Arizona republican., 1899-12-05
BELL" ANTHONY Story of a Hero of the
 Maine. POVERTY AND SUICIDE
He Was Born Soldier and Wss in the Service for Nearly Thirty Years He Drank Out of Season, and That Was all That Prevented Him Re- ceiving a Commission-Inciden of His Career.

William Anthony, sergeant of ma
 rines, killed himself last week in New
 York by taking cocaine. He is the
 man of the battle ship Maine, who,
 when the ship was blown up. is re-
 ported to have said to Captain Sigsbee:
 Sir, l have the honor to report that
 the ship has been blown up and is
 sinking"
 In one of Anthony's coat pockets was
 found letter written by him to his
 aunt, which read that he was discour- 1 aged and diSconsolate and was going
 to end it all.
 Among the articles found was pie
 ture of his 1-month- child, on the
 back of which was written: Bury
 this with me"
 A spanish-American war medal, such as ali survivors of the battle ship
 Maine received, was also found | Sergeant Anthony left the marine corps several months ago and had been
 unable to get work. For this reason he
 left his wife, although he still loved her. He had been trying to secure en-
 ployment without success. He had only cents left when he decided to kill himself. It is said he would not i tell those of whom he asked employ ment who he was.
 "Bill' Anthony had carried a rifle in | Uncle Sam's service since he was IT years old. He was a born soldier, six 1 feet two inches tall, broad shouldered, narrow hipped and stout hearted. The family moved to New Jersey just about the time Bill" completed a rather turbulent career in the public schools, and one morning he vanished. "Bill' had enlisted. That happened | twentynine years ago. and from that moment Anthony never ceased to wear the uniform
 Anthony saw fourteen years of sol diering, most of it on the western plains, before he threw in his fortunes with the marines. He was always marked man in the service, cOnspicu- ous for his magnificent physique, his cool courage and perfect discipline. As a non-commissioned officer he filled every position known to the military code, and filled them well. There was just one blemish in his character-a blemish which many believe alone kept him out of commission. Bill" would drink. not often to excess, but invari- ably just at the wrong time, when his commanding officer-favorite though he was-could not wink at the offense. His last army service was at West Point. where he figured to the admir- ation of cadets and everybody else as drum major. "Bill's" splendid figure and profound knowledge of soldiery | won him thls appointment.
 Fifteen years ago he left the army and enlisted as a marine. It was the old story over again-rapid advance ments, followed by the inevitable set backs, due to his drinking. He was at the Brooklyn navy yard for two years, and during the greater part of that time served as clerk in the recruiting office.
 They gave him the position on ac- count of his unerring judgment in the selection of men. No would-be recruit not physically up to the mark ever succeeded in running the gauntlet of Anthony's inspection. But he lost the clerkship, and a singular story is afloat as to the cause of it. Anthony was in tensely American. He believed that none except native born citizens should don the United States uniform. So when it was discovered that Anthony had put his views into active operation and that lusty foreign born recruits were barred out, "Bill'' was returned to the ranks.
 One incident has been told of his sol dierly career to show his love of dis cipline, and 1t may be true. It was said that while he sent part of each months pay to his widowed mother he had not seen her for several years. She went to Brooklyn to see him and met him as sentry in front of the navy yard. It is reported that he said: Don't kiss me now-I'm on guard"
 One of Anthony's old companions in the Seventh cavalry told these incl dents of the sergeant soon after the Maine disaster: Lieutenant Harding saw 'Bill' one day and nailed him. The lieutenant wanted a drum major for the band. 'BilP looked more like born drum major than any man in the army, and the lieutenant took him to the Point 'Bill' was prouder of that job than anything the army had ever done for him. and he made good man. too. I remember the day he got to the post He was bilin' drunk and reelln like a sick hoss, but he marched up, and said: Sir, I report for duty Tn lieutenant knew Bill, and he just told him to go to his quarters and go to sleep. Any other man on earth would have got the guard house, but BIT had a way of lookin' serious. whether he meant it or not, and he never got drunk without bein' good drunk, and the officers had some sort of respect for him for that reason.
 "One day he went down to the village from the Point and tanked up to his chin. He couldn't get whiskey at the rost. so he equipped with three quart bottles under each arm and started back. Just as he reached the area of the cadet barracks he met the drum corps preparing to sound off the rev. ellie. The cadet captains reported companies present.
 Bill had stood lCokin' on all this time, and it struck him that duty was staring him in the face. He s5epp- forward. laid the bottles down ike he Wcg haO61in' a b11Ocb of h. biac and