The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-13
Tricks of Deserters.

When bluejacket or marine has decid-
ed TO desert he says very little about II,
even TO intimate friends among his ship
mates, but, for some mysterious reason
that has never been satisfactorily explain
ed and probably never will be, the word
IS nearly always passed around among
the men forward that So-and-so is about
to go over the side. Occasionally the
t same news will get aft to the ward-roon,
! but officers have discovered the futility
| OF bothering their heads about intending
| deserters. The intending deserter always
waits until he attains the first-class on the
! conduct class list of his ship, which per-
mits him to draw all of the money due
| him, except a months pay that is always
carried on the paymaster's books for all
/ hands Meantime he makes his prepara-
tions for the Jump He usually goes in
| light marching order. Such articles of his
kit as mastering suits, pea-coats, etc,
! that are of any value he sells for almost
nothing TO shipmates or gives away. The
things he can use, as, for example, under
wear, he does up in a small package, to-
gether with what few family photographs
letters and trinkets he may possess and
wish TO keep, and gives the bundle TO
/ the bumbOat man, who stocks a dinghy
with tobacco soap. brushes, and such
small articles and sells them at exorbi-
| tant prices to men forward on war-ships.
The bumboat man, often an ex-bluejacket
or marine himself is always on the side
of the man who proposes jumping ship,
and he takes good care of the intending
deserters bundle until the man claims it
ashore. The bumboat man also undertakes
to look around ashore for a cheap outfit
of clothes, shoes, and hat for the man who
is about to leave the navy without wait
ing for his discharge. He makes a small
commission on the outfit Monthly mon
ey'' day comes around, and the intend
ing deSerter draws all the money he has
earned, except the months pay retained.
Then comes the day upon which he is
entitled to go ashore. He goes, and sim
ply forgets to come back.
A soldier in the army goes about the
business of desertion with great care,
complaisance and circumspectiOn. SOL
der does not often have much money
when he makes his escape, for his pay
is small, and the mOney-cOnsuming can
teen is never far from the quarters. As
often as not he will leave all of the truck
in his chest behind. for there is nobody
answering to the character of the bum
boat man to help him in getting away.
He will always wait for payday, so as to
have few dollars for immediate eXpen-
ses. Then he quietly walks to the rail-
TOdQ SldllOu anu pulS etS lIldIlS Iil1ACo OC-
tween himself and the post he has quit
as his money will carry him. BY the time
he reaches the station his bunkies have
sWooped down upon his chest and looted
it of everything of value, for the deSerter
has told them of his intention to go, and
has left explicit directions as to the dis
tribution of his gear. He does not hand
it around before going, because by doing
so he might excite the suspicion of the
first sergeant who generally has a keen
eye in such matters. When he first SER
geant does begin to grow suspicious and
looks through the chest of the absent man
he finds, probably, an old WORKOUT pair
of trousers and battered campaign hat.
A few years ago there was a corporal
who deserted from Fort Wingate in heavy
marching order-blanket, haversack, KNAPP
sack, overcoat, suit of underwear, pair of
sock, towel, comb and brush. leggings,
hat and martridge-belt, tin cup
and plate, and rif1e-but he was unique.
Not many years ago a recruit at Da-
vids Island (now Fort Slocum), n. Y,
received word that his mother was dying
in a little town in New Jersey. He show
ed the captain of his company the letter |
and asked for leave of absence long |
enough to go to his mothers bedside. The |
captain, who feared that the telegram was |
bogus, declined to let the recruit go. The |
recruit appealed to the commanding Off |
Ger, who refused to let him go. on the |
same ground. So, in the middle OF winter, |
the recruit swan the heavy tide that runs |
between David's Island and New Rochelle !
and made his way to the bedside of his /
mother in time to close her eyes. She had /
hardly died before squad of soldier from
David Island came to the house after the |
1eserter. The recruit emptied two charges
Of buckshot into the Squad. fortunately
killing none of them, but he was taken.
The Young mans punishment was light.