thht 10 pt'HS ntWty
com rnissinned. There can be- only q scattering
of oli-timer-, who have been on the guards
portion must be recruits. They are in many
cases Young. chaps who have enlisted without
any realization OF the d~i.comfortS and hard.
ships 10 which man-ot- wars men are subjected,
and quickly become disgisted when the rrRiiaa-
.tioa comes h cine to them. Their first expert
ence at coaline ship. which Is the hardest kind
of work. often puts u Quietus to their ambition
for a life On the ocean wave. There are swarms
of deserters from every new ship that is coaicd
for the first time by these crews. mostly made
up Of recruits. 1t is an. experience which
encounter. Two or three crew. have often to be
cent from receiving ships to a new vessel before
The Il rs IS n 81 6irtsn ~ as @sn'sd to go to sea- so great
The crack Olympia. one of the most superb
cruisers in the world. was obliged to delay her
departure for China TO- months, after she went
into commission On account of mult.tudinous
desertions. because OF numerous accidents
turned over to the Government by her builder,
accidents in which several men were killed
snlisted men OF being a "hoodoo ship" and the
half or two distinct crews Jumped her within a
fey months. On her trial cruise 10 San DIsGo,
ashore at San Diego. When they had pulled
,nsy Jumped sshorr. Where are yon men q 20.
and he damned to you and your ship" they
yelled back in unison, and kept on going. They
A soldier In the army goes about the business
OF deeertion with great care. comp!ni,ance and
circumspection. A SnldIe Ter does not often have
much money when he makes hi" escape. for his
pay 10 small. and the cRnteeii |. never far from
the quarters, AS often as not he will leave all
of the truck in his chest behind. for there is
nobody answering to the character OF the BUM
boat man TO help him In getting away. He will
always wait Tor pay day. 30 as 20 have a few
dollars for immediate expenses. Then he quietly
walks. TO the railroad station and puts aa many
miles between hims ELF and the pot he has quit
as his money will carry him. BY the time hs
has reached the station his bunkies have
swooped down upon his chest and looted it OF
everything Of value, for the deserter has told
them Of his intention to 20, and has left ex-
plicit directions rs to the distribution Of his
gear. He does not hand 1t around before
going. because by doing SO he might excire the
suspicion Of the first sergeant. who generally has
a keen eye in snch matters. Wien the first
sergeant does begin to grow suspicious and looks
through the chest he finds M old wOrn-out pair
of trousers and q battered cam paign hat.
where II this mans gear p he asks all hands
lying around in their hunks in the quarters.
Nobody knows.
Guess he took 1t with him" they reply. and
turn over.
That 10 all the satisfaction q first sergeant ever
gels. There was once a corporal who deserted
from Fort Grant In heavy marching order,
blanket. haverback. knapsack, overcoat. suit OF