Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-09-20
en- father had appealed to Gov. Bush-


ing that there was to be an opportu-
nifty for promotion to lieutenant
commission, addressed n letter to
Gen. Otis requesting an opportunity
| to pass an examination. 1t happens
that there is provision prohibiting q
private soldier from addressing any
communication to his commander in
| chief without first securing permits
| sion to do so from an intermediate
| officer. The boy from Ohio was in
| utter ignorance of this prohibition,
| but Gen. Otis caused him to be ar
rested and thrown into Jail
| He directed that he be tried and I'M
der his supervision the boy was con-
victed, dishonorably discharged and
sentenced to a term CT one year in
| Bilibid prison, where he is now incar-
cerated. The prisoner managed sur
] reptitiously to get 4 letter to his
! father, Struggled into the mails by a
| svmpathizing comrade. In this and
| another letter, which was similarly
placed in the mails for his father, the
young prisoner tells of some of the
outrages perpetrated at Manila.
The first letter received by the faith
er from the son is as follows:
'A1dHIlds L L. Al8- - 1CSJ---AhN
Dear Father: 1t is a painful task 1
am now endeavoring to perform,
not for myself, but the thought of
causing you pain. In your condition
it is madness, but | cannot for the
world refrain from telling you the
crisis of my life and the death of fond
hopes. l came here as patriotic a
soldier as ever donned the blue, am
bilious and enthusiastic. An order
came for the promotion of one from
each regiment. /, like the moth,
longed for the star that was my doom
and forwarded n letter to Gen. Otis
asking to be granted an examination.
His secretary returned it and L was
arrested, the first time of my life, as
YOU know, charged with addressing n
superior officer without consent of
intermediate officers.
Il did not know it was crime and
not 30 of my regiment knew it. My
ca ptiain told me | would be fined $IU
or $50. But ! was one whom they
made warning of to others. By a
court Of six officers i was dishonor-
ably discharged and sentenced to one
year in Bilibid military prison. One
year for an act / knew not was wrong.
No one had a better record than / for
faithfulness. Never tasted wine or
missed Il call. And, oh. that discharged
| left a good home, God bless It, good
prospects for future, you an invalid
and needing my help, came over 5000
miles to serve my country in burning
sun and binding rain. and, God, to
what>an end. But in the eyes of my
angel mother, whose love we cherish,
| know | am as guiltless of criminal
intention as | was at birth.
Il faced the bullets and even felt
the sting of a Mauser without a MUIR
muir. and worse, my health has been
sacrificed in time of duty. And then
confined three months without trial;
sentenced to one long. dreary year,
then thrown upon a scornful world in
disgrace, physical wreck and dis
honor to the flag l fought to shield.
They even retained five months of my
hard earned pittance, $7S. / am con-
fined with all classes, the coarsest
brutes. l never was used to it and it
gals me sorely. NV lesson is very
severe and Is months of my life a
blank. A starved intellect. you on
your death bed; l, scourged by the lash
of an instant's folly. l am unable to be
with you. l would ten thousand times
rather serve my time in innocence
than to have my liberty and a guilty
soul. When the wheel of fortune is
lowest it then begins slowly to rise.
This is my only hope. Were l a Grim
inal | would never face you again. |
cannot for my life tell of what avail
it is to keep me here. / can no longer
ha 10; = 10, ID
l hope God Will spare us till we meet
again. God keep and bless you, my
loving father. From your only son.
LAWRENCE HOON,
Company X, 4th United States Vol
unteer Infantry.
Gov. Bushnell said of the fate of
young Hoon: at is one of the great
est outrages that could have been per-
petrated, even through the indirect
agency of the government, against
patriotic son of the nation who has
volunteered his manhood and the sac
rifice of his life for his countrv's flag
Talk of the Dreyfus infamy. Why, l
would like to know if this is not just
as bad. 1t is stain upon the fair
name of this country that will never
be etfaced. The best the president
can now do is to release the young,
innocent prisoner and restore him
to the roll of honor in the army.
But, even then, the boys heart
has been broken, the fire of his
patriotism quenched. There is enough
of horror by necessity in this strange
war without a tyrannicaI commander
in chief of our sons subjecting them
to the fortunes of hell in order that
his vanity may have full sway. /
hope that President Mckinley will not
delay a day or an hour in giving the
poor Ohio boy proper relief and re-
dress
For Over Fifty Years
Mrs. Winslow's Soothing Syrup has
haan usad for children 1aefbip1 II