Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-06-14
WEST POINT HEADS
SUED FOR ISLANDER.
Mrs. Elizabeth F. Ayres Brings Action
and Officer Husband Will Aid Her
Says Son Was Prosecuted

WEST POINT, n. V, June S.-Licut.-
Col. Charles G. Ayres today came to tho
support of his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth f.
Ayres of Virginia, in her action for $780,
600 damages against the commanding
officers of the military academy Lieut.
Col. Ayres declared today that the charge
that the influence of women mt West
Point is detrimental to the cadets or
academy, is due to jealousy, and that
the criticism of Mrs. Ayres is tissue of
talsehood by officers of the army anxious
to hurt Mrs. Ayres.
Calls Military Trials Farces.
He added that to attempt to settle the
matter by appeal to military court
would be suicidal, as his experience has
convinced him that military invcstiga
lions are farce and have been used for
years as means to destroy an officers
record.
In the course of his statement Lieut.
Col. Ayres alluded to the action taken
by the secretary of war as the result of
the conflict between Mrs. Ayrcs and the
officers OF the academy, which action, he
said, excluded Ms. Ayrcs from the acad-
envy.
In making his statement Licut.-Col.
Ayres said he deeply regretted the pres
cnt situation, as he is greatly attached
to the academy.
Says Son Was Prosecuted.
AS to the treatment OF his son, Henry
s. Ayres, Il cadet at the academy, by
the commanding officers, he said chat
Mrs. Ayre5 was first told more than a
yc%r ago by officers and cadets that her
son was being singled out for persecu-
ton. The son, he said, has never men
toned this subject to his parents, but
had accepted his punishment. Other ca
diets were not punished as he had been
for the same oflcnsc. The boy, he
said, had already been recommended
three times to be given II medal for saw
ing lives, and one of his instructors had
informed Lieut-CoI. Ayres of his sons
gallantry and caImness.
Taft Cause of Suit.
Lieut. Col Ayres declared that his wife
appealed to the authorities for protection
and tried in the absence of her husband
to defend herself as any high-spirted
woman might. The result was, he said,
a coWardly attack upon her and her
husband, the result OF years of malice.
The attack, he said, was first made upon
Mrs. AyreS and was given to the news
papers by those i'll authority at West
Point.
The upshot of Mrs Ayres' appeal to
the authorities for protection, he added,
was the action of the secretary of war in
excluding Mrs. Ayres from the academy.
Wood Warned Ayres.
As to the reason of taking the matter
before the civil instead Of Il military
court, Lieut. Col. Ayres declared that Il
ajor-gcneral told him fifteen years ago
never to appeal to any kind of mill
tary tribunal, for he might as well be
tried by crocOdiIcS. Lietu-Col. Ayrcs
said he had been warned repeatedly to be
careful as an effort was to be made to
force him out of the army, and that
Gen. Leonard Wood was one Of those
who had warned him. He declared that
this luminosity arose from his friendship
with Gen. Wood, whose firing line he
commanded at Santiago. The lieutenant
colonel said he was one Of the few men
who congratulated Wood when he was
made Il brigadicr general.
SANDER Charges Filed.
The action Of the secretary of war, he
added was taken on the report of In
spector General Stephen S. Mills, who
was sent to the academy to investigate
the charges and cOunter-charges growing
out of the case. \ military court, Lieut.
Col. Ayres said, would be composed Of
such officers that the result would plain
ly be what is called a 50 CAGE game
The officer declared that Col. Mills
will be compelled to answer to a suit
for malicious SANDER and compelled to
prove his statements.
Lieut-COl. AyreS said he would support
his Wife's suit