The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-28
ARMY OFFICERS SPITE
MADE JOHN MAXWELL, OLD INDIAN
APOLIs BOY, SUFFER IN CUBA.
In War Times Mean Men Grow Meaner
and Good Men Get Better-A Corr
respondents story.
James oDonnel1 Bennett, in Chicago Jour

JdHlEo ~ OOhiiCll LoSlI6llt III (uCdSV
One morning when the heat was excessive
and the motionless air was fetid with many
kinds Of doors, a party Of amateur philoso-
pliers sat on the veranda Of their quarters
in the town of Siboney. The general out
look, whether they gazed seaward or to-
ward the mountains. was not cheerful. Each
man wore pajamas. One scratched patient
ly at a dado of large pink bites that en-
circled his wrists and ankles. Another
tinkered at typewriting machine that was
hopeIessly rusted and bruised by an ocean
voyage third was cleaning pair of
mud-crusted leggings and a fourth was
picking out phrases in a Spanish converse
ton book.
1T seems to me-" said the man who was
rubbing costly gun oil on his leggings, that
in situation like this-a hard campaign,
you know-that the mean man gets meaner
and the good man gets better"
How about just an average mann"
queried the one who was learning the Span
ish for cit is six leagues to the harbor."
well, the average man." said the philos-
opher in blue pajamas, "just struggles
along. He remains average and does the
best he can to be decent. I. for instance.
am an average man.
Pretty soon," shifted the man who was
struggling with the typewriting machine
and rapidly losing his temper, "some of you
will say war is HE'LL and then everything
will be settled. This ready-made moralizing
makes me tired. It's SO old there are
creases in it,
"All know is" said voice that had
coating of brogue on it, that everybody
ought to be reformed except me. 1 am the
correct and pleasant thing. The rest Of the
world from Shafter to Toral is wrong"
From out of that unamiable wrangle,
which wound up in the usual verbal
that is apt to go with every conversation
in the tropics, one truth stands out serene
the mean man who goes campaigning gets
meaner and the good man gets better.
WHY THEY HATED MAXWELL
Here is a story in point, and relates some
of the trials endured by John Maxwell, who
went to Cuba for the Chicago Tribune. His
name is known to every officer of the regu-
lar army. for it was Maxwell who scooped
the town On the notorious Lowering Ham
mond case at Fort Sheridan and unearthed
facts that resulted in the ordering of a
court-martial, the exposure of certain
abuses in army life and a general stir and
pother that shook the whole regular army
Into the merits of the case 1t is not neces-
sary to go, and as to the attitude Mr.. Max
well took it need only be said that he as
sumed the position of fearless, hard-work-
ing, honest newspaper man, who printed
what he knew was true. The interesting
fact at this time is that certain officers Of
the regular army, still smarting under the
sting of his criticisms, made his life bur-
den to him throughout his stay in Cuba by
the constant infiiction of petty affronts,
needless deprivations, and unconcealed
sneers.
Mr.. Maxwell was member Of the news
paper mess to which belonged. One night
Mr.. O'Shaughnessy of the Chronicle, also
81 dad 1NA
courtesy Of an invitation to dinner to a hum
cry lieutenant of regulars. He was intro
was reached Mr.. O'Shaughnessy said: "And
you know Mr.. Maxwell, OF the Tribune.
suppose.
was much Mr.. Maxwell's guest as If he
had been sitting at that gentleman's family
table, and l don't want to know him.: 49,,
troubled waters and prevented the words
leading to blows but anyway, nothing but
a sense of shame for the officer who had
so insulted the laws of hospitality was felt
in all our hearts.
Here is case more in point. The day Mr..
Maxwell marched the five miles from Bal
Quiri to Siboney he was all but overcome
by sunstroke. Just as he. was about to give
up he struck the camp of the Second Regi-
ment Of regulars. Colonel Wherry COM
handing. Steward Stoddard, of the regi-
mental hospital corps, saw how serious was
tree, and gave him medicine. Chaplain
Walxley. of the same regiment, came up to
him and said. You're on the verge of sun.
stroke, my boy; you must lie quiet awhile"
An officer in his command recognized Mr..
Maxwell as the man who had done SO much
thoroughly before the public and the war
Department. He told Colonel Wherry, and
Colonel Wherry sent word by hospital
Seconds camp at once Maxwell suspected
the reason, and, with the mountains dane
throbbing with pain. went to the colonel
and asked him why such an order was
given.
Wherry. Hall was colonel of the regiment
in which the Lowering scandal
occurred, and suffered indirectly by the ex-
IT understand" said Maxwell, 'you are
taking out on me your grudge against GER
tain newspaper articles rejecting on officers
of the regular army"
Wherry was silent.
OBEYED THE ORDER.
1--WE are in the enemys country and a
foreign land. I am a sick man and a fellow
countryman of yours. I can only obey this
order, and I am going to quit this camp and
may the Lord forgive YOU
Wherrys officers nudged one another and
laughed, and as cruel an order as ever was
given by an officer of the regular service
was duly executed. 1t may be well to add
that when the War Department was max
ing brigadiers, right and left, in the early
stages OF Jn0 war, OOlOn6l Hall, Ol bIlo
Fifteenth, was for some reason overlooked.
Hall, Notwithstanding the fact that the
Lowering Hammond case occurred in his
regiment is a brave fine officer. John Max
WELL who had been cursed up hill and down
the valley by Hall, knew he was a good
soldier, deserved promotion, and was be-
ing unjustly ignored. At Tampa he wrote
long personal letter to Secretary Alger, in
which he set forth in detail the facts about
Hall which have roughly outlined. Within
few days he received a personal letter
from the secretary of war in which he
Thanked the writer for the letter, said the
contents of it had received favorable con-
sideration, and that the result would be
known shortly. Within a few more days
Colonel Hall was made brigadier general.
l wonder if he ever suspected what influ-
ence had been brought to bear to that end?
Here's another case: One day Maxwell
was up near the firing line, hungry and
footsore. He asked some enlisted men of
the Seventeenth regulars for food, offering
them tobacco in exchange. Officers recog-
niZed him and the soldiers were told mot
to give that man food" Colonel Haskell,
who commands this regiment, was near by.
He laughed in Maxwelps face and said:
why I wouldn't give you so much food
whereupon he held up the thumb of his left
hand and placed the forefinger of his right
hand half over the thumb nail There could
be no doubt as to the amount Of food he
rinch S0O0 Colonel Haskell