Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-02

are aoout 10 desero or TO bring them back
10 the ship after they have deserted. AS
matter of courtesy, the police an,bor,,ias
OF foreign countries make every effort 10
apprehehd deserters from ships Spreading
ene nags OF countries with which their
own nation may be upon GOOD terms but
assistance of this character is NOT often
asked by American commanders whose
ships are full-handed. Not long AFRO two
eoiueJackets-they were Sweoes-deserted
from an American ship anchored in the
narpor or Honolulu. They deserted In or
DER to enlist in the Hawaiian army the
PItva,es ard non-commissioned officers of
, wn,cn u, are exceedingly well paid and have
very llttle TO oo-two features which have
attracted to its ranks such numbers Of ;he
free lances and soldiers of fortune 81 tho
world thet IL is almost entirely composed
OF material of this sort. The two desert
ing bluejackets were promntly aari,,aa
10 the ranks of the provisional govern
ments army and were assigned 10 dirty
as part OF the guard of Mrs. Dominis, the
ex.dueen. VINO was then a prisoner I'm the
palace of the Kanakas While performing
TINS outy these two ex-men 20 wars men
were often seen by members of the Amer
. ..h, snlp crew, packing their rifles and
huihlih thelr posts around the palace
grounds. and looking well-fed and tnno-
cent Iney were not grabbed and both
men are In the Hawaiian army yet
Preparing 10 Jump.
"hen bluejacket or marine has decid-
ed to desert. he says very little about IL.
even to intimate friends among his Shin
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 same
news will get aft to the ward room. but
officers have discovered the futllity OF
bothering their heads about intending de-
serters. The intending deserter always
waits until he attaiEs the frst-class on
the conduct class list of his ship which
permits him TO draw all OF the money due
him. except months pay, that is always
carried on the paymaster's books for all
hands. Meantime. he makes his prepara-
tons for the jump. He usually goes I'm
light-marching order. Such articles of his
kit as mastering suits. pea coats &c, that
are of any valre he sells for almost moth
ing to shiprnates or gives away. The things
he can use, as, for example, underwear. he
does up in a small package, together with
what few family photographs, letters and
trinkets lac 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 exorbitant prices to men forward
on warships. The bumboat man, often an
ex-bluejacket or marine himself. is always
on the side of the man who purposes jump
ing ship, and he takes good care of the
intending deserters bundle until the man
claims 1t ashore. The bumboat man aleo
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 waiting for his discharge. He
makes a small commission on the outfit.
Monthly morey" day comes around and
the intending doserter draws all the money
he has earned, except the months pay re-
tanned.
ForEets to Come Back.
Then comes the day upon which he is
entitled to go ashore. He goes and simply
70 IN harl he .afF3a Of a.
division reports him absent without leave
for ten days-and every time he does so
there is a general grin along the lines OF
men forward assembled at quarters-and
then he is marked on the ships log az a
deserter. The chief master-at-arms, who
has probably known ali about il since the
day of the deserter's departure, goes
TIN ough the form of looking through the
wire locker of the man who has gone and
OF course finds nothing, except. perhaps.
an old cap ribbon. a worn forage cap. or a
soiled watch mark or rating badge If the
deserter ever gives himself up he may have
to serve from one to three years at the
naval prison at Mare Island or at Boston,
but he is not hunted. Marines who desert
from navy yards, however. are carefully
sorght for by the civil authorities OF the
town contiguous to the yard.
Deserving From the Army.
A soldier in the army goes about the
business of desertion with great care, COM
plaisance and circumspection. soldier
does not often have much money when he
makes his escape, for his pay is small ana
the money-consuming canteen is never Gar
from the quarters. AS often as not he will
leave all OF the truck in his ches, behind.
for there nobody answering to the char
acter of the bumboat man to help him in
getting away. He will always wait for pay
day, so as to have a few dollars for i'm
mediate expenses. Then he quietly walks
to the railroad station and puts as many
miles between himself and the post he has
quit as his money will carry him. BY the
time he has reached the station his
bunkies have swooped down upon his chest
and looted IL of everything of value. fo-
the deserter has told them of his intention
to go and has left explicit directions as to
the distribution of his gear. He does not
hand il 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 the first
sergeant does begin to grow suspicious and
locks through the chest of the absent man
ne ilnds. probably, an old WORKOUT pair of
trousers and a battered campaign hat.
Where is this mans gear?' he asks all
hands lying around in their hunks in tho
quarters. Nobody knows.
Guess he took it with him." they reply,
and turn over
Unique Case.
= 1. KAT Is an tue a nfSt ser
geant ever gets in such cases. A few years
ago there was corporal who deserted
from Fort Wingate in heavy marching
order-bianhet, haversack, knapsack, over
coat, suit of underwear, pair of socks
towel, comb and brush. leggings, campaign
hat and cartridge belt, tin cup and plate
and rihe-but he was unique
Not many years aga q recruit at David's
Island (now Fort Slocuml, N. Y, received
word that his mother was dying i'm little
town in New Jersey. He showed the cap
tain Of his company the letter and asked
for leave of absence long enough to go &c
his mothers bedside. The captain. who
feared that the telegram was bogus, de-
clined to let the recruit go. The recruit
appealed to the commanding officer 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 i'm
time to close ner eyes. She had hardly
died before a squad of soldiers from Davidr
Island came to the house after the deserter
The recruit emptfed two charges of buck
shat into the squad. fortunately killing
none of them. but he was taken. The
young mans punishment was light.