The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-06
A SOLDIER SUDDENLY RICH.
PETERsEN,s LEGACY DENroRABTsED
nj Il IMENT
A Case shewinE why Privates In the Army
Arc DISCHARGED when They Get winanaiis
"A serEennt's wife who HAD n Fortune
A Tnr'a Foreign TeuP with seven Conrrndea.

Arc DISCHARGED when They Get Winaratis
"A serEennt's wife who HAD n Fortune
Tnr'a Foreign Teur with seven Comrades.
WASHINGTON. Feb. BIN both tho army and
the navy there is a sort of.unwritton regulation
that permits any enlisted man who comes into
q sum Of money amounting to 5000 to pur-
chase his discharge out Of hand, without sny
OF the usual formalities or red tape. Tho sol.
dier or m~an-o-war's man who saves his pay In
order to buy out must DO ablo to show a per-
feet record. otherwise his application for re-
lease 10 bound TO DO turned down. But tho en-
listed man who gets q big windfall has only to
transmit to the department his application for
discharge, together with the sum of money
demanded for tho purpose by the regulations,
and. he Is let out ut once. The officials of the
War and Navy departments who pass upon
applications of this character know what they
are about. 1t has been proved by experience
In both services that an enlisted man with q
big pile Of suddenly acquired money at his
omman should DO got rid of for the good of
the service. He can convert a well-disciplined
military post into a bowling Dedlam of reck-
less %soldiery, and he can transform an alert,
contented ships company into a roaring gang
g: d~erelicts.
In 1889 q Swedish recruit named Petersen,
serving with an infantry regiment stationed at
Fort Wayne, Detroit, was notified by n firm Of
New York lawyers that an uncle had died In
Sweden. bequeathlng to him nearly 5000, 600,
and that 5000 Of tho amount had been de-
posted to his credit in q Detroit bank. Peter
sen liked American soldering. He wrote to
the New York lawyers to go ahead and get tho
whole amount Of his legacy. Tho command
ing officer of the post read of the recruits luck
in the newspapers-Peterscn having taken tho
thing 30 coclly that he didn't even mention
III nrOund tha 0uartara-apd ha amt for hin,
well, my man." said the commanding Off
Ger, II suppose you'll be applying for your dis.
charge in a day or soi'
LAY not tank SO, sare." replied the swede.
"Ay gas Ay not qvit. Ay gas Ay sayrve an
lastmant."
The commanding officer was dumfoundod.
1t seemed absurd that q man with 100000
should go on soldering asa private in the
United States Army.
well, Petersen" said the commanding off,
Ger. after attempting to argue the recruit out
Of his determination to stick to his uniform,
this matter is your own business, to be sure,
although 1 don't think you're acting wisely.
Don't you want a few months furlough?'
A gas not" said Petersen.
Then Petersen went to the Detroit bank and
drew out $1,000 of the $1,000 deposited there
in his name. Fort Wayne is a regimental post.
That night the Ruardhouss was packed full to
overfowing with drunken soldiers. The ser.
geant OF the guard was compelled to close up
tho canteen several hours before the regular
time because 500 and odd hilarious soldiers
were trying to squeeze inside, and those al.
ready inside were for the most part reclining
on the sawdust covered floor. While this was
going on Petersen was sleeping reacefully on
his bunk in tho quarters. Petersen never
touched q drop Of any sort of liquor. malt or
rsr Nrg htr.-oIG D-N tA-N
Swede. and he liked his comrades in the out.
At. Therefore when he had the chance he
wanted to give them a good time.
Another big batch of Fort Wayne's dough.
boys got themselves into the guardhouse on
the following night, and again tho canteen
doors had to be padlocked long before tattoo,
Petersen meanwhile sleeping comfortably N
his company quarters. This happened in the
middle Of the month, and therefore nowhere
near pay day. Tho officers couldn't under.
stand the bewildering array of DRINKS coming
NJ before them for summary courts. The
same sort of thing went on for four nights, and
tho provost sergeant's face wore a broad grin.
for he had scores of ten.day guardhouse prison
ers to police the post under his direction and
also under guard. Petersen, perceiving that
the whole regiment would be in tho clink in less
than a week IL the thing went on and fearing
that he might find himself in trouble over the
business, then withdrew his carte blanche from
the canteen sergeant.
On the fifth day Petersen decided that he'd
have a look around do Tntown in Detroit, and
he invited q couple of dozen of his comrades to
go along with him Petersen himself got back
to the post in time to stand check roll call in his
bunk the same night, but none of the men who
had accompanied him to town did. Seven Of
them landed in jail and got thirty days each in
the House of Correction and the remainder Of
them struggled into the post, all moro or less
done up. when they got ready Petersen paid
the fines Of the seven sentenced to the House of
Correction and got them out of the hands of
the civil authorities. The Swede made several
moro excursions downtown with large body
guards Of soldiers attending him on each OK
c%ursion, but he always had to return to the post
alone. In less than a month after he had been
notified of his inheritance Petersen had en-
riched the Wayne county treasury to the ex.
tent Of several hundred dollars in fines which
he paid for the release of his fighting com.
radios from the House of Correction. He him
self went on attending to his duties and
enjoying them. But the commanding officer
had discovered the cause Of the domoraliza-
Petersen" said he, "Twant you to apply for
your discharge. My regiment has been a holy
SnSM S, yoa s Apply Saf for i YOUR th disd hSnes. noS cant mt
49, ~ 81 "a " ~
there any grounds upon which i can court-mar-
tfal you and get you out that way, for your own
conduct has been unimpeachable, lam told.
All the same. II you remain you might not find
It very comfortable in this post"
Petersen demurred. but no finally took the
'"old mans advice. procured his discharge, and
five days after he got 1t, so fond was he OF
shouldering a. rife. that he enlisted In tho
marine corps in New York. 1t did not take his
superior officers in the marine corps long to
find out that Petersen was too rich a man and
altogether too generous a man with his money
to be a desirable marine private, and when they
finally got him out OF the service they breathed
easier,for Petersen had kept the marine guard
first day he Joined.
Mrs. O'Mara, the red-faced, good-natured
wife of a veteran Irish duty sergeant serving
with a cavalry regiment stationed at a far
bulk Of the washing for the post for several
years when, IN 1881, her brother, a street con
900 in cash. She Immediately purchased the
discharge Of Larry: her husband. and the couple
went In to enjoy life In the big city adjoining
the post. The ex-laundress purchased a house.
and with Larry ever at her side, she kept opon
hnuaa for the nldar man aTnnuU thu anldiora ~