The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-19
THIEVES AT CAMP wIKOFF.
NOW cor, hROISN STOPPED a BAR
GAIN .fLE OF BLANKETS.

yl8@-In addition to his duties as executive Of
noer Of the general hospital. Major Ira G.
Brown fnds time occasionally for q little out
eide work, and last night he went out on a de-
tective expedition which resulted in the bag
cling Of four men. with a probability OF more to
come. At present he Ia not willing To give out
the names OF the men. bun the facts OF the hunt
are there.
For weeks Tho general hospital has been los
ing blankets In u steadily increasing ratio.
Major Brown. being convinced that Wholesale
thievery was going on. quietly instituted In
quirles that resulted in fixing his suspicion
on the man In whose charge the general
hospitals washing is pun. Each day tho pile
OF soiled blankets is delivered to this man in
the laundry, near the seashore, under a spe-
cial guard. MAJOR Brown borrowed an escort
OF soldiers. put on some old clothes, stuck a re-
liable revolver in his belt, and at o O'Clock
started out for the laundry. One OF the soldiers
was sent into the laundry TO buy n blanket.
and presently returned with the article. for
which he had paid rs cents, Major Brown next
went in and found the laundryman leaning up
against n pile of the hospitals blankets. while
others we're piled all about him..
well, wot d youse want p was the greeting.
"Blankets2 All yer can buy an more. been
gittin' a dollar fer 'em. but II yer take haffa
dozen III make it IS cents"
The Major bought half n dozen. each OF which
had the hospital mark ON 1t. To make change
the laundryman produced n long cloth bag.
Dat was full OF silver yestiddy. but I've had
IL changed into bills" he remarked. Say.
Gully, II youse know any good people dat wants
blankets send EN- round. l got a%-plenty. an
dere's more where desc come from"
He put the bag back, and when he turned
again found himself looking into the muZzle
of the Majors revolver. The soldiers came in
ut q signal. and the man was put under arrest.
He made a statement duplicating another man
in the laundry. who was also put under arrest.
As they we're being taken to the guardhouse
they broke away and started to run. but the
click OF the soldiers Krag- Jorgensens quickly
brought them to a standstill. In the morning
the men confessed that they had been buying
blankets from hospital teamsters for 81 a
wagon load. and selling them for what
they could get. In this way they had
made hundreds OF dollars. Two teamsters
were arrested this morning. one Of whom con-
fessed that he had stolen twenty-five Red Cross
cots from tho station and sold them for 81
apiece. The thieves. being civilians. will prob
ably be turned over to the civil authorities. A
detail OF men is now searching for the rest Of
the missing blankets and further arrests are
expected.
On his return to the general hospital last
night Major Brown was permitted to pass by
y00 sentry ulCIdileuReu. III tIiSu ouothcl
sentry and another with the same result.
Then he called up the officer of the guard and
issued orders that the guard should be strictly
maintained and that al persons moving about
the place after nightfall should be required to
give a satisfactory account OF themselves. So
effective were the Majors orders that when he
was called to attend a sick nurse late that
night he was twice held up. once at the nurses
tent and again upon returning to his own
;Ss : ssntriea A e sbs c9RS 9IIht gPS1 % " frel he drilled
that the place was Sfre % he asked a coIored
...sSgect I'd yell mighty loud" said the sentry.
What would you say 2"
I'LL, rsPecg I'd say 'oorp'rai oh de ayard' Fire'
as that all you'd doP
No. sir. I'd try mighty hard to put out dat
%Ana leave ave, your pest open while you wero
This was a puzzler. The sentry scratched his
head and looked unhappy.
TN. Nov ::s y9q Mn;o g9 TAI q bell. full full e Of d. sart Fl zee
SssSs a .Sa you VI s s3ur ttade TeS sfSS' III '"' ali ''
what to do in case of fire. SO he Issued general
s sfseieGtiS sas eRS non Ma 5oe B seasnahb has ao reeeiHe Il
1nstructions from Washington that all the hos
R Eaem P REiS siSe in n taif f fRg h Is Pas Is a hls SHARE shaFSH
1he camp for the war department.,
Several members OF the Engineer CORPS were
interested witnesses Of a feat of insect engi-
working. One of their number found q blue
nd wasp dragging along the ground a dead
s sEoNn ts sP1deT one |6etSsr thu the w size E 81 3 f tbe
pollution. He was having a hard time dragging
pectInSy for edoi Ills abb ABODE 9te'S The d is re Of Pf the
wasp called his companlons. and one OF them
e eSls; s sTSsaifi L: q fGis c sS@s G nS iistls 81 trS SFiSs
S e res a lRsSS Il G ths ob SRGa tliGSss stafks sR With nR Rs
strong mandibles until he had cleared q passage.
Naifip az around EenS the the biz aSI body odhsS and d. su iFS SRr%Siftt
He's reckoning. that the hole isn's big
enough said one OF the engineers.
That's all right; he'll fK it" said another.
Is the Insect went back and commenced yigor-
md dragged i to within a foot Of the o%riico.
work would have, to be done before the spider
could be dragged in. This struck the wasp.
Ing it carefully. and returned to the hole to
take msasurements, He went to digging a
B BsSashs tins Ris p Msyi aS dug th for Edge sES @ 81 eSs So he
nipped out 2 piece sn d dirt Dirt here here, cut aWay e |;
SE srd s sSSm sf ehiffaff' i hhS 9tte dis nHeea %inS Sndes Of
ground, dragging the spider after him. doubt
less to form the he piece de resistance in a winter
BtorehouSe. The engineers then resumed their
work. exchanging comments Of admiration.
In one respect this camp has notably changed
from its condition of a month ago. Then
nearly everybody was loafng. What work was
done by the, we'll men was only such as was
necessary to keep the place going and trans
port supplies for themselves and the sick. On
warm, sunshiny days the hills were dotted
with idle soldiers absorbing health from the
Eerm-destroying sunlight and breathing It IN
In the delicious sea air, Holiday time reigned
peTpetpallSY' wb Il Wa aSs indeed mse be q TeGt1 ~ FacaEsr
their health 1t became a recreation camp. But
now all the volunteers. except the Signal. and
gone home. leaving, behind men who are
able to work, and who do, work. Not
is ordinarily in barracks; nevertheless.
one doesn't see men ,loalng about as was the
now on the road has something to do. and Is
getting about 1t as fast as he can. The pa
jana brigade" who wandered around In that
night garb to escape being Impressed as able
bodied workers. has disappeared. frozen out.