The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-10-21
ONLY A RUNNER.
Facts as to Ralph Botkin's Army
Service Come Out.
He Never Was n soldier-Bow His Father
Used Him TO Perpetrate a Fraud-Beid
Him Up as an Example of the Re-
suit OF "AIgerism"


created in political circles here to-day
by written statement made by vol
unteer army officer showing up the rec
ord of Ralph Botlin, son of Congress-
man-at-Large Botlin.
Ralph BotlIin returned to Leaven-
worth with the Twenty-second Kan
sas regiment from Washington re-
Gently. He wore soldiers uniform.
He gained 10 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 he
became sick. He was taken to his
home at Winfield, where his condition
became worse, and where for several
days he lowered between life and
death. He is now improving. While
Ralph was sick, his father, Rev. Mr..
Jerry Botkin, congressman t-large
and pop nominee for reelection, spent
considerable of his time making cam
paign speeches
In all of them Mr.. BotlSin took occa-
sion to play on the emotions of his
hearers by winding in a pathetic story
of his sons fate in the army. He told
what good soldier Ralph was, how it
took an order from the president for
him to get into the army, what
strong physical system he had when
he went in, and how he now lay at
home, probably on his deathbed, as
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 hend
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 it.
But the whole story was effectually
punctured to-day by an army officer,
Lieut.. A. L. Williams, a regimental
recruiting officer of the Twenty-sec-
ond Kansas. He not only punctures
it, but tells 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 the 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 1t is:
Below is n concise statement of the
facts concerning the army record OF
Ralph w. BotlSin, son of j. d. Botlsin,
con gresham 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 BotlSin. As
regimental recruiting officer of the
Twenty-second Kansas volunteers, !
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. lie
presented himself on the day desi g.
mated for physical examination and
after very fair examination was re-
iected. | told him he could under nc
circumstances get into our regiment
as he was not physically fit for mill
tary service. lie was only 10 years old
but he filed 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
siaue and under height, added to which
was my objection, alone sufficient &c
reiect-under age-he left camp.
"Botkiu went TO Washington, abou
is miles, and procured an order from
the secretary of war, indorsed by Pres
ident Mckinley, which was obtained
by his fathers influence, being a con
gresham, requesting his enlistment
/ took him to division headquarters
and consulted my superior in the re
cruiting and mastering service, an'
showed him the papers, and he refused
TO muster young Botkin, the same a
] 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 tn
adjutant generals Office, after con
sulting with President Mckinley
private secretary, from whom l nov
hold a letter stating that the presiden
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
, Botlxin into the volunteer service, bu
that he might emf ter the regular servic
= as buglar
, "Orders were issued to Capt. Pai
, ker, of company G, Twenty-secon
Kansas volunteers, into whose con
pany BotlSin desired to be placed, sta
ing that Botkin could not be enliste
: and that he had no authority to n
main in camp BotlSin, however
stayed around camp, and, l believe
: Capt. Parker drew some clothes fc
{ him, but Parker paid for them out {