The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-27

gave more certain promise OF an honorable
career.
He was a student. and it seemed to me
when / left him in one of the Ioneiiest
provinces OF Luzoa that here was a man
upon whose hands the time would not
hang heavy as long as he had his district
TO police, his men TO take care of and his
military books 10 study
few weeks after left him. however.
he ran amuciz in his own garrison and
wounded six men. two OF whom afterward
died. The night before the FRENZY mani
Tested itself he had shown himself kinder
TO and more appreciative OF rs men than
ever before. He visited the hospital, and
with his own hands changed a bandage
which he thought the hospital steward
had arranged somewhat awkwardly.
He went to the guard house and nberat-
ed a man who had been detained for some
minor offence. Then he went 10 bed. and
the next that was seen of him. and the
last, was the following picture:-At re-
veille in the morning. as the men fastened
TO the parade ground. rife balls came
tipping in their midst
For moment-but only for a moment
there was confusion: then the hostile
FIRE which had already brought down two
men, was traced 10 the captains quarters
The first sergeant took command OF the
company and acted promptly. 1t was
evident to him and TO the men that the
insurgents had sneaked into the town
| during the night, murdered the captain
and intrenched themselves in his kuarters.
because that was the most commanding
position in the town.
Rallying around the sergeant, the men
Of the company in small skirmishing
squads charged the quarters What was
their dismay they drew near 10 see
the captain intrenched behind mattresses
and furniture firing upon them with his
rifle as fast as the magazine could be
loaded. The sergeant, in imminent dang
er OF his life. parleyed with him. but TO
no avail. The men withdrew, and a tele-
gram was sent 10 the district commander
informing him OF the strange situation
and asking for Instructions
Before this came, however, the cap
tain left his quarters and charged down
through the barrack yard with a pistol
in one hand and knife in the other
Six men Of his company had been serious
ly wounded and several natives. when at
last one Of the soldiers who was lying on
wound he had received, shot the captain
as he was approaching with the evident
purpose of finishing his victim.
The cases of lingering melancholia. the
symptoms of which are so suggestive of
softening of the brain. are more common
in the isolated stations. and in those
where thestrain caused by monetarily
expected attack is not upon the men. For
II is a curious thing that inactivity and
ennui claim more victims than the active
service in a tropical campaign. However.
there are instances where. the constant
vigilance and the unremitting strain of
command at a post of danger have pro-
duced results in the individual which
many army doctors are only beginning to
recognize and to diagnose with charity.
One man | have in mind was an army
captain, commanding in a lonely post on
the shores OF Samar, just before General
Smith took command of that island and
began his memorable campaign. The post
which my friend commanded was one Of
the greatest Importance and one upon
which attacks were frequent
The garrison was composed of about
fifty men. and there We're three American
women in the place. the wives and the
sisters of the officers. For four months
Captain y. never had three hours sleep
night or day. Now he would be in the
bush. with a marching column. now pac-
ing about his post. that was always under
fire. His requests for achievements
were ignored, or at least they were not
answered, and the only officer he had to
lean upon was a second lieutenant. just
appointed. boy who has since shown
the good stuff that is in him. but whose
only preparation for military life at that
time had been what he had learned as a
messenger boy and clerk in a country
grocery store.
The attacks upon the post. becoming
more and more persistent. the captain.
a prey to the most terrible anxiety. par
ticularly on the score of the women Of
the garrison, tagged a little gunboat
which by some good chance came that
way. on the lookout for smugglers who
were providing the insurgents with arms.
The young lieutenant in command of the
gunboat appreciated the situation when
IL was explained 10 him, and agreed to
take the women to a larger garrison
several miles away, across the Sulu, where
they would be in perfect safety The
captain of the post saw then off and sAen
returned to his quarters.
An hour later he went out or the pa
rade ground. picked up some pebbles and
called out to his men TO come-he wanted
to play marbles with them. For ten days
his behavior was that Of a child Of five.
Everything that had passed was forgotten
he was beginning life all over again
The chief medical officer Of the district
arrived in about ten days and held
medical examination. b. this time the
captain had lucid intervals. IN which he
talked quite sensibly. but not like the
high spirited officer We had all known
the man who had so greatly distinguished
himself in the battle at Tien-Tsin and
on the march 10 Pekin.
He said that he recognized he was at
the end Of his resources. and he wanted
to be removed from his command right
away He didn't mind. he said. the
danger which he ran personally, bot he
would no longer command the post. as
he recognized he was no longer efficient
The doctor. who was TO great student q
human nature. telegTaphed al length
about the case to the district commander.
In his report there was thesusgestion
that possibly the real motive for the cap
tain's strange behavior was cowardice-
II was suggested that he zas s.muiat-
fag sickness and vyeaknindednezs IN order
20 get on; q q hot and dangerous post
The result Was that the doctor and the
captain were both sent fer and taken u
the district headquarters. whore 4 nedi-
cal court vas convened corposed u