Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-21
DEsERrER's REMARKABLE FEATs.
Some Devices Of British Soldiers TO Escape
from the Army.

To desert from either the army or the
navy is not the easiest thiug in the world
and even when accomplished the cuprit
lives in daily fear of being recaptured
and sentenced to heavy term of impris-
onment. Therefore. the devices emrlC yel
by some deserters are as ingenious as
they are exciting. although they cannot
be said to be always crowned with sue
cess. For sheer audacity the case of an
Irish soldier who deserted in south
coast town some years ago would be
hard to beat. Just at that time number
of assertions had occurred in tn" neigh
bOrhood and the authorities weIc there
offences Of MS nature. Bat the man in
question was dissatisfied with soldering
and having number of friends in the
town who were disposed to ..,Ip him. an 4
'modicum of pluck resolved to delay his
return to civil life n longer. Orc morn
made his wa, % "a iri~'fi's house with
out being seen. Arriving here he shave !
of his mustache. and. DOMINIC police
mans uniform. boldlv promenaded the
main streets of the town. He was. OF
course missed in barracks. and knew that
the surrounding country was being
one occasion his sergeant came up to him
and asked him IL he ha6 seen or heard
anything of the missing man. and he OF
course replied that he had not. but he
a fortnight he preserved his disguise
without It being penetrated even by tn :
police themselves, and he then calml :
left the town when the hue and cry hard
subsidized somewhat. Nevertheless. his
enterprise came to naught, for he WAS ar
rested in trying to work his passage back
to- ireland
Scarcely less audacious was the ruse
employed by another dissa isi'i son OF
Mars, and in this case likew sc. II prove l
futile. He happened TO know that Ger
but affiuent circumstances. FOR he visited
the house regularly. and frnm remark
drorped at ODD times disco cred that tn.
spirit merchant. One morning. as soon
as the publican opened his doors, the
soldier arrived. after having first dis
donl,ed civilian attire. With him came a
friend who agreed to act as represe1-
fative of the law. and he promptly told
the astonished' publican that he had or
ders to leave a man in possession un.ess
the sum 7owing to the Scotch spirit mer-
chant was paid to him there and then
The publican. of course. could not pay. SO
the deserter was Quartered upon him and
lived In his house and at his expense Tor
more than week before the deception
waA discovered. Perhaps the most sue
cessful deserter-fOr a time-was William
Conrad. Through one of his comrades he
heard Of a man whose son had gone to
Australia gold mining. and had appar.
emily a,saPp fror him f aeTb the parent
stiIi believed he would see him again.
Conrad therefore hit upon the ingenious
idea Of leaving the army by stealth. and.
going to the man. informing him that
he was the missing son. AS his knowl-
edge Of Australia was considerable. he
lost no time in putting his plan into ex-
ecution, and Tile parent, believing in him
despite the supposed alteration In his APP,
pearance. provided him with home and
he lacked But. unfortunately for him:
at the end of eighteen months the real
son furned up. and what followed can
better be Imagined than described.-The
Regiment.