Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-18
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
Record +. of the Champion
Military Deserter.
1T. McALISTER'S CASE
LIEUT. CALDWELL'S CLAIM FOR
EXTRA PAY.
Musical Recruits to Be Organized Into
Bands at Recruiting
Stations.

Owing to the remarkable record of Henry
E. Mason as a deserter from the army, he
was made the subject of a special War De-
rartment memorandum in April, 1903. That
showed that during the previous two years
the man had enlisted eight times. serving
rarely more than week, and on several
occasions deserving on the same day he en-
listed Afterward and since the p,lblica-
ton of his Identification marks, which pub
licity was intended to prevent his enlistment
again and to result in his capture, he eGz
listed at Cleveland and deserted the same
day. few months thereafter he again en-
listed at Baltimore, and was sent to Fort
Slocum, N Y, where he was recognized as
a deserter, tried by general court-martial,
convicted and sentenced to be dishonorably
discharged and to be confined at hard labor
at Fort Jay, n. Y, for a period of five
years In a total of ten enlistments within
a period of thirty-six months the man as
sumed ten different surnames. but chung
with remarkable tenacity to the first name
of Harry throughout.
Lieut.. McAlister Reprimanded.
First Lieut.. Samuel d. McAlister, artillery
corps, was recently convicted by courts
martial at Fort Sam Houston, Tex, Of the
charge. of absence without leave on five
different occasions, and sentenced to be con-
fined to the limits of the post at which he
may be stationed, for four months, and to
be reprimanded by the reviewing authority.
Gen. ]. M. Lee, commanding the depart
ment of Texas. approved the sentence, and
in carrying out that part imposing repri-
McAlster that his future career in the
service depends upon himself. He must I'M
derstand that he is upon exactly the same
plane of conduct as the other officers, and
tIn~ tai fyzI,
in the way of overlooking offenses due to
his failure to exercise self-control.
1T is hoped that this warning and the
humiliation brought upon him by this trial
will cause Lieut.. McAlister's future con-
duct to be such as to merit the 1eniency
shown him by the court
Lieut.. CaldwelTs Claim Disallowed.
The claim of Lieut.. Harry H Caldwell of
the navy for increased pay while serving as
an aid to Admiral Dewey, has been disal-
lowed by the controller of the treasury, who
closed his opinion on the claim as follows:
1.-The pay to aid to the general of the
army is pay based solely on rank. For pay
purposes he is a colonel the same as if he
had been appointed as such by the Presi-
dent and confirmed by the Senate, although
the Office he holds may be only that of
first lieutenant. I know of no statute or
reg uidtion winch conferS upon the claimant
IN the case here presented while serving as
aid to the admiral. any different rank from
that which he held while not serving as
such aid. To hold that he is. entitled while
serving as aid to the admiral to the pay of
a captain in the navy whose relative rank
is that of colonel in the army would be to
assume that while serving as such aid his
rank was changed from that of lieutenant,
Junior grade, to that of captain in the navy.
and this in the absence of any statute or
comforting pryNf,r
rank, which would be a liberty do not feel
justified in assuming. The Office and rank
which he held while serving as aid to the
admiral was that of lieutenant Junior
grade, IN the navy. corresponding in rank
10 a hrst lieutenant in the army and /
know of no statute or regulation by which
he can be allowed any pay in addition to
the pay of the Office and rank which he