Evening star., 1898-06-24
Soldier at Tampa Fooled With Car
tridges Once Too Often.
PRIVATE UBRIEN OF 5qH MARYLAND
Col. Haries Assigns Lately Arrived
Recruits to Companies
CHANGES AMONG OFFICERS
Special From STAR Correspondent.

| time within a week the 5th Maryland Reg
| iment has had serious accident as the re-
suit of carelessly playing with ball cart
| ridges. Yesterday afternoon Peter OBrien,
a private in Company F OF the 9Th Mary
land Regiment, had his hand badly torn
and lacerated by the explosion of a ball
cartridge with which he was playing.
From what could be learned of the af-
fair, it appears that O'Brien was playing
with two ball cartridges when he evidently
knocked the capped ends together. In an
| instant there was loud report Every one
Immediately remembered the fatal effect
| Of the last loud report of rifle heard in
the Maryland camp and rushed to the spot.
The shock knocked O'Brien down, and also
Private John Griffith of the same company.
Griffith Immediately jumped to his feet.
When O'Brien was picked up it was seen
that he was badly injured and 1t looked
more serious that 1t was later found to be,
when he was carried to the hospital. 1t
| was found there that three fingers of his
| right hand had been badly shattered and
| nearly blown off. He will probably lose
them.
AS stated in this correspondence before,
| Col Harries does not allow single man in
his regiment, except while doing guard
| duty to have even one round of ball car
| tridges. But for this rule it is more than
probable that such accidents would have
occurred in the District camp, due to the
| fact that there are so many recruits who
have never handled firearms before. Col
Harries is opposed to the men having even
pistols, and the two severe lessons in the
| Maryland camp prove him to be right in
| the matter. The officers generally agree
| with Col. Harries.
Special Order No. IL.
The following special ORDER No. II, is
| sued today:
Recruit Leonard Dietlein is detached
from Company A and assigned to Company
| H, private. He will report at once for
duty to the commanding officer Of Com
pany H at Picnic Island Port Tampa, Fla.
The quartermaster will furnish the neces-
sary transportation, the travel enjoined be-
ing necessary for the public service. The
following named recruits, having been
temporarily attached to companies, are now
assigned as privates: Ernest A. Ferristo,
| to Company G; Ernest L. Graham, to Com
pany B; G. G. Malley. to Company L; ]. N.
Sullivan, to Company A; G. w. Haner, to
Company A.
The recruits mentioned below having this
day reported at these headquarters are as
signed as privates as follows: F. w. Chap
pell to Company L, NJ. ]. McPike to Com
pany A.
board Of survey, to consist of Maj. r.
A. O'Rrien, Capt. w. S. Hodges, First
| Lieut.. C. B. Hudson, is appointed to meet
at Tampa, Fla, at o'clock am. June "a,
or as soon thereafter as practicable, to ex-
anime the ten days travel rations now in
possession of First Lieut.. J. H. Griffith,
acting regimental commissary, to report
upon their condition, fix the responsibility
therefor and make proper recommendation
in the case. Lieut.. Hudson will act as re-
corder
Rntions In Bad Condition.
The travel rations referred to were drawn
when the regiment arrived at Tampa and
expected to leave on the expedition under
Gen. Shafter.
In fact, their horses were on the trans
ports, but for some unknown reason were
ordered back. Now they have been here in
camp over three weeks the travel rations
remind one forcibly of Patsy Mann's CO.
logne factory on the Potomac just below
Washington. All of them are being opened
and the cans containing decayed meat, ETC.,
are being thrown aside and condemned.
The officers detailed for this work find 1T a
rather unpleasant duty. 1t is more than
probable the rations found to be in good
order will be turned back to the commits
sary department.
The 9TH Maryland Regiment returned
from the practice march this morning, and
the I'd New York will go out tonight The
District troops will go out Sunday night.
DR.. Robert b. Mayer, who was recently
appointed"first lieutenant and adjutant of
the District regiment, vice Captain William
E. Horton, resigned. is expected to arrive
in camp this morning. He will spend to-
morrow getting acquainted with those off,
GERS of the regiment whom he does not al
ready know and familiarize himself with
the work generally. Sunday morning at
guard mount he will enter actively on his
duties.
Was an Efficient Officer.
He will relieve First Lieut.. J. L. Mock,
adjutant of the first battalion, who has
been acting regimental adjutant since Cap
tain Horton left. Lieut.. Mock has made a
very efficient adjutant. He is thoroughly
familiar with every detail of the Office be-
sides being a very able officer. He is popu-
lar with every officer and enlisted man in
the regiment.
Lieutenant Mayer is thoroughly familiar
with the duties he Is to assume He was a
sergeant major in the District National
Guard, and was a sergeant in the 5th Cav
airy of the regulars when Colonel Carpen-
ter, who Is now brigadier general COM
manding this brigade, was colonel OF the
regiment.
The general court martial which was or
dered for this morning was held at the
headquarters OF the I'd New York Regi-
ment. There was but one case up for trial,
that of the District soldier who was caught
asleep on his post while guard The
findings Of the court and the name Of the
boy will not be made public for several
days.
There were thirteen minor cases at sick
call this morning. A number of the boys
are suffering from very sore arms, due to
vaccination.
Company A, Capt. Harry Walsh, is on
duty today.
Two hundred Of the New York Naval
Reserves arrived here last night. B.