The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-14
SOLDIERS CHASED FAKIRS.
FAIEIRs RETALIATED BY HAVING
SOLDIERS ARRESTED.

|
From Camp on the Cars-Camp
Vendors Claimed the Soldiers Had
Destroyed Their PrOperty-Many
of the Men Arrested Were Not
Guilty, But All CheerfuIIy Clipped
In TO Make Up the Money the Ven
ders Claimed to Set Them Even.
The Forty-ninth Iowa Regiment was
mustered out of the service yesterday
morning Mai Gilbert. Maj Wallace and
Mai Howell were the paymasters who
had the payment Of the officers in hand,
aud their work progressed rapidly and
with no difficulty caused by the records or
rolls being in improper shape. The pay
ment of the troops was begun about 9
O'Clock. and by noon it was completed.
Sixty-one men were arrested by the po-
lice for pilfering the fakirs who were at
the camp to dispose of their wares. The
men were greatly stirred up over their
arrest, as the majority had nothing to do
with the robbery of the fakirs. Their re-
lease was finally secured by the entire
sixty-one chipping in and making up the
amount, $3.50 that the vendors said they
were out by their onslaught upon his
stock in trade.
The paying off of the command had
progressed for some time when the trou-
bic between the soldiers and the fakirs
arose. It was brought about by the de-
termination of the hawkers to get within
the lines of the camp to dispose of their
wares. That was in direct violation of the
orders of Cot. w. G.. Bows, and of the
wishes Of the soldiers themselves. They
| told the fakirs that they did not want
them about the camp and that the best
thing they could do would be 10 get out
A guard was posted during the early
|. morning, and the vendors were in that
| way Kept back for time. They encroach-
ed gradually upon the lines, however. and
| when the guard was finally removed rush
| ed into the camp.
After bit a soldier got into a difficulty
| with one OF the fakirs over bottle of
| pop he had bought. 1t was said the SOL
| der had not paid for the stuff, and DOS
sioly did not intend to do so. At all
| events there was enough the matter to
! start a row, and the other soldiers in the
| immediate neighborhood took a hand, driv-
! ing the Vender out of the camp and throw
! ing his outfit after him. That was a gen.
eral signal, and all of the same class of
! dealers had to get out in a hurry, some
! suffering sDoliation at the hands of the
/ soldiers The merchants of the city, whose
wagons were at the camp for the delivery
| of goods already purchased by the SOL
Ndiers were not losers, as their drivers were
| not molested.
Some of the fakrs made hot haste into
| the city and secured the assistance of the
police for the apprehension of the soldiers
| who had made the attack upon them and
| destroyed their stock. The detectives of
| the force and a squad of seven or eight
| policemen were dispatched to the Bolton
! street station where a detachment of the
provost guard was also at hand to assist
in the arrest of the soldiers coming in
| from camp on the cars whom the fakirs
might point out as implicated in the at
tack.
The indication Of the culprits was at a
wholesale rate. IT did not stop until sixty
had been pointed out and put under arrest.
! Men who were known by their officers and
| comrades to have been absolutely unable
to take part in the affair on account of
duties demanding their presence elsewhere
| were arrested, and it Is doubtful if ten of
the men apprehended were guilty of the
| charge made against them.
The patrol wagon was called and part
of Che men were taken to the station
. mouse uluGT BudTu. OlHCTS were carried
| in a special street car furnished for vhe
occasion. At the station house, the SOL
diers were all anxiety to extricate them
selves from their difficulty, but knew of
no way of doing so except to settle with
the men who were injured. All wanted
TO leave during the afternoon with their
comrades for their far away homes in
Iowa, and there seemed little chance of
their being able to do so unless some kind
- might "a eff
The men whose goods were damaged or
lost altogether rendered a statement OF
the loss sustained. About ten claims were
presented aggregating $72.5O The money
was paid, all the men being flush with
their final pay and readily agreeing to
chip in to make up the amount. the
vendors were lucky to get their money
back and probably got two or three times
the value of their stuff.
The soldiers said they were treated very
considerably by the police while they
were in charge. They were locked up, II
Is true, but that they had expected. Sever.
al OF the officers made II point to look
up Superintendent Screven about the mat
ter and he advised a settlement as The
best way out of the trouble. The officers
agreed with him, and the soldiers saw the
wisdom of the plan.
No hard feelings were entertained by the
soldiers against the police or anybody thai
had anything TO do with their arrest Sew.
eral of the officers and men gave the as
surance that nothing but the kindliesi
feelings are entertained for Savannah anC
Savannahians. Capt. Johnson of COMPANY
Nj, said his command was lined UP ready
to be paid off while all the trouble wa:
III progress. Notwithstanding that ten o.
his men were arrested when they cam,
in on the street cars, being pointed out a.
implicated in the assault upon the ven
ders. The captain felt the modification
of the affair and SAID he was very sorr,
that such a thing should have happened
to mar the good name and excellent rem
tation of the Iowa boys He feels that in,
men were justihable in putting the faklr,
out of the camp, for they had been givei
warning both by publication of the colo
2 nefs intention in the Morning News I,
! keep them out of the lines ana also h,
word before the guards were removed
1t struck officers and men as narticu
larry queer that the fakirs shouid bav,
the nerve to say they could point out rne,
as the perpetrators of the attack mo,
them and their property. 1t is wei know