Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-13
STRANGE EXPERIENCE.
Man Fell Asleep in San Francisco,
Awoke in Honolulu.

Sleep oyercame him in San Francisco. He
awoke in Honolulu, prisoner In guard
house, wearing the khaki fatigue uniform
of private in the United States army To
say that he was much astonished would be
to put 1t in its mldest form. He had not
the least recollection of enlistfng in his
countrys service. His dazed eyes looked
out on a strange land He had lost all
trace of time. Even his name had been
changed
The man who had these weird experiences
is Frank J. Belyea in the army records.
He lives in Greenpoint, l.. l., when he Is at
home He admitted that Belyea Is not his
right name. He is graduate of WELL
known eastern university and went west
soon after taking his degree in engineer
ing.
engineer Then he tried his hand as
cowboy. He was a miner and prospector
with Indifferent success. December, 1901,
found him in San Francisco. Christmas
was only two days off, and the bright
lights of the city blnked wicked tempta-
ton to him to begin the celebration of the
day thus early. The temptation was &C
centuated by the feel OF comfortable 1ol,
been little prosperous speculation In the
mountains of California. The roll contained
close to $J00-and Christmas just two days
away!
He met friends by the score. Everybody
seemed to be his friend. He dimly remem-
bers OF falling in at last with squad or
merry making sailors, privates from the
Presidio They took him to their arms and
told him he was their long lost friend
And now let Belyea himself take up this
narrative
notion of my wherea bouts. Everything
was a blank TO me. / felt stiff and sore.
spied soldier in a khaki uniform and
thought he must be one of the companions
I had been drinking with. He had gun
h shoulder and marching and
down in front of my bunking place.
Hello. matey,' L called out. What's up
and where am | atg
You're in the guard-houSe for assault
ing everybody on board and drum-head
court-martial will be ready for you as soon
as YOU get over the ID. T.'s' Is what the
soldier boy came back al me with.
"'Guard- house. is it?' says l. But what
really want to know is what part OF the
map of the world 1t happens to be on the
soldier told me that we were IN honolulu,
in Camp Mckinley, with regiment or
United States soldiers on their way to the
Philippines
.All of my protests went for naught.
was bundled on board the transport Thomas
with the regiment and sent to the Philip
pines That was on February IL, 1902, and
| had awakened from my long sleep on
January II. I had tried to establish the
fact that had never enlisted, but 1t was
no use. 1 was dropped into the brig, and
had my berth with crew OF cutthroats
from the regiment about all the way over
to Manila
What puzzled me most was that my
Identity had been lost completely. I knew
well enough who | was, but according to
the ships list was Frank ]. Belyea. and
my home was at Devils Lake, N. Oak.
I'VE landed at Manila on March 3, and
I was sent with detachment of troops
to the camp at Santa Mesa. Again | made
a row about serving in the army when l
had never enlisted, and was sent back to
Manila and clapped into guard-house. Az
ter four days OF 1t / was sent to serve
with I Company of the Second Infantry at
Laguimanoc, about 200 miles south of Ma
Mia There was drilled for several weeks.
But when the first pay day came around
l found that was not on the regular army
list. There was not cent of pay for
Private Belyea' That was in April. On
June 1S I got fve-day leave of absence
from Lieut. Archie Harris. In command Of
the post. / had to slip through a quarantine
guard and after several days wait slowed
away on a Chinese junk that was bound
for Manila. On arriving there five days
later I reported to Col Greenough, in COM
mand at Manila
Col Greenough decided that I was a
deserter and chucked me into guard house.
I was hailed before a court-martfal. / was
convicted of absenting myself from my regi-
ment without leave and fined IS. The court
ordered that / should return to my COM
pany and that the fine should be deducted
"On September %, 1902, an order came
from Gen. Chaffee to send me back to the
United States. I was placed on the Sheri-
dan, which sailed from Manila on October
I, and dropped into the brig like any de-
serter. As soon we landed in San Fran
cisco / was hustled of with the other
prisoners to the Preside and there attached
as prisoner to the Ninth Cavalry camp.
lived in tent, and for two months I
worked about the reservation with the
other ,isoners.
Exactly year to- the day-December
22-an order came from Washington to dis
charge me, there was no record to show
that I had ever enlisted. went to Gen.
Hughes, who was in command and asked
him how much pay was to receive for the
time had been compelled to serve in the
army He told me there was nothing COM
ing to me-"