The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-25
How 4 Marine
Slipped His Cable.
torlr,ual.I


when every sailor, whether officer or
seaman, has his rights. But there are
natural tyrnnts who are by nature ty-
rannical, and Peabody was one Of
them. though he kept within the reg
tilations. using Insult instead Of COM
mltting violation of an officers re-
strictlons. s4
Tom Spencer was marine on board
United States cruiser. He was a
good soldier. always spick and span
and was well educated. The reason
for his enlisting In the marine corps
was that he hoped some day by good
conduct to secure commission. For
some reason or other Peabody con-
celved dislike for Spencer. Some
said The reason was that Peabody had
been appointed to the academy from
the gutter and 1t had failed to make
him anything but Il gutter snipe, while
Spencer had enlisted from the parlor
and could only he gentleman. BE
this as 1t may. whenever Peabody got
n chance to put the screws on to Spen-
Ger he did 1t In as irritating and dis
There was n fire smolderlng In Spen-
GERS breast which nothing but the mu-
tiny laws could keep from breaking
out into n volcanic eruption.
There had been n liberty party on
shore and some of the leave men had
got into fight with the nntives-the
cruiser was lying off the coast Of
Darn, xvpan /thay rat,,ruad Dao-
body was officer Of the deck. Spencer
was one of them and gave evidence of
his part In the fracas by having his
uniform torn to shreds. Peabody seized
upon this to storm ut him and. his
hatred getting the better Of his dis
erection. used common opprobrious
, epithet I'm connection with Spencer's
mother. Like flash the marines right
arm went out, and the ensign went
sprawllng on the deck.
Here was a case of mutiny. In some
of the worlds navies even In time of
peace to strike an officer means death.
The penalty Is not SO severe In the
United States navy. but It means i'm
prlsonment. Spencer was put I'm irons
and charges preferred against him.
1t was in the hot season, and there Is
no telling how long time may elapse
before a man may be brought before
court martial. 1t was probable that
Spencer would either be sent home I'M
der guard for trial or would be held
| till the cruiser went north. 1t was too
hot to keep him between decks for an
indefinite time. and he was given the
liberty of the ship during the day, only
being put into the brig at ''plpe down."
The ships master at arms was made
responsible for him and watched him
to see that he didn't get away to shore.
1t was grim prospect for the prison
err The insult he had received would
! be no palliation for his offense. He
might have preferred chnrges against
Peabody. but on no account could he
have taken the law into his hands. In
stead of a commission. he would doubt
less get at the least calculation dis
honorable discharge and several years
ut some naval prison. He was the pic
ture of woe as lie lounged about and
an object of sympathy with his ship
mates. who hated Peabody.
| Spencer, who was In the social
scale far above his comrades, had but
few intimate companions. His only
chum was Bob Sawin. whose father
was q captain of merchant vessel
Bob was great scapegrace and gen.
orally conceded to be the most reckless
man on the cruiser.
The trouble on land had subsidized and
liberty parties were again going ashore.
| They usually left the ship at four bells
In the evening. One afternoon Sawin
put In an application for liberty. There
was a young ensign aboard who had
been i'll ever since the cruiser had left
United States shores. and on this very
afternoon he had returned TO duty and
was officer of the deck. 1t was his
part to call or the names of the liberty
| party.
When Sawin's name was called,
Spencer, well got up In his best uni
form for shore leave. stepped forward.
! with Here, sir" saluted, went down
the ladder and took his place In the
(, launch. The ensign didn't know him
from any other marine. There. was
! suppressed surprise on the faces of the
4 men who knew well enough that Spen-
Ger was not Sawln, but never a man
I spoke. and when the party was check
Z ell Off the cutter bore them. Spencer
y sitting In the stern sheets. to the dock.
4 Meanwhile Bob Sawin, was hiding
under tarpaulin on the fo'c's'le.
There he remained TIL darkness spread
friendly mantle far more to the pur-
pose, then let himself stealthily down
by the anchor chains dlyed, swan
under water as far as he could hold
his breath, came to the surface aid
swan to shore. The next morning he
returned with the party I'm Spencer's
uniform.
Spencer as soon as he found himself
ashore made for the mountains and
within few days was lost to any
searching party that might be sent for
him. He had some back pay stored
away In his pockets, by means of
which In time he returned to the Unit
ed States. He was not missed aboard
ship till the master at arms hunted for
4 him at pipe down to put him In the