Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-16

into government straight uniform as
soldier of the sea-which was abiding
love for hot and rebellious liquors He
kept this rum passion down while on boa I'd
ship. but whenever he hit the beach he
drank five glasses of liquor to the one
glass tossed off by any Of his compa Mons,
marines or sailors
Prom quiet, reserved man he changed
into a fighting devil of maniac when
drunk, and when the liquor began to work
on him his ship companions who accom-
panied him ashore generally had to leave
him to his own devices to avoid broken
heads or worse. Corrigan didn't go ashore
from the time he joined our ship until we
pulled iTto the harbor of Acapulco. Then
he went over the side with a thirsty eX-
preston in his gray Irish eyes, and within
twenty minutes after he put his foot on
the beach he was fighting drunk on mescal
and Knocking down greasers in sets of
Tours. He didn't show up aboard for four
days, breaking his liberty three days. He
was still drunk and ugly when he stepped
over the ganBWay and reported himself to
the officer of the deck. The officer of the
deck said to him, Well Corrgan, you've
made a mess of it this time-three days
overdue and still in your potations,' and
Corrigan made for him. 1t means death in
some of the world navies, even in time of
peace, for an enlisted man to raise his
hand to an officer but the punishment Is
a bit less severe in our outfit. Corrigan
was beaten down and overcome after a
terrific struggle. during which six
were on him at once-Ive got a mark or
two yet of that conflict. having as the
master-at-arms, been foolish enough to
tackle the Irishman alone as soon I
saw him jump at the officer of the deck.
He was put in double irons in the brig, and
genera! court-martial charges were imme-
diately preferred against him. He Was to
be shipped up to Mare Island with
cort, of the up-going Panama boats.
for his general court-martiai. and the least
he could expect was dishonerabie discharge
and three years. at the smallest calcua
I,l,a NT.,rG I.l,,,
naval prison. There wasn't to be a boat
up, bound for San Francisco. for ten days
or so, and we were booked to remain at
Acapulco for a couple of weeks. Corrigan
was quiet. and. incidentally. pretty sore,
in more ways than one. when he came to
out of his mescal trance and found himself
ifoned in the ships cooler. Inasmuch as
the temperature in the brig was about 40
degrees, and the steamer would not be
along for ten days, he was given the lib
erty of the ship during the day, and only
confined in the brig after pipe down The
top sergeant of the marine guard and my
self were ordered to watch him closely to
see that he didn't go over the side.
"Corrigan's only chum and confidant
aboard was another marine also an Irish
man-ca!i him Mike Gallasher-Who, like
Mulvanoy. had often been 'rejooced' from
the corporal's rate. He was then pri-
vate. Corrigan and Gallagher were noticed
while the former was waiting for the
steamer to come along and take him up to
the navy yard for trial but I didn't sus-
pect anything. / thought they were sim
ply croneying, as usual.
Zone afternoon Gallagher put in for
liberty. Liberty parties used to leave the
ship in that port shortly before O'Clock
in the evening. On the afternoon before
Gallagher put his name down for liberty
a young. ensign had Joined the ship, arriv !
ing a south-bound Panama boat. 1t
happened that when the liberty party was
lined up at the gangway to answer to the |
officer of the decks reading off of the |
names before stepping down the ladder to
the steam cutter. l was below. making the
8 o'clock inspection. The top sergeant Of |
the marine guard was already ashore on |
some duty or other. The marine corporal |
on duty at the gangway had been called |
by the sentry on guard at the brig below. |
When the new ensign, who was the officer
of the deck, started to call off the names |
of the men in the liberty party, among the |
first was that of Michael Gallagher. When
Gallagher's name was called off. Jim Cor
rigan. spick-and-span in his best uniform,
stepped forward saluted, said Here. SIR
and walked down the ladder to the launch.
lagher's, having just Joined the ship the
day before. The eighteen men in the lib
erty party knew. though. and the audacity |
OF Corrigan's move stunned them. They
understood 1t instantly. however. and it !
wasn't up to them to say anything The
liberty party was checked off on the book, /
and away went the cutter to the shore, |
Corrigan sitting in the stern sheets as cool |
as a cucumber. The other men in the |
cutter didn't say anything to him. Memo !
wars men are not talkative under such |
Corrigan stepped off the |
cutter, made straight for place where |
he knew he could hire a horse, and within |
half an hour after he left the ship he was |
striking into the interior for the railroad. |
He had $500 In gold, the savings of for |
mer enlistment, along with him. He has |
never been heard of since.
When the liberty party left the ship Gal |
lagher was hiding under a tarpaulin on the |
tO'gallant fo'c'sle When darkness fell |
with tropical suddenness he let himself |
down the anchor chains, swan ashore and |
the next morning he returned with his lib |
erty party, clean and sober. l had missed |
Corrigan when / hunted for him at pipe |
down to put him in the brig for the night. |
was responsible for him, but never sus-
pected how the trick had been turned until |
the day Gallagher was paid off, when he
told me about 1t in burst of ru,nmy con-
fdence. l never peached. although the |
job came within an ace of getting me bust |
ed to the rate of an ordinary seaman
From the New York Journal.
Jimmie-"Say. Bill, your paws callin'
ycu.'
Wiilfe-"Did he say Willie or William"
Jimmie-"He said William Henry"
Willie-"Good-bye!'
Hotelkeeper-"My rates for rooms are 81
lp.'
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