Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-18
Local Court-Martial Cases.

r. ID Battalion of Engineers was convict
ed by court MARTA lat Fort Myer. Va. of
the charge of absence without leave and
sentenced totem days confinement at hard
labor and to forfeit $40 of his pay.
Private Ebert r. Sandland Company F..
I'd Battalion of Engineers. was acquitted
by court-martial of the charge of larceny
and restored to duty
Private Maurice Gheen. Company Fl, I'd
battalion of Engineers. was convicted by
court martial at Fort Myer of the charg
of being absent without leave and sen
fenced to four months confinement at hard
labor and to forfeit $40 of his pay Cen.
Grant. commanding the department.
amended the sentence so as to make the
term of imprisonment three months and
the forfeiture S36.
Major Mearns' Retirement.
The case of Maj. A. c. Mearns of the
Army Medical Corps is causing consider
able gossip among army officers on ac-
count of it's peculiar features AS is we'll
known that officer has been invited to ac-
company Mr.. Roosevelt on his hunting
expedition into the wilds OF Africa after
big game, and is undoubtedly booked for
an extremely strenuous experience for
several months to come. In the face OF
this prospect of hardships and activity it
is found that he is not physically capa-
Bile of performing the ordinary duties OF
surgeon in the army Consequently he
is to be transferred 10 the retired list
with the advanced rank of lieutenant colo
mel. The effect is to relieve him of all
military duty and leave him free to do
what he pleases. HIS pay as retired
lieutenant colonel is about equal to his
pay as an active major. SO that he suf-
fers no financial loss by the change The
nature of Col. Mearns' physical disa bill
ity Is not disclosed. but at any rate il
VIII not. it is stated. prevent his going
into the interior of Africa with MIR. Roose-
welt.
Col Mearns is a native of New York
and an old friend of the President He
has had two tours in the Philippines. and
has done a vast amount of interest np
work in natural history. He has placed a
great many of his specimens in the col
lection at the Smithsonian Institution. He
graduated from Columbia University in
1881. and is fifty-two years old. He has
been stationed of late at Fort Totem II
is understood that his selection to be
one of the Roosevelt party is made to COM
bine the presence of a medical attendant
with the services of a man who is an ac-
curate naturalist to collaborate on the lit
erary bag well as the game output
of the trip.
Important Naval Changes.
Several important changes in naval
commands are announced at the Navy
Department Capt n. T.. Niles is de-
tached from command of the receiving
ship Hancock at New York and ordered
to duty as governor of the Naval II ome.
Philade pnia. Capt. S. w. B. Diehl is
ordered to command the Hancock. Capt.
T. f. D. W. Veeder has been detached
from command OF the bat;leship Alabama
and ordered to duty as captain of .he
navy yard New York:
Medical Inspector r. Anderson, now at
navy yard, Mare Island. Cal. has henn
ordered to command the United States
naval hospital al Annapolis, Md
Big Naval Dock at Honolulu.
Plans FOR one of the largest dry docks
in the world for the new naval station
at Pearl Harbor. near Honolulu. have
been approved by the Secretary Of the
Navy. Congress voted about 100000
for naval base near Honolulu, to be
equipped fully for caring for the largest
battleshps af1Oat This appropriation
will have to be increased, however. in
order that all the neces airy details may
be added. 1t is the plan of the Navy
Depa rtment ultimately to establish Il
complete navy yard there. The Pearl
Harbor dock will be 1,1eo feet in length,