The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-15
MAKE UP NEW PURSE
SOLDIERS AT FORT SMELLING GIVE
MOTORMAN $50
j;MsI i CASH
SERGEANT MAJOR IS MISSING
Man to Whom Was Entrusted Pre-.
sentntion of First Collection
Vanished With the Coin
Comrades Incensed.

Inc soldiers at Fort Smelling are in a
very angry mood, and Sergeant Major
FRANK Williams is the person thew womb
most like to get their hands on AZ the
present time. The discomfort among tba
| soldiers has arisen from a collection tba+
was taken up for the purpose Of making
donation to Edward Welsh the mo-
torman who lost an eye in a scuffIe with
Two drunken enlisted men.
Inc attack was so unwarranted that
the osldlers all got together and raised
a purse of $1475O to be given to the in
cured man. Sergeant Major Williams
was given the money Immediately after.
pay day with instructions to give if to
welsh or his wife. Yesterday it was
learned that the money had not been
turned over, and Williams is missing
from the fort without leave of absence
When this became known the indignatior
OF the soldiers ran high. They felt keen
ly the stigma heaped on the regiment
by the action of the assailants, and then
10 nave the added injury of an appar-
ent breach of trust on the part Of the
non-commissioned officer was a little
more than human nature could silently
stand. The money was to have been
turned over week ago, and the fact
tnat 1t had been was chronicled in all
the papers, made the disappointment Of
the men at the fort great.
Ihey were determined, however that
welsh should not go without some tes-
tlmonial of the sorrow for his sad state.
and the money was Immediately dupli-
Gated, and turned over to Welsh yester-
day afternoon.
A party of soldiers were returning to
the fort JAN 80, and two Of them were
drunk. The conductor informed ON
them at the arrival at their destination
and they became abusive. Motorman
Welsh came back into the car to see
what the trouble was. Prvates Henry
De1orst and Frank Pollock refused to
leave the car, and upon being told to do
SO by Welsh, DeHorst struck him in the
eye with whisky flask infiicting iniu-
res so serious as to result in the loss of
the organ The soldiers are now under
arrest awaiting the action Of the grand
jury
When ale story of the assault was
told at the fort, the members of Com
panles E, F, G and H Immediately
showed their disapproval of the deed by
starting subscription First Sergean+s
Pike, E company, Maloney H company
and Boden, G company and Bandmaster
hlaber called on the men for a subscrip-
ton, with the result that last paw dav
$l47.5O was raised.
Inc money was collected at once. and
Williams and Sergeant Maloney were ap-
pointed a committee to take the purse
to the hospital where Welsh was then
confined. They returned to the fort stat
ing that they had arrived at the hos
pltal when it was too late to be allowed
entrance, and Williams promised to get
the money to Welsh as soon as possible.
Williams Bought Clothes.
Williams remained at the fort perform
ing his accustomed duties until Thursday
afternoon. A friend of Welsh's who
tends bar in saloon near the fort met
Welsh on the street and was told bv him
although a ha ~,
that he had received the money. that as
far as he knew he had received nothing
OF the kind. TIE bartender told some Of
the soldiers and when they started to
md Williams he had disappeared. He
took the o'clock car to ST. Paul, where
he purchased a suit of civilian clothes
and has not been seen since
Inc first sergeants and the bandmaster
held a meeting yesterday morning and
sergeant Pike having $3.50 agreed to ad-
vance 1t to pay Welsh, the other SER
geants guaranteeing that he would be
refunded next pay day. Sergeant Pike
took the money to Welsh yesterday
afternoon.
Sergeant Pike, accompanied by wit
nesses, went to Welsh's home, 1116 Rean-
ey street. Both Welsh and his wife
broke down when thev learned the svm-
pathy of the men for their misfortune.
They thought it was an evidence Of good
heartedness for the first collection to
nave Deeu IldQ6, out Wnen 1t came to
peatlng the performance, they both
aVerred it was little more than could
be expected.
The commissioned officers refused to
discuss the affair except to state that if
Williams was convicted Of desertion he
WouId be punished, but the enlisted men
VINO had gone down into their none too
We'll filled pockets. expressed themselves
frequently and strongly, and the disci-
pine of the men is the only thing that
would save Williams should be return
without a good excuse for his conduct.
It's disgrace to the regiment!' "Td
sooner be De Horst than that fellow"
were the expressions of a mild character
that We're heard on all sides yesterday.
one OF the sergeants, grown gray in the
regiment said: That's the first time
anything like that happened, and we
would not have had it occur for the
world, | can't understand it. If Will
namS has skipped out. he was foolish.
He had a good position, paying $34 a
month, with everything furnished If he
lost the money any way and had come
back and told US. we would have made
it up and this disgrace would not have
occurred"
Williams has a good army record, hav-
ing enlisted as a private two and half
years ago. He was we'll educated, and
rose to the rank Of sergeant major. He
served in the Philippines and in China
with the regiment. in F company. His
description is light compexion, light mus
tache. feet inches tall weight 1856
pounds, and thirty-four years of age.
He bad pleasant countenance
Soldiers were searching in st. Paul for
him yesterday but up to 6 D. M had not
reported finding any traces