The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01
HE ..sTRUNG. THE GUARDS.
Private Cooper's ExpIoit-WOrk of
Sentrfes Has Been Lax.

Private Rinaldo Cooper, of Battery A,
was publicly commended yesterday morn
ing by General Mckee for a daring and
original feat performed by him Friday night
on the guard line. Ever since the camp has
been established almost any one who de-
sired to do so could by a little ~maneuvering
run the guard lines without being molcsted.
Within the last two nights, however, there
have been more stringent orders issued in
this respect, and it was expected that sent
Ties would see that no one passed the lines
without being entitled to do so. In order to
test the efficiency of the guard posted last
night Private Cooper started to make a
round of the different posts.
Going up to the first man he met he was
ordered to halt. and did so. In making
known his identity to the guard he stated
that he was an inspecting officer, and re-
quested the guard to turn over his saber for
examination. Without even a protest the
sentry relinquished his weapon and then
became the recipient of a scorching lesson
in military ethics at the hands of the
doughty private. Without any particular
attempt at nowery language Private Cooper
gave the guard his opinion of the ~latter's
conception of his duties, and after keeping
up the TRADE of reproach for a few mo-
ments called the corporal of the guard, who
also administered an emphatic rebuke to
the too conFding soldier.
Passing or to the next post. Cooper re-
peated his effort with as much success as in
the first case, and repeated as closely as
possible his former rebuke. to the new Gull
prit. This condition of affairs continued
and in each case the weapon of
the guard vas turned over to him
without a murmur. In the mean
guard, becoming alarmed at the apparent
prevalence on the part of the sentries of an
unlocked for ignorance of their duties, rap
idly went from post to post of the remain
ing guards, enjoining each man under no
circumstances to give up his weapon to any
ene. be he whom he might. As a conse-
quence, when Private Cooper came to the
eighth post he was in a very firm tone or
dered to halt. He repeated his former
statement and asked the guard for his
weapon. but received instead the point of
IL at his breast, with a statement from the
guard. well, i guess not" Seeing that in
some manner the guard had been warned,
after visiting fifteen posts and obtaining no
more weapons he ceased further effort for
the night.
The affair was reported by the officer of
the guard to General McKee's h~eadquar-
ters, with the result that yesterday morn
ing at guard mount Private Cooper was
called from the ranks by the general and
praised for his action before all of the
troops. The general explained that it was
tiAG d0Ny VI a OCllIIy ~ L u llu any
circumstances to allow any one to pass his
line unauthorized, and 1t was especially
reprehensible in him to accept any explana-
ftion under which he was asked to deprive
himself of his weapon. 1t is, he said, the
duty of a guard when on duty to refuse
such a request, even from the commanding
general. until relieved from his post. He
closed his remarks by commissioning Pri-
waite Cooper TO continue his efforts in this
direction until it was certain that every
sentry thoroughly understood his duty in
the matter.
This action, 1t is believed, will go a long
way toward preventing the wholesale run
nin of the guard lines by the men in camp.
Tt has been notorious in the camp that any
man who wanted to might slip out of the
camp without the least trouble. The fence
around the camp is full of holes, and is in
many cases closer to the companies than
the gates are. Therefore, it is easier to go
through the fence than the gates. The
least excuse has been sufficient to get the
men through the guard lines. One set of
the boys had been telling the guard that
they We're cooks, and the guards passed
them without further question. Many of
the boys have a wrong idea that it is the
right thing to pass a comrade who has been
to town without leave or who wants to go.
Last night a man crawled through a hole
in the fence right under the nose of a guard.
The guard halted him and asked him what
right he had to be out of the camp. The
man said: "Oh; that's all right; l belong to
Battery A." and the guard let him pass
without dissent