The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-09
SENSATION AT
 WEST POINT Officer Ayres Arraigns
 Military Custom. WILL SUPPORT WIPES SUIT Mrs. Ayres Had Been Excluded
 from Military Academy. Lieutenant-ColoneI Is Ritter Tn Denun- citation of Army Practices--Says
 sIilitary Court I. . 9Brace Came"
WILL SUPPORT WIPES SUIT

ard Wood would cost him his comniis-
 sion in the United States Army have
 been received repeatedly by Lieuten-
 ant Colonel Charles G. Ayres. accord
 ng to statement which he made pub
 lie today.
 i In defending his wife, Mrs. Eliza
 beth A. Ayres from criticism by offi-
 cers of the military academy, and sup
 porting her suit to recover s1oo.00o in
 damages from those officers. Leuten-
 ant Colonel Ayres said that he had
 been tried on many charges and that
 he has been told many times that part
 of the animostty toward him has been
 caused by his friendship for General
 Wood. That officer. himself, Lieuten-
 ant Colonel Ayres said. mas for years
 warned him frequently to be careful.
 The lieutenant colonel said that he re-
 garded General Wood as one of the
 ablest men in the country, and that
 he was one of the few officers who
 went to General Woods camp to con-
 gratulate him when he was promoted
 from colonel to brigadier general.
 Ayres was, one of the ofi1cers on Gen.
 eral woods firing line at Santiago.
 The controversy at West Point first
 attracted public attention at the Eas-
 ter parade of the catiets. when Lieu
 tenant coI~sel Robert l.. Howse. com
 mandant of the academy. sent ser-
 seant to take away the cadets over,
 coats which they had loaned to girl
 spectators during shower. Officers
 of the academy blamed Mrs. Ayres for criticism of the commandants action and for some public notice taken of It. Mrs. Ayres. who then lived on the government reservation, resented this and she left West Point to reside in Highland Falls, near by. t 3-.---l he~ 1NtfN.
 lieutenant ColoneI Charles O. Ayres today came to the sup port of his wife Mrs. Eliza beth F. Ayrss. of Virginia, in her action for st0o.o0o damages aEainst the Ecemnanding oleer of the minsary ideclared today that the charge that I the influence of women at West Point Lis detrimental to the cadets or the academy, is due to jealousy, and that the criticism of Mrs. Ayres Is tissue of faIsehood by ofncers of the army anx ious to hurt Mrs. Ayres. He added that to attempt to settle the matter by appeal to a military court wouiu be suicidal as his experience has con vinced him that military investigations are a farce and have been used for years as means to, destroy an ofdcers record. In the course of his statement, Lieu tenant-COlOnel AyreS alluueu Lo tuS 1SI ton taken by the secretary of war as the result of the conflict between Mrs. Ayres and the oficers of the academy, which action, he said, excluded Mrs Ayres from the academy.
 Tn making his statement, Lieutenant Colonel Ayres said he deeply regret ted the present situation, as ne IS greatly attached to the academy. As to the treatment of his son, Henry r. Ayres, a cadet at the acaAsmy. by the commanding officers. he said that Mrs Ayres was first told more than a year ago by officers and cauets that her son was being singled outHor per- secution. The son. he said, has never mentioned this subject to his parents. but has accepted his punishment, but other cadets were not punished as he had been for the same offenses. The boy. he said has already been recom- mended three times to be given medal for saving lives and one of his instructors had informed Lieutenant
 Colonel Ayres of his sons gellantry and calmness. Lieutenant-Colonel Ayres declared that his wife appealed to the authorities for protection and tried, in the absence of her hus- hand. to defend herself as any high spirited woman might The result was. he said. a cowardly attack upon
 her and her husband. the result or wears or UldtsCO oPANO e%c~~-~ man and woman who never intention ally harmed a human being and against a man who never let an insult pass. The attack, he said. was first maoe upon Mrs. Ayres and was given to the newspapers by those in authority at West Point.
 Appeal for Protection.
 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 As for the reason for taking the mat ser before the civil Instead of mill | tary court, Lieutenant- Colonel Ayres | declared that a maJor-general told nm | riftaen years ago never to appeal to nny kind of a military tribunal Tor ! ia might as we'll be tried byfcroeodiles. | Iteutenant Colonel Ayres said he has l been warned repeatedly to Dc careful us an effort was to be made 10 force l him out of the army, and that Leonard Wood was one of those who had warned him. He declared that this animosity arose from his friendship with General wood whose firing line he commanded at Santiago The lieutenant-colonai l said he was one of the few men who congratulated Wood when he was made | a brigadier general. The ofncer as- serted that he had been tried on many charges and If he had been giutly | would nave been forced set-es es-sse army long ago.
 ,rhe action of the secretary of war. he added, was taken on the report Of Tnspector General stephen c. Mills, who was sent to the academy to inves- l tigate the charges and counter-charges growing out of the case. military co,,rt Iieutenant- Colonel Ayres sad, would be composed of such officers that inc case would plainly be what is called a brace game.
 The officer declared that Colonel MiIls will be compelled to answer 10 suit for malicious islander and eompell- od to prove his statements.
 lieutenant- Colonel Ayres said he would support his wife's suit
 Rooker at White House.