Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-17
CHAPLAIN BURIED IN EFFIGY.
yevcnty-First New York shows DIS
approvnI of Rev. MIR. Van DE water
New York Herald, l6th)

aDDTONni oil htN. 1E. shb nv
CNew York Herald, l6th)
Members OF the Seventy-frst Regiment
built an effigy Of their chaplain, The Rev.
Or. George t. Van De Water, OF ST. An
arew's church. yesterday and. after #
had been pitched from a platform p feet
high TO the armory iooV. gave IL a buria
under straw mattresses, while the dea,
march was whistled and heads were bare
and bowed in mockery.
Exuting in the thought that military re-
straint was TO be thrown OF in a few
hours. the men INDUCED in pTanks ana
caustic comment which on other occa-
sions would have caused their officers 10
stand aghast. The First Battalion was
mustered out OF The United States service
Yesterday the Second will be mustered
out to-day. and the Third tomorrow.
While the men who had reported at
O'Clock in the morning were waiting Tor
Acknowledgements J. c. Edison anu
Charles Il. Stanton, who did not arrive
Tin after noon with safe containing Sl25.-
O09 a soldier carrying a blouse and an
overcoat was seen 10 glide out from be-
hind a pile OF boxes and make dash for
n straw pile which had been used for
filing mattresses.
Another ran from a different direction
with a cast-off pair of trousers. They
stuffed straw into the garments at fu-
rious rate Their mysterious movements
and eagerness brought a curious crowd.
OBSERVED THE PROPORTIONS.
"who is it?" asked one.
Evan De Water Who'd you Think"
replied the man engaged in jamming
last handful Of straw into the very obese
blouse. Making his waist according to
normal dimensions. lie has recovered his
eight inches"
In public interview after his return,
telling of the hardships OF the Cuban
campaign, and before unpleasant com
ments on his conduct had been made, the
Chaplain had said: 81 am thirty-hve
pounds lighter than ] was when l left
Camp Black. and my waist is eight inches
less in circumference"
Some started yells of delight, but were
cut short so that the efligy could be COM
pleted before the officers had an inkling
Of what was doing
A dozen men began scurrying here and
there TO find black front 10 signify the
effigy's calling. a piece Of black oil-cloth
was produced and fitted into the front of
the blouse. Then a strip of white cloth
was brought for a necktie. The dummy
started TO march about the drill floor.
A few standing in out-of-the-way cor
ners shouted TO know II it was Shafter
When the reply came ivan de Water"
there was a wild yen Of derision from all
parts of the armory.
A ringleader spied a tall movable plat
form, used for replacing burned-out
lights high above the floor. He grabbed
the effigy, rushed for the platform. which
e. .fo.l IL -
on top. crowned with an old hat
BOMBARDED AND BURIED.
So DESTROYS were the soldiers on the
floor and in the galleries of bowling the
effigy over. that they did not wait for
their comrades TO get out Of the way, but
assaied ii with canteens, old shoes,
saucepans, and haversacks.
smash Van de Waterl" they yelled.
''Give it to the hero of SantiagoT
Company and officers rooms emptied
in jiffy. All rushed to the drill floor to
see what caused the ear-splitting hub
bub
Lieutenant-C Colonel Downs eventually
broke through the turbulent crowd and
after much vigorous language made it
understood that the effgy must come
down.
Private Rider, Of Company f, climbed
10 the top Of the platform and threw the
dummy to the floor. Then it was placed
In a gun-case. The improvised coffin was
lifted 70 the shoulders of six soldiers, who
bowed their heads. and. with a show of
great distress marched slowly around
the floor. A long procession of mourners
followed. Hats were doffed and heads
were bowed A squad fell in as field
music and the procession took up the
tune of their dismal whistling OF the
dead march.
A burial place was selected among a
heap of old mattresses. The coffin was
slowly lowered. while the field music
whistled TAPS"
Every effort was made TO keep secret
the demonstration against Chaplain Van
De Water. Neither officers nor men would
allow themselves 10 be quoted regarding
his conduct during the war.
He recently answered charges that had
been made regarding his conduct during
the Cuban campaign.
He denied that he had ordered i'll and
wounded soldiers ont of his tent. He de-
MED that he purposely absented himself
from the front where he was needed 10
administer TO the wounded and bury the
dead; also, that he had sold cigars and
cigarettes TO the soldiers for profit. The
soldiers complained that he held only
three services for them all the time they
were in Cuba. and they had to call in
other chaplains to read the burial service
for their comrades.