The San Francisco call., 1898-06-02
w. s. MITCHELL's CASE.
Statement That the Man Was ..- HarshlY JudQed. --...

According to the following communica- tfon signed by Colonel Berry of the Sew enth Regiment, it is evident that Will liam s, Mitchell, tie young Pasadena lad who it is said was drummed out of camp for illegally collecting money from visit ors, was not guilty, but was unjustly ac- cused by parties trying to accomplish his undoing.: # :: :: .... :.
 The young man returned to his home feeling downhearted and rebelling under the stigma. Mrs. EHzabeLn Mowry, a
 friend of the family, read of his alleged
 downfall and began working in his behalf with view to establishing his innocence. She remembered having given Mitchell money for his own use, as also did other ladies who were friends of his famny.
 Mrs. Mowry stated yesterday that Mrs.
 J. E. Hopkins and a Mrs. Levy, residing on Van Ness avenue, voluntarily gave Mitchell funds out of friendship to the lad. Although the. communication .ab-
 solves him from wrong doing, young Mitchell would like to redeem: himself by enlisung, and would do So but for the se- we're illness of hlS mother. Following is Colonel Berry's letter: .s-. =
 Editor of the Call-Sir: My attention has been directed to an article in. The Gait of! Sufi
 day, May 22, relating to William S. Mitchell of Los Angeles There are some inaccuracies in the article which in justice to the young man I request the privilege of correcting: | do not wish to do Mitchell. an Injustice. nor to. per- nit an injustice done him: He is vouched for by prominent men in Los Angeles, whom I know so well that I am compelled to think that tJerhaps his case was not fully understood and in consequence too harsh judgment may have been. passed upon it.: :.'s ::. :..
 Mitchell came 10 San Francisco with a con- tngent from Pasadena, and intending to enlist In an independent hospital service which 1t was then proposed to organize. He came in a pri- vaters uniform which he procured. at. the ar mory in Pasadena, and all who came with him got uniforms in the same way. After coming to camp he procured a blouse from a: quarter Seventh Infantry. the one he brought from Pasadena being old and i'll fitting This second blouse bore the chevrons of a first sergeant: Mitchell got this second blouse innocently enough but as he was never mustered in he had no right to wear it.; but If it were true, as he claimed (and 1t appears from letter I have seen from Colonel Smith of the First Reg iment that 1t was truef, that he believed he would get into the First Regiment, there was under the circumstances no very serious of- fense in his wearing the uniform. .'-.t
 The serious charge against Mitchell was that of obtaining money from visitors at the camp under the pretense of wanting 1t for. hospital purposes. :. At the time investigated this charge there appeared witnesses who said they had seen
 Mitchell solicit and obtain money from more than one source. There was nothing to con tradict except Mitchell's unsupported explana- tion which at that time did not seem to be satisfactory to me, and the preponderance of the evidence against him. 1 tried to se- cure the evidence of some ladies from whom it was alleged Mitchell was seen to collect money,