The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-12
AYRES
NAY RETIRED
ORDERED TO APPEAR sEFoks
BOARD FOR EXAMINATION.

ton be Made Into His Mental anc
Physical Condition to Ascertain Il
He Is Eligible for Retirement Be
cause Of Deterioration in Either Re
speet-Ths causes Of the Trouble,
With the Ayrss Family.
WASHINGTON, July 12.-Lieuten-
ant Colonel Charles C. Ayres, Four
teenth Cavalry, has been ordered be
fore a retiring board for examination
physically and mentally. with a view
of ascertaining whether he is eligible
for retirement, because OF deteriora
ton in either respect. The order reads
that by direction Of the President a
retiring board is to meet at the army
building, New York, on next wednes
day, July II, and at that time Lieuten
ant Colonel Ayres is to report for ex
animation. The board Is composed Of
the following members:
BrisalIer General John NJ. X. Davis;
Col. Charles A. P. Hatfield, Thirteenth
Cavalry; Lieutenant Colonel William
E. Evans. Eleventh Infantry; Major
Guy L. Edle. surgeon; Capt. Sanford
H. wadhams, assistant surgeon. aud
Capt, VIM. P. Johnston. Fifteenth Cav
airy, recorder.
Colonel Ayres is now at Highland
Falls. near West Point, N. 2, with
his wife and daughter, and will not
have to make long journey to the
army building in New York next week.
The trouble with the Ayres family
begin last Easter, when Mrs. Ayres and
her daughter visited West Point to be
near Mrs. Ayres' son, Cadet Fairfax
Ayres, who Is at the Military Academy.
Mrs. Ayres had heard reports that her
son was unjustly treated by the al
thorlties at West Point and protest.
ed aaginst such treatment. She was
emphatic in her arguments, but the
authorities denied positively that any
impartialIty had been shown toward
her son.
Lieutenant Colonel Ayres. who had
been serving In the Philippines with
his regiment, returned to the United
States in the spring and was granted
long leave, and came to New York
to be with his family. 1t was during
the Easter holidays that the AFFAIR be-
came public During the Easter parade
of the cadets a number of young la.
dies witnessed the parade from the pa.
rade grounds. They we're attired in
new spring costumes, and as the
weather was very chilly they complain.
ed of being cold. Some of the gallant
cadets offered to loan the young la.
dies, among them Miss Ayres, their
military overcoats. Several, Miss
Ayres being among them, accepted
the offer and pat on the coats. The
ladies evidently took great pride in
being able to wear a cadets oyercoat,
and had little parade OF their own.
The sight attracted the attention Of
the authorities of West Point, and one
of the officers in charge Immediately
informed the young ladies' that 1t was
against the rules to wear cadets over
coats, and that they must take them
of instantly. Mrs. Ayres objected, es-
pecially to her daughter removing the
coat she wore, declaring that If she
did she would catch pneumonia. The
officer, however, persisted, and this
gave Mrs. Ayres a chance to declare
that It was another incident Of perse-
cution of her son. Subsequent to this
scene Mrs. Ayres gave vent to her
feelings in several newspaper inter-
views, in which she criticised the Off
GERS at West Point, and gave her side
OF the alleged persecution of her son.
Then, at the request of the COM
mandant and other officers at West
Point the Secretary Of War issued an
order forbidding Mrs. Ayres trespass'
ing on the military reservation at West
Point. Mrs. Ayres then announced
that she was going to sue the officers
at West Point each for $4,000 dam
ages and that Secretary Taft would
be included in the suit. BY that time
Colonel Ayres had arrived at West
Point from the Pacific coast and an
nounced that he would stand by his
wife. When his wife was interviewed
the colonel also talked for publication
and criticised his fellow officers, the
management of West Point and made
some uncomplimentary remarks in re-
gard to how the War Department was
run.
The colonel has been court.martial'
ed three times, and iGsr before leaving
the Philippines he was ordered before
board of inquiry to be examined as
to his mental condition. This board
was leuient and recommended that he
be not retired. As the President has