The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-06-07
"OVERCOAT
INCIDENT
BEGAN IT

Swiftly following the published
report that the War Department
had ordered that Mrs. Elizabeth
Fairfax Ayres, wife Of Lieut.. Col.
Charles G. Ayres, hero of Santiago,
be denird-furfher entrance 10 the
grounds Of the West Point Military
Academy, comes the retaliation Of
Mrs. Ayres.
1t is in the shape of damage suits
sggregating 100000 which she has
instructed her attorney in New
York to file Immediately against
these men, whom she holds respon-
sible for the order:
Col. II. L. Scott, superintendent Of
the academy.
Lieut.. Col. Robert I. Howe, COM
mandant Of cadets
CAPT. L. w. Oliver, assistant in
Etructor of tactics.
Lieut.. Col. Stephen c. Mills. in
spector general.
Seconded by Ayres.
In the matter Of the suits. which are
TO be pressed with great vigor. Mrs.
Ayres is seconded by Colonel Ayre~.
known i'm army circles as THE war
chief OF the Twelfth Cavalry" who re-
turned from the Philippines Saturday.
The War Department issued its order
upon the recommendation Of Lieutenant
Colonel Mills. inspector general He
> was detailed to investigate the charges
made against the officials of the Mill
tary Academy by Mrs. Ayrcs in a per
sonal letter TO President Roosevelt. and
also the counter-charges made by the
Officers involved against Mrs Avres.
Med with the department direct
Overcoat Incident Blamed.
The general impression at West Point
is that the department order. and tre
damage suits. are the outcome Of the
tempest in a teapot disturbance on
the grounds Of the academy on Easter
Sunday. when Colonel Howe unexDecr-
edly ordered that the visiting young
women remove the overcoats Of the ca
dets, which some Of them We're wearing.
Most of the girls were frightened by
the demand Of the sergeant for the over
coats, and gave them up readily. and
II Is reported that one young rebel. who
slouuy refused TO give up a borrowed
coat, was the daughter of Lieut.. Col.
and Mrs. Charles g. Ayres. At anv
rate, Mrs. Ayres. who was present at
lne parade. protested vigorously about
the order, her protests having been reg
lstered with Capt. l.. w Oliver and
Commandant Howe
When questioned about her trouble
Win the west Point authorities Mrs.
Ayres talked freely aid spiritedly.
Mrs. Ayres' Statement.
NO, the overcoat affair was not the
start Of it. That incident only served to
Intensity an already almost unbeara bic
condition.
When my daughter and myself came
TO Highland Falls last year so as To be
near my son. Fairfax, who Is a cadet.
many people on the post and in the
neighbOrhOOd told me that il was the
common talk that Fairfax was being
persistently punished by the officials of
the academy. l was told that no mat
ter how trivial might be his ohenses his
punishment always exceeded that OF any
other cadet.
"Of course. / instituted an investira-
tiOn and found that 90 be the case. I
entered an emphatic protest to the Off
cials Of the academy"
why was he Disseminated AGAINST 80
she was asked.
II don't know. unless It was because
ne was the son OF his father" was her
prompt reply.
What DO you mean by that?"
Simply that Colonel Ayres. by his
record as a soldier and by reason of
bis friendships with prominent officials
Of the Government. has aroused the
CONTINUED on Second Parel