Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-20
START ON A LONG TRIP
$40 NAVAL LANDSMEN LEAVE
NORFOLK FOR CALIFORNIA.
200 Will Cruise to Pacific Ports - 40
Assigned to Boston-Pardon Re-
fused Portsmouth Man.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star
NORFOLK, Va. July 2O.-Two hundred
and forty naval landsmen in training on the
United States receiving ships Franklin and
Richmond at this navy yard started this
morning on long trip across the Amerl-
can continent to the Mare Island navy yard
on the Pacific coast. The men were trans
ferred from the Norfolk navy yard to New
port News on the government tug Alice,
and at the latter place boarded special e.
o. train which will carry them as far as
Cincinnati, from which place the men will
proceed westward via the Big Four route
Lieut.. David F. Sellers, U. s. N. attache Of
the bureau of navigation of the Navy De-
partment at Washington, will command the
detachment of landsnen until their arrival
at San Francisco a week hence.
Two hundred of the men assigned to
the cruiser Buffalo, which arrived at the
golden gate few days ago after a lengthy
cruise covering thousands of miles, the Buff
falo having sailed from Hampton Roads on
December Il last, crossed the Atlantic
passed through the Mediterranean. the
Suez canal, Indian ocean and the Pacific to
the coast west.
Leave for the Philippines.
The Buffalo will sail from San Francisco
upon the arrival of the men from the
Franklin, following the same course west
ward, touching at the Philippine and
reachng Hampton Roads early in Novem-
ber
The remaining forty men have been as
sigEed to the cruiser Boston of the Pacific
squadron, now lying at the Mare Island
navy yard.
After the men have been placed on board
their respective vessels Lieut.. Sellers Will
go TO Puget Sound, where he has been as
signed for special duty. He will return to
Washington next month and will assume
command of the United States torpedo coat
Macdonough November, succeeding
Lieut.. Roland l. Curtin, the present COM
handing officer. The draft which left the
receiving ships today was the largest that
has been sent from norfolk at any one
time in many months. In the detail are
many men enlisted from inland cities who
will take their first long cruise in the BUT
falo.
Must Serve His Sentence.
CHRISTOPHER c johnson. the prominent
Portsmouth man convicted twice OF forging
the will of his deceased wife, and given
two years in states prison at Richmond,
must serve out his sentence wearing stripes.
Governor Montague some days ago declined
to grant Johnson an unconditional pardon.
and now the executive declines to commute
the prisoners penitentiary term to JAN
sentence. Over one thousand or Johnson >
townsmen sent petition to the governor
asking a pardon for Johnson. One OF the
grounds upon which the pardon was asked
was because of the ignoring of the prison.
er's grandchildren. Governor Montague
said this could be no reason for PARDON
and declined positively to disturb Johnson
sentence in any way.
Confederate Reunion.
An immense crowd today attended the
confederate reunion at Princess Anne Court
House Governor Montague and General
Fitz Lee spoke, and public dinner was
served on the court house green. Inc re-
union was one of the largest OF the Klho
$50 hold in Virginia Confederates from
many neighboring counties were in attend
ance,