The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-27
CADETS BEST DRILLED MAN.
CORPL. WALTER e. CONVEY CAR
RIED OFF THE COMPANY MEDAL.

| G. A. kriete, who Won IL Last
Year, and Private HarrIs-The
Winner Is Also a sharpshooter,
and Has Never Missed an Assem-
bIaGe of His Company Since He
Has Been Member of 1.-THE
Medal Awarded by Col. a. r.. Law
ton, Jr.-COrpI. Coney spends the
Evening Receiving COngratuia-
tiOns-IiefreshmeDt and Dancing
| Conclude the Entertainment.
Corporal w. E. Coney, after a severe
test in military art was pronounced last
night the best drilled man in the Savan-
nah Cadets. The honor won was in every
way merted, as no man in the company
has been more devoted to it's interests. nor
has any member of it made more thor
ough or careful study of military science.
The Guards hall was crowded with
| friends of the Cadets to witness their an
nual prize drill. one Of the most interest
| ing military events of the year. Except
the space reserved for the drill every
inch of available room was taken up, and
standing room was at a premium. Many
military men of other commands were
there in uniform, especially officers of the
First regiment.
1t was about o'clock when the drill be-
gan, the company being divided into first
and second platoons. The first platoon
was drawn up on the south side of the
hall and the contest began, Capt. ]. F.
Brooks giving the commands. Lieut.. R.
S. Nell stood at his left and Sergt. j. 7.
| West at his right acting as lieutenant
| Sergt. West will soon change his ser
| geants stripes for those of lieutenant as
his nomination for that office will be made
at the company meeting Monday night.
The. contest was a warm one with the
| first platoon, but the victory was not for
| it. All eyes were upon Corporal G. A.
] Kriete, the winner of the medal last year,
and nobly he stood the test. First Pri-
vate Joe Gallagher fell out, then Privates
Bostick, Carter, Price and so down the
! line, until the command 'charge bayo-
| nets" puzzled more than half those left,
| or, rather, was executed with some small
fault seen only by the trained military
eye, and out they went. Finally the five
left standing were CorporalS Ward and
| Kriete, Privates Harris, johnson and
Sloat.
Then the second platoon was set up, and
one after another the men were knocked
! down, PriVates Dick Smith and Cliff NAL
lory taking the lead until there were left
of them Sergt. Mallory, Corpls. Coney and
Banks, Privates Bell and Dusenberry.
| These were the five who were put up
against the five from the first platoon,
and among them was the winner. Re
| markable was the record of Private John
Bell, who entered the Cadets only three
weeks ago, yet stood up in line with the
| last ten.
Nobly they drilled and well, and the
execution of the difficult movements was
| excellent. But mistakes are made some
times and out of line they went thus:
| Private John Bell first, then Private Sloat,
and in succession Private Dusenberry,
Corpl. Banks, -'rivate Johnson, Corpl.
| Ward Sergt. Mallory, Corpl kriete,
Private Harris, and Corpl. Coney was
left alone in his victory for moment.
When ii was over his companions in arms
rushed in from all sides to congrat ulate
him upon his deserved success. There
was much applause when Corpl. Kriete
dropped out. AS the holder of the medal
for the year gone by, everyone's eyes were
on him and his excellent work was appre-
cated.
The company was formed Corpl. Co
ney in the front rank and center, and Col.
A. r. Lawton, Jr., was called on by Capt.
Brooks to present the company medal to
its owner for the ensuing year. Corpl.
Coney came forward and Col. Lawton said
in substance:
1T is unnecessary for me to say that
this is on exceedingly pleasant duty for
me to perform. Indeed, / know of nothing
that would be a greater pleasure than to
present Corpl. COney this prize, for be-
ing the best drilled man in the Savannah
Cadets. His name has been a by-word
among his associates for one, who always
performs his duty and performs 1t in the
best manner. 1 am glad to know that he
performs II so We'll under these circum-
stances, as well as all others, and that
he has tonight done the best among the
best"
Col. Lawton then called attention to the
sharpshooters' badge CorpI. Coney wears
and also another badge which he said
he feared would outgrow the wearer by
the addition of bars. This badge shows
that during the six years he has been a
member of the Cadets Corpl Coney has
never been absent from single assem-
blage of the company on account of sick
ness or any other cause. Corpl. COuey
had now proved his excellence in another
line, he said, and if there should be any
new fields for him to conquer in, he would
find victory there, too. Col. Lawton pre-
scented him the medal with many wishes
for future success, and thanks that~the
company and the regiment has one VINO
so ably does his duty and his full duty,
Corpl. Coney is a credit to the company,
and he hoped every man in it would try
to see next year that Corpl. Coney did
not win the medal
Capt. Brooks extended an invitation to
the many friends of the Cadets present
to remain and partake Of refreshments
and join in the dancing which followed
Many awaited themselves of the oppor-
tunity and a most enjoyable evening was
had.
Corpl. Coney hardly had time
for anything else during the
evening, but to receive the warm congrat.
ulations of many friends He is
one of the Cadets strongest and most
enthusiastic members, and there is moi
one in the company, no matter how hard
he strived himself, who was not glad te
see him victorious They will all try
harder another year, of course, but then
they will have to- for Corpl. Coney himself
has remarkable trying powers and he will
be there al the trial.