Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1907-06-08
WILL SUE ARMY MEN.

Superintendent scott, OF the Military
Academy, and Lieut.. Col. Robert L.
Howe, commandant of cadets, Who arr
to be sued by Mrs. Elizabeth Fairfa1
Ayres for 800, 900 damages for exclud
ing her from West Point military reser
vatioD, are away now, while Capt. l.
w. Oliver, assistant instructor of tactics
and General Stephen G. Mills, inspector
will not discuss the matter.
Ever since the famous Easter parade
when Commandant Howe objected tC
girls wearing the cadets oye,costs, and
sent a sergeant to pluck the garments fol
the good of discipline, the academy ha:
buzzed with the sayings and doings Of
MIS-. Elizabeth Fairfax Ayres, OF Vir'
GINA. 1t was she who protested heated
" against the action Of the cOmmandan
in despoiliDg the young women OF the
overcoats during downpOur of very
heavy rain, and it was she, according t
he officers, who saw to it that the story
got into the newspapers, with trimmings
Just stout that time Mrs. Ayres, who
is the wife of Col. Charles G. Ayres, JUS
returned from service in the Philippines
got the idea that her SOD, Henry Fair
fax, a second-Class man, was being uu
justly disciplined. She limited thatsi
was case of jealously, and that " tin
soldiers " were envious Of the brilliant
military record of her husband, and were
trying to get even by demeritiDg the boy
wherever half chance th.red.
By special permission Mrs. Ayres wal
living on the reservation with her daugh
ter Emily, and constantly meeting off
GERS of The post. 1t was not long unit
Commandant Howe snd Capt. l.. W.
Oliver, the assistant instructor in tactics,
felt they had cause to complain of heI
attitude toward them. In April, Capt.
Oliver wrote letter 10 an official in the
War Department, declaring that Mrs.
Ayres had sui ected him to hum Hat
ing attack, and had referred insultingly
to Commandment Howzs.
Commandant Howe indorsed thai
letter strongly. He wrote in his In
dorsement that the conduct of Mrs.
Ayres had been repseheusible, aud al
times, in the presence of the cadets,
remarkably vicious. Col. Scott, super
intendent of the Academy, wrote a letter
at the same time to AJjt. Gen. Aims
worth in Washington, suggesting thai
the War Department take some action.
Then Lieut.. Col. Stephen @. Mills,
inspector general, came to the Academy
from Washington.
AS result of bis investigation it was
recommended that Mrs. Ayres be not
permitted to enjoy the privilege OF liv'
ing on the government reservation al
West Point while her husband WAS with
his regiment in the Philippines.
Tne War Department has refused, SO
far, absolutely to discuss the case of Mrs.
Ayres, but it is known definitely that
Secretary Taft has approved the recon-
mendation ofthe inspector general in re-
gard TO the woman.
Mrs. Ayres, with her daughter, left
the reservation about the time Col.
Stephen C. Mills began the official in
vestigation. She went to live in rooms
at Highland Falls Col. Ayres got back
from the Philippines last Saturday, but
be has not been talking much about his
w.fe's troubles with the officers in West
Point. He was with bis wife and dsugh
ter yesterday at Highland Falls, wheu
he received lelter from the War De-
partment. He would not say what the
lstter contained, but declared he would
out il in his LAWYERS hands.