The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-09-23
SAMPLE OF NEGLIGENCE
A FEVER STRICKEN SOLDIER
LEFT TO DIE IN NEGLECT.
The World-Herald Again to the
Rescue and the "ReguIar'' is now
In the Hospital-He Fought at FL
Caney.

Caney.
Omaha, Neb., Sept. 14.-A striking ex-
ample of the excellent care that the
government is taking of the boys who
ri"ked their lives in it's defense was
shown in Omaha Monday, whe a SOL
der Of the First United States cavalry
Irregular army was allowed to lie help
less with fever, with a temperature Of
l05 degrees, for twelve hours after no.
tlce was given at army headquarters
abOu the case, and it was then neces-
sary for the World-Herald-at 1890 that
nigt-as soon as its notice was called
to the matter, to arrange for accom-
modations at the Clarkson hospital and
call the patrol wagon and remove the
sufferer to that point.
The soldier was Ralph e. Baker. a
trooper of troop B, First cavalry, who
participated in the fights at Ell Caney,
San Juan hill n Santiago. With the
other dismounted troopers of the regi-
ments of the cavalry brigade, Baker lay
in the trenches before Santiago until
the fall of that city, and he was one
OF the soldiers sen north to Montauk
on one of the horror transports. Baker
was slightly wounded on the cheek by
a glancing bullet in the mad charge up
San Juan hill, and was f%urloughed on
account of sickness due to his expert
ence on shipboard while being trans
ported north, but a grateful govern
ment, through it's army department off,
GERS, allowed him to shift for himself,
although it was notified of his condi-
ton at 10 O'Clock in the morning and
asked to Immediately provide for his
suitable care.
The day passed away and nothing
was done to provide for the sick SOL
der; there seemed to be something
more important for the army headquar-
tiers clerks to attend to.
IN A HIGH FEVER.
1t was 1915 o'clock that night when
the telephone in the World-Herald edi-
torial rooms rang. and the case was
brought to the attention of that news
paper by the father of the sick soldier,
who, with his family, occupies a small
suite of roome at 21S North Sixteenth
street. 1t was stated that the =, oung
soldier was delirious with a high fever
and that inasmuch as the family was
not so situated as to render the proper
care, and the surroundings were not Of
the best, it was desired that hospital
care be provided. 1t was further stat
ed that the army headquarters had
been notified at 10 o'clock in the morn
ing, and the reply was that no one
could be sent to the case then, but it
would be looked after during the day.
There a been no further response,
and the World-Herald was then APP
pealed to.
Just half an hour later the World
Herald-a newspaper that knows no
such thing as red tape when sick sol.
diers are to be provided for-just half
an hour later, the World-Herald had
this regular" in the Clarkson hospital.
The hospital accommodations were
arranged for by telephones: Captain
Mostyn, the night officer in charge of
the police station, was requested to sen
the patrol wagon to make the transfer;
his prompt compliance landed the wagon
at the World-Herald office almost be-
fore the wire had ceased vibrating, and
a World-Herald reporter piloted the
way to the above location. The suffer
ing soldier was lifted from his bed to
a stretcher n the war department
representatives were given another OBJ
ject lesson illustrating the vast superb
GRITTY Of activity and common sense
over military red tape in the work OF
practical humanity.
Young Baker enlisted in the regular
army last year and still has two years
to serve. He was with his regiment al
Fort Reno when war was declared, an6
was one of the first to start toward
the front He vas with the first expe.
dition sent across to Cuba from Tampa
and saw all Of the campaign there was
to see. He arrived in Omaha ten days
ago, scarcely able to walk, and in
condition of i'll health that speedily de-
veloped into fever.
When Bakers parents realized tina
his condition was serious n that they
were not in, a position to properly min
lister to him, the officers at Fort Crool
were called up, as that is a government
army post. They were told to call VI
gal" headquarters of the army of tn
Missouri, and the sick soldier would b.
taken care of.
The army headquarters officers, VIII
had shown a disposition to emulate
good example when h World-Heral'
had set the pace of taking care of tn
returning soldiers, seemed to have agail
lapsed into mastery inactivity SO ia
as caring for a sick soldier of the reg
ular army was concerned, and after
twelve hours wait they will still "com
ing"
So far as Baker is concerned, tn
army officers are now at leisure to at
tend to their engagements, for he l
where he is receiving the very best Q
skillful nursing and medical attention
AS "a gallant soldier in need he Is tn
2 guest of the World-Herald and his he
T roic action in the field will not be al
lowed to go entirely unappreciated.
;, TuRRE nAVS OF RAIN.