The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-09-19
LIKE THAT
OF DREYFUS.
A Case Of Military Perse=
CutiOn
in THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
A BeIlecentre Boy Robbed Of His
Pay and Sent TO Jail for
a Year,
in THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
FOR ASKING A PROMOTION TO A
LIEUTENANTCY, OF GEN. OTIS.

ters written by young Hoon to his
father, are as follows:
Lawrence Hoon, son of L. G. G.-Hoon,
proprietor of the Big Four Hotel at
Bellecenter. q young man of % years,
enlisted in Company K, 4th U. 8. In
fantry at the first call for troops for the
Philippines, and through love Of coun
try left home and friends, and his
father In rapidly failing health.
Young Hoon, hearing that there was
to be an opportunity for promotion to
Lieutenant's commission from the
ranks of each company of his regiment,
addressed letter to General Otis, re-
questing that parsonage to permit him an
opportunity to pass an examination. 1t
happens that there is a provision pro-
hibiting q private soldier from address
ing any communication to his COM
mander in chief, without first securing
permission from an intermediate officer.
The boy from Ohio was in utter ig-
norance of this prohibition. But, under
the military code, the offense had been
committed, nevertheless. General Otis
caused young Hoon to be arrested and
thrown in jail.
He directed that he be tried, and un-
der his supervision the boy was convict
ed, dishonorably discharged and SEN
fenced to one year in Bilibid Prison.
where he is now inoarcerated. The
prisoner managed surreptitiously to get
q letter addressed to his father to the
outside Of the prison, and it was
smuggled into the mails by a sympa-
thizing comrade.
The first letter received by the father
from the son, telling the tale of the
horror Of his fate, is as follows:
MANILA, P. l., August 7. 1899.
To Mr.. Lloyd G. Hoon, Bellecenter, Ohio
My Dear Father:
1t is q painful task am now endeav-
oring to perform, not for myself, but
the thought Of causing you pain. In
your condition it is madness, but I can
not for the world refrain from telling
you the crisis Of my life and the death
Of fond hopes. 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. I, like the moth. longed
warded letter to General Otis asking
to be granted an examination. His Sec
retary returned it and I was arrested,
the first time Of my life, as you know,
ficer without consent Of intermediate
officers.
I did not know it was q crime, and not
80 Of my regiment knew it. My Cap
tain told me would be fined $40 or $50.
But I was one whom they made warn
ing Of to others. By Court of six Of
ficers l was dishonorably discharged
and sentenced to one year in Bilibid
military prison. One year for an act
knew not was wrong. No one had q
better record than for faithfulness.
Never tasted wine or missed a call.
And, oh, that discharge I left good
l
future. You, an invalid needing my
help. Came over 5000 miles to serve
my country in burning sun and blind
ing rain, and, God, to what an end
But in the eyes of my angel mother
whose love we cherish, know am Of
guiltless of criminal intention as I was
, at birth.
faced the bullets. and even felt the
sting of Mauser without murmur
and, worse, my health has been sacri.
feed in line of duty. And then con.
fined three months without trial; SEN
tenced to one long, dreary year, then
thrown upon . scornful, world in dis
grace. physical wreck and dishonol
to the flag I fought to shield. They
even retained five months of my hard.
earned pittanoe, $40. I am confined
with all classes, to the ooarsest brutes
never was used to it, and it gals me
sorely. My lesson is very severe, and
} fifteen months of my life plank. A
starved intellect. You on your death
! bed; I, scourged by the lash of an in
stant's folly.
: am unable to be with you. would
ten thousand times rather serve my
time in innocence than to have my lib
erty and q guilty soul. When the
wheel of fortune is lowest it then slow
ly begins to rise. This is my only hope
Were I q criminal would never fact
. you again. cannot for my life tell Of
what avail it is to keep me here. I car
no longer be a soldier, but their will ii
law, and hope God will spare US til
we meet again. God keep and bles
you, my loving father. From your only
son, LAWRENCE f. HooN,
l Company Z, Fourth United States Vol
unteer Infantry.
6Another letter was written by thu
prisoner to his father August 7, 1899
begging the father to lose no time il
! laying the matter before Gov. Bushnell
when wrote BEFORE" the boy said
II did not know I was arrested. 1 wa
too sick. 1 never knew it till July 90
I never was shocked so in my life, pa
when they told me my sentence.
: couldn't believe it. The tears rolled
v down my cheeks when the boys bid M
hood bye, a4d It'd me they would hell