The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-21

dent to the surrendering of deserters. This,
of course, is strictly forbidden by the reg
ulations, for both in the army and navy
deserters who come into camp or aboard
ship are required to be Immediately con-
fined and held for orders from Washington.
But il is very often differently arranged
and the higher authorities ignore little
slips of the kind
Enlisted men in both the army and navy
detest deserters who surrender themselves
-detest them for their lack of gameness
Moreover, deserter occasionally gives
himself up at an army post where the
guard-house happens to be free of prison
ers, or aboard a ship where the brig" or
place of confinement, may be temporarily
without any occupants. 1t thus makes
guard duty for additional sentries. soldiers,
or marines, and thereby brings upon him
self additional dislike and animosity.
Even in foreign ports II often happens
that deserters are permitted to depart from
ships without any effort being made on the
part of commanding officers to hold them
| even though II be known that they are
about to deserO or to bring them back to
the ship after they have deserted. AS a
matter of courtesy, the police authorities
of foreign countries make every effort to
apprehend deserters from ships spreading
the flags of countries with which their own
nation may be upon good terms, but assist
ance of this character is not often asked
by American commanders whose ships are
full-handed.
When a bluejacket or marine has decided
to desert he says very little about IL, even
TO intimate friends among his shipmates,
but, for some mysterious reason that has
never been satisfactorily explained ana
probably never will be- the word Is nearly
always passed around among the men for
ward 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 futility of bothering then
heads about intending deserters. The in
tending deserter always waits until he at
tains the first class on the conduct class
! list of his ship, which permits him to draw
all of the money due him, except
months pay thai Is always carried on the
| paymaster's books for all hands. Mean
time he makes his preparations for the
jump. He usually goes in light marching
order. Such articles of his kit muster
ing suits, pea coats. etc, that are of any
value he sells for almost nothing to ship
mates 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
trnkets he 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 proposes jump
ing ship and he takes good care of the
intending deserter's bundle until the man
claims ia ashore. The bumboat man also
undertakes to look around ashore for
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 money days comes around and
the intending deserter draws all the money
he has earned except the months pay re-
tanned.
Then comes the day upon which ne Is
entitled to go ashore. He goes, and sim
ply forgets to come back The officer OF
his 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 as
deserter The chief master-a farms,
who has probably known all about II
since the day of the deserter's departure,
goes through the form of looking through
the wire locker of the man who has gone,
and of course, finds nothing, except per-
haps an old cap ribbon, a worn forage
cap, or a soiled watch mark or rating
badge II the deserter ever gives hin-
self up he may have TO serve from one
10 three years at the naval prison at Mare
Island or at Boston, but he is not hunted.
Marines who desert from navy yards, how
ever. are carefully sought for by the civil
authorities of the town contiguous 70 the
yard.
A solder In the army goes about the
business of desertion with great care, COM
plaisance. and circumspection A soldier
4. ..H. -. H.
makes his escape, for his pay Is small,
and the money-consuming canteen is never
far from the quarters. As often as not,
he will leave all OF the truck in his chest
behind, for there is nobody answering 10
the character Of the bumDaot man 10 help
him Ia getting away. He viii always wall
for payday 50 as 20 have few dollars