Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-26
Says She Offended Howe.

II bad deeply offended Col. Howe by my
defense of my boy. l was yet to feel his
power.
''On the Sunday after Easter there was a
dress parade, which was attended by
mothers, sisters. sweethearts and friends
of the cadets. did not go. but my daugh-
ter Emily did. 1t was d bitter day, and
many of the women, young and old, were
loaned old overcoats of the cadets One of
the cadets threw his overcoat over the
shoulders of my daughter
Col. Howe noticed the many women
wearing coats. He ordered an enlisted man
to direct the women to remove the coats.
This man went along the line saying:
It's the colonels orders that you take off
the coats When he arrived in front of
Emily and her girl friend my daughter an
sWered: 1 do not think l shall obey that or
der. Emily's girl friend replied in like
tenor. The man reported to the colonel,
who ordered two enlisted men to take the
coats from the shoulders of the girls.
odd Gen. Sumner saw the men coming
toward Emily and stepped forward. What
are You going to do?' ne asked my daugh-
ter. 1 am going to resist this unreasonable
order she replied The general a most
courtly gentleman, then said: viii you al
low me to remove the coat, my dear Miss
Emily?'
That solution appealed to my daughter,
and the old general lifted the coat from
Emilys shoulders.
1loHllSeu 70 hpOloSlZe.
THE next night committee of four men,
one from each class, waited upon Col
Howe, who received them upon the porch
Of his house, refusing to permit them to en-
ter, and demanded that he apologize for his
action.
Col. Howe offered to write letters of
apology to each of these women if the STU
dents who loaned the coats would forWa I'd
their names and addresses. Each cadet save
one gave the commandment the name of the
woman who wore his coat. The exception
was the cadet who loaned his coat to nv
daughter. He told me that he would not in
suit Emily by sending the communicat ton.
Now this Is Incredible. but l declare to
you that Col. Howe, in spite of his agree
ment, never wrote a single letter of apol-
oSy to the ladies'; but, instead Skinned
every cadet vino wrote him, using the list
to penaliZe one and all for insubordina-
ton. Each cadet received demerit marks
and other punishments.
Col. Howe was most anxious that the
overcoat episode should not get into the
papers. When it did he accused me of Civ
ing out the story.
He went out of his way to denoupca mo
on several occasions for tipping the news
papers. | had done nothing of the kind
My husband was 10000 miles away in the
Philippines and | was unprotected Never
theess l determined to force Col. Howe
to cease Slandering me.
Bearded Him in His Den.
Il went to West Point saw him and do
manded that he no longer misrepresent
me. l saw him in the presence of Cant
John oliver, who was formerly nv hus-
bands adjutant, and taxed the colonel with
circulating false reports about me. He
denied the charge.
Il then wrote President Roosevelt detail
ing briefly the circumstances. The Presi-
dent sent my communication to Secretary
Taft, who turned my letter over to Col.
Stephen Mills. NAL Gen. Grants adjutant.
who gave out the matter for publication be-
fore he arrived at West Point
Il was then debarred from entering the
government post on the ground that l had
acted in 4 manner subversive of discipline
l believe that l am the only woman ever
thus insuted by name-I, the wife of an
officer of high rank in the army and the
mother of a West Point cadet.
My husband and my son have been pur-
sued that l may be wounded through them
l know that they are seeking Opportunities
to drive Fairfax out of West Point. He
is of the most popular cadets promf-
nent in the foot ball and base bali teams
and the best fencer and horseman in the
corps.
"Still Hounding Him"
They are still bounding him. Recently
he has been given two months the area
and made to do guard duty all through this
torrid weather, because he defended nv
honor. During drill one of the cadets used
foul and abusive epithets to him. mention
ing me. After the company was dismissed
Fairfax knocked the man down. Both
were sentenced to two months for fehtjnp
but the other cadet was permitted to do
his trial after his summer furlough while
Fairfax must stay there, poor boy!
"They had no right to retire the colonel
He was passed by a medical board month
ago. when he was promoted from major to
lieutenant colonel. If he was physically
well enough to pass then, how Is it that he
Is retired now?
Understand that the colonel who is now
bounded by the War Department was rec
commended by the President in 1898 for a