Sunday morning globe., 1901-10-20
CRUISE.
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- NAAOA ~ VA OAJllt
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two days iu succession, and as the guunery
sergeant IN charge ofthe marine guard, and
/ were supposed TO alternate 100 going
ON liberty ] wished TO take advau-
tagc of the opportunity knowing that the
gunngry sergeant did not intend to go that
day There was au uuwrittcu order that
both the guunery sergeant and myself could
not go on liberty ON the same day he often
going ashore on several night In succession
while the ship lay In Boston while / re-
maiued. ] also informed the commanding
officer that ! wanted no privileges not
granted the remainder of the ships COM
pauy but did want the same privileges and
was not getting them. This conversation
continued for several minutes, ] explaining
my reason for requesting this liberty. and
was brought TO a close by the commanding
officer telling me that his original decision
was final I then saluted and went forward
The following day ! was called 20 the mast
and informed by the commanding officer
that had been insoleut TO him and he had
a good mind 10 give ME a court-martial to
which ! replied 81 do not think ] have
done anything 10 merit a court-martial,
that If had been usolent TO him 1t was uu-
intentional and that ! apologized for it, that
l always made IL a point TO show all officers,
regardless Of rank, every respect due them"
With a warning to me not to have the
affair repeated, the case was dismissed, and,
as / always considered, at an end. ! also
requested to be allowed to make applca-
ton for my discharge by purchase, but the
request was not granted.
The same day was asked by Lieutenant
Howard then executive officer, to tell him
unoihcially what the trouble was and to re-
consider my intention of applying for my
discharge I informed him that my posi-
tion was becoming unbearable, and that
could not put up with much more, as my
stock Of patience was about exhausted.
tried TO illustrate to him the utter disregard
Of discipline, and showed that my authority
over the crew was being weakened every
day on account Of not receiving any sup.
port from my commanding officer, due to
the fact that men who committed themselves
repeatedly, and some whose offenses were
quite serious, often received less punish
ment than those who committed their first
olfense, or whose offeuse was Of less seri.
Gus nature, thereby placing premium ON
being an old offender Lieutenant Howard
said he had not thoroughly understood the
condition of affairs prior to his reporting
for duty on board this vessel, but would
assist me loo every possible manner in hav.
ing discipline enforced rgidly. The report
book and the ships log can produce suff.
cient evidence 10 corroborate the part of
this statement relating to offeuses commit.
ted and punishments awarded
al 4,T,. ..s.
by not having an assistant Master-at.Arms.
having several times requested one and the
greater part of the time having only a
skeleton marine guard also having at times
from one TO ten prisoners % look after, and
the fact that about half the time there was
no corporal of the guard on duty, caused
almost all of the police duty of the shipto
fall on me, the gunnery sergeant being mail
orderly, and as a result often absent from
the ship.
In addition to the above adverse coudi-
tions / had my other duties on a berth deck
containing five bcrthing compartments TO
keep in order. / performed my duties to
the best of my ability being sober and
vigilant from 4I5 a. ~. to gI5p. m daily
when in port except when ont of the ship.
"a period of 10 hours and quite often re-
naming awake an night TO prevent men
from leaving the ship without authority.
or smuggling liquor or both, owing to the
uurelabiliiy of some of the marine guard.
The quarterly marks on my enlistment
record should show that my duty was done
we'll. as they are of the best
o. In reference TO my wishing to leave the
ship would state that we have had five cN.
ecutive officers since August "a, 1900. when
this vessel was commissioned and I have
often heard am officer make the following
remark u wish 20 God ] was out of this
ship IF officers think so of her it surely
cannot be a crime for an enlisted man to
hold the same opinion, even though placed
in writing in other words
10. Upon leaving Boston at the commence
ment of this cruise several men were under.
going the following punishment for leaving.
the ship without authority either directly
or through baseball parties that were al.
lowed TO go up 10 the yard for practice-teu
nights In double irons.
All of these men were released before the /
of their sentence, and one of the /.
persons mentioned. am apprentice, has left .
the ship without authority repeatedly since .
then, and in each case was awarded slight .
punishment ON one occasion, while a .
prisoner at large. and having yet several .
days Of confinement to do he was allowed .
10 go on liberty, aud upon his return the re. .
mainder of the sentence was remitted. on .
another occasion this same apprentice was
brought TO the mast by me about p M,
when the commanding officer said This
makes about twenty times that you have
diso5eyed my orders, and punished him as
to stand ON the quarter deck in
charge Of the cabin orderlytill midnight
H., In the body of my application I cite
several cases of men overstayiug liberty
for longer periods than ] did and only re-
ceived class punishment in accordance with
the commanding oficer's schedule in vogue
at that time Solitary confinement on bread
and water was considered a sinecure, owing
TO the locality of the brig and the fact that
no sentry was ever placed over it, aud was
sought rather than avoided, by some of the
crew. A colored apprentice while in double
irons on the quarter deck, became very in
suluug toward Sergeant Horvath, threw