The Washington times., 1906-02-23
BURbANK'S ACTION
BREAKS TWO HEARTS
Mother and Sweetheart
Officer SOrrOwstrickep
WORKED HARD TO SAVFIM
Neither President Nor Army III DIS
Could Do Anything in yhs
Mans Behalf.

Two u,or,o, o,o -, and fond
mother and the other Souhe ana
trusting sweetheart Of Oliicei VINO
has been dismissed froI'he army 10
serve time in prisoTare leaving &
Washington broken hesed' aIter nav
ing pleaded in vain WI the PRESIDENT
and authorities of war Depart-
ment, IN an endeavoIo save the ON
Ger in question.
The officer in quPon is sydney s
Burbank, first lieulant IN Company
A. Sixth Infantry ow located in the
Philippines. Wbathe findings in the
court-martiaI IeTf .anila last fall MIIi.
a Is. Burbank, htnotner, noarded the
same ship, bOunfor Washington . ana
hoping TO beat GocIileiisS. ht Is, 10 1itbt tnSIt
bring about clAe.cy before the de-
cisiOn was aDr9ved by the President
She arrived \ eek before the orders,
but her effort were fruitless.
Gi, in the West.
Out in theWest there was a young
woman who-lad long been pledged to
wed the Offer. who assured her of his
innoce ace Ad only asked for time to
prove it. When the charges were
cleared aay, she was TO marry him.
When m case reached the War De
the orfict had been found guilty, her
love sefned TO grow stronger, her
faith filed to diminish, and she, too,
came tfWashingtOn 10 labor and plead
in his behalf But her efforts, also.
We're Hthout result
The case was too strong against the
Office. the evidence too overwhelming,
FOR ne Secretary OF War 10 recon-
men clemency, or the President to
Era.t II. The soldier had been con
weed or two charges. On both he was
dismissed from the army and on one
seitenced to fifteen months imprisOn-
IIrnt.
The case IS now settled. The officer
las been dismissed and ne will at once
be started on his journey TO America,
IN irons, to serve his term Mrs. Bur
bank and the sweetheart, whose faith
was shattered only at the last have
concluded their mission in Washington
and are preparing 10 depart
Court Martial Records.
Although the President confirmed
the findings last Saturday, and the
order of dismissal was issued TO take
effect February IS, the findings have
just been made public. According 20
the records the courts-martiaI in the
Two cases were held June % and Aug
ust 10. At uoilo, Panay. The board
was presided over by Col John w.
Bubb. OF the Twelfth Infantry, and
capt Clarence 5. Nettles was judge
Under the first charge OF conduct un-
becoming an ofhceT and a gentleman" ."
there were four specifications. and he
was found guilty on all, in connection
with his marriage in the Philippines
when his regiment was first there four
years ago, TO Conception VasQuez, q
Filipino girl Shortly afterward a
child was horn, and Burbank denied that
she was his wife and refused 10 sup
port her Two years ago the regiment
was returned TO the States and stationed
at Fort Le2venwoTth. There, Burbank,
posing as a single man, won the heart
OF a prominent young woman and their
marriage had been arranged for. At this
stage, friends Of the Filipino woman
and prevented the marriage.
The case was carried into the. courts on
charges of desertiOn and nOn-suppOTt.
Burbank. claiming he was not married.
sued for divorce to annul all claims that
might be brought against him. and this
case was unsettled at the time he was
again sent to the Philippines, a year
ago.
Since returning there, however. his
wife proved her marriage, and was
granted n legal separation. This muddle
furnished the grounds for most of the
specifications against Burbank on the
first charge. A specification also charged
him with falling to pay numerous i'm
portant sums OF borrowed money.
Alleged Embezzlement.
When BurD Dgnk was promoted to the
command of his company in the Phil
ippines he was made custodian of the
funds. The findings snow that
he was charged with embeZzling S4S5-
This second charge, Of embeZzIement,
was brought under a number of sPeci1-
cations, 10 all of which he pleaded guilty.
Burbank's plea was that the "persecu-
tiOn' made by the Filipino woman, IN
lieu of his engagement in America, so
upset him. and made him reckless that
he Ciissipated his salary. His mother
and sister were both in the Philippines,
making their home with him at Camp
Downs, and they were depending upon
his pay. he stated. In order TO make
both ends meet. he was tempted to bOr>
row from the land for their sake Be-
fore he could replace the amount, his ir-
regularities were discovered.
The records of the COUTt-maTtial pro-
ceedings show, however, that the off,
Ger had manipulated money and checks
on banks where he had no deposits, with
a free hand, and these methods had
been in practice for several months.
The Filipino courts recently granted
his wife a small amount OF alimony and
regular allowances for the child's sup
port, and il is likely that the case win
be carried to the LeavenwOTth courts in
order that he may not prove a defaulter
Of this obligation while in prison.