Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-15
GUILTY OF DESERTI0N
MIDSHIPMAN ARROWOoD CON-
.VICTED AT GUANTANAMO.
Believed That the Naval Authorities
Are Not Satisfied With the
Sentence of Dismissal.

Rear Admiral Barker, commanding the
North Atlantic fleet, at Guantanamo, Cuba,
has informed the, Navyrs Department that
the court-martial Which tried Midshipman
Milton w. Arrowoo1 on the charge of de-
sertion has found him guilty and sentenced
him to be dismissed from the navy. Ad-
miral Barker recommended that Midship-
man Arrowood be sent to the United States,
but the department has disapproved the
recommendation. This action of the Navy
Department is taken by some officers to
mean that the authorities are not entirely
satisfied with the result of the court-mar-
tial proceedings, on the theory that his Of
Tense called for further punishment than
simple dismissal.
Young Arrowood is the son of a clergy
man living at Burlington, N. c. and gave
as his reason for desiring to leave the
service that mo Christian gentleman could
remain such and be an officer in the navy
For that reason he rendered his resigna-
sarge at Norfolk AS he had not COM
pleted the term of service of eight years
required of him by his oath on entering the
Naval Academy, the department declined
to accept his resignation. On being mott
fed to that effect young Arrowood OBJ
tanned permission to go ashore and was
not heard from again until he was ar
rested for desertion in New York city sew
in a real estate office. After short period
of detention on the receiving ship Hancock
at New York he was sent back to the
Kearsarge at Guantanamo, and there tried
by court-martial on the charge of deser-
ton.
This is said to be the only case of deser-
ton on the part of a commissioned officer
in the navy for nearly forty years. and be-
cause of the ethical questions involved has
attracted than ordinary attention
both in and out of the service. The SEN
tence of dismissal imposed in his case is re-
garded by some naval officers as light pun
ishment, in view of the fact that under the
regulations he could have been sentenced
to Imprisonment or to a reduction to the
grade of an ordinary seaman and made to
serve out his term in the forecastle.
The case is one calling for the action of
the President, and it remains to be, seen
whether he will approve the sentence as 1t
stands or return the case to the court for
reconsideration. The record of the pro-
ceedings of the court has been forwarded
to the Navy Department by mail, and will
not reach here for several days. No action
will be taken on the case until that rec
ord has been received and considered by
the President.
While the case was pending before the
Navy Department Arrowood's father wrote
a strong letter to the Navy Department. in
which he administered a severe caStigation
to the officers of the navy, who, he said,
were not fit associates for ANY Christian
gentleman because of what he alleged was
their fast and dissolute lives. This letter
has never been made public by the Navy
wrote letters to various daily papers in
which he repeated his statements. He said
that his son had deserted on his advice and
because the young man found it impossible
to live with men leading such lives as his
brother officers. III. j.