The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-28
THE TRAGEDY OF MC0MAS.
corLD NOT STAND THE TAUNTs OF
HIS COMRADES.

rnev UniustIy Called Him a Coward,
and He Committed Suicide Under
The sting of the Insult.
Washington, Aug 26.-Taunted because
= his alleged cowardice, driven to- shame
nv the cruel jests of his comrades, bear
inc at the same time the wounds of
vouser bullet in his chest, and with two
4ngers of his right hand shot away, brave
william McComas private in Company
n second United States Infantry, plung-
a beadlong from the deck of transport
At the government wharf at Fort Monroe
IA his death a few days ago.
Of all the acts demonstraive of quiet
rrassuming heroism which have been
tn,ught to the surface in the deadly con-
4iot in the southern end of crimson-stain-
"A cuba this remarkable act of Private
McComas will long claim the attention of
ha bovs in blue who are now fighting
,boilder to shoulder in the defense of their
Countrys honor.
NcComas was but a STRIPPING, barely out
Of his teens He had lived all his life on
alarm in Western Massachusetts and had
rot been accustomed to the continuous ele-
ment of tinseled glory which were the
features of his new environments. HIS
nsrents are well-to-do country folks whose
cole ambition in life was the rearing of
the hoy who has been driven to his death
~, the tboughtlessness of his comrades.
1t was openly claimed that McComas
WAS a coward of the rankest type, 1t
was even said that he had purposely in
eicted the wounds upon his hand in
order to escape duty upon the battle
line. His comrades learned to loathe MN;
hev had no time for a man who played
Tbat thev called the "baby act'' and the
ramarxable attitude assumed by the sol
der boy from the old Bay state was proof
conclusive in the minds of his comrades
that McComas was an arrant coward.
The circumstances attending the general
barring of McComas may have Justhnea
the boys of the Second in placing the
Young recruit under the ban, out iater ue-
yelopments have placed an entirely dlfter-
emf ASPECT upon the calibre of the Green
horn" as he was generally called, and to-
dav there is not one man in ali Company
D who has not expressed sorrow for the
many unkind acts which they had thrust
upon the forbearing farmer boy.
When the first call for troops was made
though but 10 years of age, was among
the first to offer his services to the gov
eminent He was accepted and consigned
to Company ID, Second United States Reg
ulars, and within one weeks time he mad
given his last farewell to his father and
mother and friends and was on ms way
to join his regiment at Tampa
OF all the men in that particular regt-
ment there was not one among them who
proved q better physical specimen than
did McComas His outdoor country life
had given him constitution OF iron, ne
was strong as an OK, and performed the
hardest duties with an ease which won
for him the admiration OF all MS mess
mates.
1t was this strength that the boys of
the Second admired. They talked among
themselves of what McComas could do in
an emergency; they naturally thought that
he would be a fearless adversary If arous-
ed to anger, and for the first Few weeks
In the army every man in Company ID
left McComas strictly alone.
When the Second Regiment was moved
to Key West some of the boys of Comp;uy
D took advantage Of the saloons in that
place and iJnbibed freely of the poisonous
lot which is called pure whisky and sold
at 20 cents a drink. McComas had been
detailed to guard duty and it was while
In the pursuance of this particular branch
that he acquired the sobriquet of Coward
McComas"
1t was said that he halted a party Of
men from his own company who were
struggling into camp after hours. He
marched them to the sergeant of the
guard and the following morning each
Of the seven disturbers were sentenced to
three days in the guard house on bread
and water
After the men were liberated they all be-
gan to quietly abuse McComas. He said
nothing and the men noting his action be-
came more forcible in their unpleasantries
and finally one of the number stepped up
10 McComas and dared him TO fight. Nc
Comas, much to the surprise of his admir-
efs, fatty refused to engage in any such
encounter, whereupon the beligereRt sol
der struck the inoffensive lad a sharp
blow in the breast.
IN explaining afterwards why he did not
resent the open insult, McComas quietly
replied that he had not joined the army
Tor the purpose of INDUCING in brawls,
and, besides" he added. should ! have
struck Mccarthy the chances are that !
would have killed him"
When the Second Infantry arrived in
Cuba, almost the first accident to befall
member Of the regiment was in the
shooting away of two fingers of McComas
right hand. He stopped in the midst of
lhe downpour of leaden bullets and coolly
wrapped handkerchief around his hand
alu was about to resume his place IN the
ranks when the sergeant of his company
ordered him to the rear for treatment
Ihes first skirmish lasted but an hour
ana then the firing ceased and it soon
became whispered among the men OF Com
p3hy d that in order to escape being sent
20 the firing line McComas had deliberate
y Inflicted the wounds in order 10 keep
olt of the more deadly fire. McComas,
".ln two fingers amputated and his hand
u3ne up In bandages, heard the taunting
remarks Of his comrades and although
inc tears mounted to his eyes he said
nothing, but turned sadly away and sought
comfort In solitude.
AN hour later the second skrmlsh start
~ and the soldier boys Of the Second
t"fted on a run for the trenches. Ne
mas seized a rife from the hospital tent
t'l running across an open patch directly
iae line Of fire. managed 20 reach the
Ns Of the Second Massachusetts,. With
'-e brave men he fought ike a demon,
IIIfF The fUgf he ttq fu ana