The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-14
MAKING TROUBLE
FOR BOB EVANS

/
in naval circles here by the receipt OF
cable dispatch from Rear Admira
Evans, commander-in-chief of the
Asiatic station, refusing to comply
with the request that Paymaster Har-
ry E. Biscoe be detached from the sta
ton that he may return to Washing
ton for duty at the Navy Department
Admiral Evans reply is that Mr.. Bis
coe is being held to face trial by court
martial, charged with neglect of duty
in connection with his accounts. News
comes this morning that pending his
trial Paymaster Biscoe has been placed
under arrest. This news has aroused
intense indignation among his friends
of whom Paymaster Biscoe has a large
number.
BISCOES ACCOUNTS HERE ALL
RIGHT.
While. of course, it would not be
proper for officials here to comment
upon the case until further details are
known, this statement from Rear Ad-
miral Harris, paymaster general of the
navy, in reply to the simple question
as to what was the condition of Mr.
| Biscoe's accounts here, is significant:
THE accounts of Paymaster Biscoe
at the Navy Department and at the
| Treasury Department are in perfect
| condition.
1t viii, of course, be recalled that it
was Paymaster Biscoe who several
months ago protested vigorously to the
department against the action of Rear
Admiral Evans in arraigning the per-
sonnet of a court of which Mr.. Biscoe
was member for passing what Adj
miral Evans regarded as an inadequate
| sentence. The language used by Adj
| miral Evans in his arraignment of the
court was perhaps unequaled in it's
severity in naval annals. and at one
| time it looked very much as if Admiral
Evans would be recalled. Mr. Darling,
the assistant secretary of the navy to
whom the protest of Paymaster Biscoe
was submitted by the Secretary for
comment, vigorously criticised the lam
guage used by the reviewing author
ity. In the end, however, Admiral
Evans was not recalled but nominally
sustained in his action, though the Off
cial comment indicated that the de-
partment did not desire to record itself
as favoring the language used by Adj
miraI Evans.
Placing two and two together, the
of the service cannot but be interested
in the news of his arrest, and it can
be stated on the highest authority that
the papers in the case will be finally
reviewed here, and with the utmost
care.
WHAT BISCOE S FATHER-IN-LAW
SAYS.
Paymaster Harry Earl Biscoe's faith
the father-in-law of r. B. Roosevelt
Jr., the Presidents cousin, is quoted in
the New Yorl, World today as saying
to World reporter yesterday:
Harry Biscoe was a member of the |
Nicholson court-martial, whose verdict !
did not please Admiral Evans The |
latter, in orders read from the quarter |
deck, censured every member of that |
board individually and by name in the |
most Incorporate language.
'sBiscoe, with the moral support OF |
all the officers of the fleet, protested /
against this in a letter TO the Secretary
of the Navy, and the latter, while up
holding the admiral, did So in a half !,
hearted manner.
"As result of this, Biscoe. who had |
been paymaster o. the Oregon for three
years, and who is thought of very high
ly by the heads of his department, was
ordered to transfer his accounts to the
paymaster of the Solace and return to
this country. On his arrival it was
intended to give him one of the highest
posts in his department
Knowing that he was to be detached |
from the squad. on, Capt. Burwel of |
the Oregon, a friend of Admiral Evans,
arranged to take the present action. It !
was meant to be Il 'star-chamber' af-
fair, and the Navy Department knew
nothing about it until it cabled to Ma
Mia within the past forty-eight hours
to find out what the charges were. The
answer was that he was charged with
neglect of duty and shortage of 81, 900
IN his stores.
''The neglect of duty charge is
up. Shortage in stores has
never before been made court-mar
tial charge. 1t is a thing that hap
pens to nearly every paymaster after
an extended tour, and is always set
led by board of paymasters. If the F.,
board decides that the loss is the pay
masters fault, the fourth auditor
charges him with the amount.
Under the circumstances the Mani
a cable stating that he was $500
short in his cash account, evidently in
;pired from the flagship, has made US
Ill nearly broken-hearted.
mo more upright man than Harry
Bisooe ever lived, and no more I'M
American proceeding than the present
me has ever taken place in our navy"
NATIVE OF WASHINGTON.
Harry Earl Biscoe was born in this
,ity in 1873 and graduated fifth in his
class from the Virginia Military In
'titute, Lexington. KY. In September,
S94, he was appointed assistant COM
missioner and professor of mathematics
and military science at the Michigan
Academy, Orchard Lake, Mich.
In 1895 he resigned to become an as
sistant paymaster in the navy. His
1rst cruise was on the training ship
Essex, his second on the Yankee, dur