The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1907-05-16
diately by absolute silence, everyone
being engaged in silently counting the

fSSJ ~ /
diately by absolute silence, everyone
being engaged in silently counting the
reports. King Alfonso had previously
made public the statement that in the
case of a boy 81 cannon would be fired
but if the royal baby We're a girl only
10 reports would be heard. When
therefore, the 10th report rang out up
on the air, the people went mad with
joy, cheering, dancing and embracing
each other without regard to sex,
abandoning themselves entirely to their
delight. The royal standard was i'm
mediately hoisted over the palace, and
the flags of Spain and England raised
over all the public buildings of Madrid.
In the palace the baby, strong, lusty
little Prince, was carried by the mis-
tresS of the robes on a huge silver tray
TO the ante-chamber, where the Cour-
tiers had assembled. The King, its
proud and happy father, accompanied
her. and when the premier lifted the
drapery which covered the child AL
fonSo said. Gentlemen, II is Prince"
The excitement of the occasion was too
much for those dignified Spanish gran
dees, and, contrary TO all rules for de-
corum governing the ceremony of pre-
sentation, they one and all burst into
hearty cheers for the King and Queen.
The royal baby looks more like his
English mother than his Spanish father,
having a fair complexion, with blue
eyes and a nice broad forehead He
has fortunately escaped the Hapsburg
chin. and has a nice little round one
with a captivating diEple in it. He
has well-shaped head. and his tiny
ears lie almost fiat to its sides. in which
respect he also does not resemble his
royal father, whose ears are uncom-
monty large and stand well out from
his head. The babys nose and fore
head are distinctly Bourbon, and his
lungs are all right, as was shown by
his lusty screams when given his first
bath. The happy young Queen, his
mother, took the beautiful baby in her
arms, just as all mothers have done
since the days of Eve, and prest upon
its downy cheek her kiss of welcome.
Its two grandmotherS We're then allowed
to kiss it. Queen Victoria, who is a
perfectly healthy young woman, is
making a most satisfactory progress
toward recovery.
The body of the poor little Marvin
baby was found May in a marsh
about half mile from DR.. Marvin's
home, which neighborhood had been
searched several times since the childs
disappearance. The body was discov-
cred resting on the surface of a small
pool. his pretty baby face covered by
his Tam O. Shanter cap. It was thought
from his appearance that he had prob
ably been dead two days, and upon
medical examination it was conclu-
sive1y proved that the child's death
had not been caused by drowning. nor
by violence other than that of suffoca-
ton or poisoning. His stomach was en-
tirely empty, and it is possible that,
after wandering over the frozen
marshes of his fathers farm in the at
tempt to get back home, the little fell
low became exhausted, and fell into
the Shallow pool. where he expired
from exhaustion and hunger There
are many theories as to how the baby
met his death, but theories bring little
comfort TO DIR. Marvin in this hour of
his bereavement. His motherless baby
boy, after two months experience
which may forever remain a mystery.
and which is full of heart-rending pos
sibilities, has been quietly laid away on
the lawn of the farm at Bay Meadows,
and the sympathy of all the mothers
and fathers in Christendom goes out to
him.
The cadet overcoat' incident has
led to an investigation by the War De-
partmen, of the charges made by Mrs.
Ayres against Col. Howe, and those of
Capt. L. w. Oliver against the afore-
said lady. 1t will be recalled to mind
that Easter Sunday at West Point was
raw and disagreeable, an eager and
nipping air reddening the noses of the
pretty girls as they stood on the parade
ground watching their particular Sons
of Mars go thru the movements of dress
parade. Twelve or more of the girls
were suffering from insufficient wraps,
and cadet overcoats were brought them,
which they put on and buttoned UP to
the neck. Col. Howe observed this,
and the girls were quietly requested to
remove the coats, which they did, some
of them highly indignant, however, and
making more or less of fuss in doing
so. 1t seems 1t is one of the regulations
of the Academy that no cadet shall
lend any part of his uniform at any
time or under any circumstances. Mrs.
Ayres is the wife of Lieut.-Col. Ayres,
whose regiment, the Sth Cav, is now
in the Philippines, and she has been
allowed by courtesy to live on the res
ervation since the departure of her
husband. Her young daughter was
the "overcoat girls" and Mrs
Ayres, as well as the young lady her
self, exprest herself in no uncertain
terms with regard to Col. Howze's ac-
ton. Among those TO whom the elder
lady freed her mind was Capt. Oliver,
and she said SO much on this subject
that he decided to make an official
complaint against her To his superior
reducing to writing her vituperative re-
marks, which letter he forwarded to
Washington. Soon after the episode
of the overcoats a letter, giving an ac-
count of the affair and criticizing Col.
Howe very sharply, appeared in the
New York Herald. and the Colonel,
seeing this, and suspecting that it ema-
mated from the pen of Mrs. Ayres, wrote
a letter himself to the War Depart
ment, charging her with its authorship.
Then Mrs. Ayres wrote more letters, to
President Roosevelt and various mill
tary officials, each letter growing in
bitter criticism OF Col. Howe. The
correspondence has all been collected
and turned over to Secretary Taft, who
has ordered Col. Mills to conduct an
investigation into the aforesaid charges
Mrs. Ayres belongs to the Fairfax fam
lily of Virginia, claiming descent direct
from Lord Fairfax. Her husband,
Lieut.-Col. Ayres, did some very good
work in the Santiago campaign, for
which he was warmly praised by Presi-
dent Roosevelt, then Commander of the
Rough Riders, and it is thought Mrs.
Ayres has somewhat presumed upon
this in her letter TO the President. 1t
is said this is the first time in the
memory of the oldest Army officers
when woman has been made the sub
ject of formal investigation by the
War Department, and the occasion af-
fords cynical men an excellent oppor-
.tunity for airing views not exactly COM
plimentary to the fair sex with a good
deal more justification than they usual
ly have.
l..