The Washington herald., 1907-06-08
WILL SUE ARMY MEN
Col. AyreS' Wife ResentS Ex-
cluSiOn from West Point.
DEMANDS 100000 DAMAGES
Supt. scott and Lieut.. Col. Howe
Complain that the Woman Has
Been UDbraidinE the Authorities
Ever since Notorious Easter Pa
rnde Incident Involving Goats.

West Point. n. Y. June 7-Superintend-
ent Scott, of the Military Academy. and
Lieut. Col Robert L. Howe. command
ant Of cadets, who are to be sued by Mrs.
Elizabeth Fairfax Ayres for 100000 dam
ages for excluding her from West Point
Military Reservation. are out of the city.
while Capt /. w Oliver. assistant in
struCtor Of tactics. and Gen. stephen {.
Mills. inspector. will not discuss the mat
ter.
Ever since the famous Easter parade.
when Commandant Howe objected to
girls wearing the cadets overcoats. and
sent n sergeant to pluck the garments
for the good of discipline the Academy
has buzzed with the sayings and doings
of Mrs. Elizabeth Fairfax Ayres. Of Vir-
glnia. II was she who protested heatedly
against the action of the commandant in
despoiling the young women Of the oveT-
coats during a downpour Of very wet
rain' and il was she, according 10 the
officers who saw TO it that the story got
into the newspapers. with trimmings.
Thinks son TniustIy Treated.
Just about that time Mrs. Ayres. who
Is the wife of Col Charles c. Ayres. Just
returned from service in the Philippines.
got the idea that her son. Henry Fair
fax. a second-class man was being un-
justly disciplined She hinted that it was
a case Of jealousy. and that tin soldiers"
were 'enyious of the brilliant military rec
ord of her husband. and were trying to
get even by demeriting the boy whenever
half a chance offered.
BY special permission Mrs. Ayres was
living on the reservation with her daugh-
ter Emily and constantly meeting Off
GERS of the post. It was not long until
Commandant Howe and Capt l. ".
Oliver. the assistant instructor in tactics.
felt they had cause TO complain of her
attitude toward them In April, Capt
Oliver wrote "a letter to an official in the
War Department declaring that Mrs
Ayres had subjected him 10 a humiliat-
ing attack. and had referred insultingly
10 COmmandant Howe
CommandaHt Howe indorsed that letter
strongly. He wrote in his Endorsement
that the conduct Of Mrs Ayres had been
reprehensible, and at times. in the pres
ence of the cadets, remarkably vicious.
Col. Scott, superintendent of the Acad-
emy wrote letter at the same time TO
Adjt. Gen. AiHsworth. in Washington.
suggesting that the War Department take
some action. Then Lieut. Col Stephen c.
Mills. inspector general came to the
Academy from Washington
As a result Of his investigation il was
Il.
mitted 20 enjoy the privilege Of living on
the government resFvation at West Point
while her husband was with his regiment
in the Philippines.
Col. Ayres on the scene.
The War Department has refused. so
far, absolutely 10 discuss the case of Mrs.
Arres. but it is known definitely that Sec
retary Taft has approved the recon-
mendation of the inspector general in re- /
gard to the woman
Mrs. Ayres. with her daughter. left the
reservation about the time Col Stephen
c. Mills began the official investigation.
She went 10 live in rooms at Highland
Falls. Col. Ayres got back from the Phil
ippines last Saturday. but he has not been
talking much about his wife's troubles
with the officers here. He had rather a
stormy time himself with some Of his
brother officers # the Eighth Cavalry.
while serving in the Philippines, and pre-
ferred charges against them.
One or two were tried by court-martial
and acquitted. but the other charges were
dismissed without hearing, the circum-
stances being such as not 70 warrant a
cOUrt-martiaL He was with his wife and
daughter to-day at Highland Falls. when
he received a fat letter from the War
Department. He would not say what the
letter contained. but declared he would
put il in his lawyers hands tomorrow.