Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-10-20
ONLY A RUNNER.
Facts as to Ralph Botkin's Army
Service Come Out.
He Never Was Soldier How Hls Father
Used Him to PerpstrAts Fraud-Held
Him Up as an Example Of the Re-
suit OF "Algerism."

Cicdtcu III poiiticai C'cioS "cIC oVuu.
$ by written statement made by q vol
! untsr army officer showing up the rec
,, ord Of Ralph Botkin, son Of Congress
i man-at-Large Botkln.
Ralph Botkin returned to Leaven
worth with the Twenty. second Kan
. sas regiment from Washington re
Gently. lie wore a soldiers uniform
: lie gained Is pounds at Camp Alger
so his father said the day he returned
A few days later Ralph came to To
peka to visit relatives While here h,
became sick. He was taken to hi
home at Winfield, where his condition
became worse, and where for severa
days he lowered between life ant
death. lie is now improving. While
Ralph was sick, his father, Rev. Mr.
Jerry Botkin. congressman.at-largt
and pop nominee for reelection, spen,
considerable OF his time making cam
paign speeches.
In all of them Mr.. Botkn took occs
sion to play on the emotions of hi,
hearers by winding in pathetic story
Of his sons fate in the army. He told
what a good soldier Rail- phi was, how |,
took an order from the president for
him to get into the army, what q
strong physical system he had when
he went in, and how he now lay at
home, probably on his athbed, as q
result Of Algerism. People paid con.
siderable attention TO the story until
the Journal printed an interview which
Botkin gave shortly after his son came
back, and before he fell sick, telling
how we'll Ralph Jared in the army.
Then they began to doubt his SINGER
ity, but he kept up the wall in his
speeches. Finally, he got to writing
interviews for populist papers on that
theme. Story after story was printed
about how Algerism was brought close
to the home Of Congressman Botkin.
In those interviews Botkin held Alger
up to the gaze Of the public as a 6end
incarnate lie heaped all kinds Of
vituperation on the head Of the secre-
tary of war daily. Other speakers
took it up and are still working 1t.
But the whole story was effectually
punctured to-day by an army officer,
Lieut.. A. r. Williams, regimental
recruiting officer Of the Twenty.sec.
ond Kansas He not only punctures
1t, but tells Il story that dumbfounds
populist officials and politicians here.
He says that Ralph Botkin was never
in the army; that he was nothing more
than camp follower; that he
"bummed" his rations and clothes
from volunteers, and worked tn, gov
eminent out Of transportation from
Camp Alger to Middletown, Pa, and
from there to Fort Leavenworth.
Lieut. Williams tells the story over
his signature. Here it is.
Below is concise statement Of the
facts concerning the army record OF
Ralph W. Botkin, son Of ]. D. Botkin,
congressman at large. This statment
make from the fact that have seen
comments in newspapers and have
heard many remarks derogatory to the
action OF Secretary Alger in relation
to the treatment Of young Botkin. As
regimental recruiting officer OF the
Twenty-second Kansas volunteers, l
am in position to state the facts in
regard to the same.
Ralph Botkin applied to me for en-
listment about the middle part Of
June, 1898, at Camp Alger, Va. He
presented himself on the day desig.
mated for physical examination and
after very fair examination was re-
jected. told him he could under no
circumstances get into our regiment
as he was not physically fit for mill
tary service. He was tnly IS years old,
but he fled written consent of his
father with his application.
AFTER his rejection, which was, as
the physician stated, on account Of
cataract on the left eye, slight ply
sique and under height, added to which
was my objection, alone sufficient to
reject-under age-he left camp.
'Botkin went to Washington, about
Is miles, and procured an order from
the secretary of war, Endorsed by Pres.
ident Mckinley, which was obtained
by his fathers influence, being con.
gresham, requesting his enlistment
| took him to division headquarters,
and consulted my superior in the re-
cruiting and mastering service, and
showed him the papers, and he refused
to muster young Botkin, the same as
! did. In order to settle the affair |
went to Washington and presented
the whole matter in toto and was sus.
tanned in every point While at the
adjutant generals Office, after con.
sulting with President McKinley's
private secretary, from whom | now
hold a letter stating that the president
had referred the matter to the adju.
tant general, an order was sent to Col.
Lindsay, in command of the regiment,
by the war department saying no en-
listment could be made Of Ralph W.
Botkin into the volunteer service, but
that he mightenter the regular service
as buglar.
Orders were issued to Capt. Par
ker, of company q, Twenty-second
Kansas volunteers, into whose com.
pany Botlsin desired to be placed, stat.