The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-08
TIRED OF WORK.
Why Claude Beagle, Aged %, Became
Deserter.

Claude Beagle, % years old, is un-
der arrest at the police station as a
deserter. Beagle readily confessed his
IDENTITY and told his story to the re-
built young fellow and appears to be
| intelligent beyond the average. He
was member of the Fifth regiment
OF cavalry. stationed at Fort Wingate
He enlisted the first of this year. When
pressed for a reason for his desertion
! he declared that he liked soldier life,
put that he was tired of working as a
DAY lanorer in the bargain. He said
that Fort Wingate was an old post
| ana had been partly burned down a
short time ago. The prfvates are USED
In all the departments of the work of
| building up the fort. They handled
pick and shovel. carpenters tools and
| paint brushes, to say nothing of road
| making.
II got tired of the work" said
Beagle. land skipped out I made a
big mistake, and knew 1t before I had
gone 100 miles from the post. I
started to turn back. but did not do it,
The main cause of my desertfon, now
ever, was my mother. She is an old
lady. and lives all alone at Flint, Mich
My brother is also soldier in the
regular army, and she kept writing to
| me about her troubles and wanting
me to come home. I sent her all the
money I could save from my pay, but
to Flint when your men nabbed me.
| I suppose 1 will get two years in mill
tary prison for this / wanted to see
| my mother, but am just two years or
from her now
Beagle tried to talk unconcerned,
but his voice broke when he talked of
| his mother and he went back to his
cot. He still had on his army shirt
but had changed his other clothes.
Job 11I
| arrested by a special railroad officer
| on larceny charge and turned over
to the city court. The complaint Is
that Rick entered a Santa Fee box car
and stole music box and pair Of
canvas shoes. n
Frank Perry. little boy about ten
years old. was taken UP by the police
and later turned over to- the juvenile
court as a neglected child. The court
sent him home. Frank is bright lit
tie chap Of the regular street gamin
type. He declared to the officers that
his stepfather was cruel to him and
turned him out to shift for himself.
before. This boy is wise TO All the
iniauity of the streets and byways and
yet is likable in spite of it all, on ac-
count OF his naive and bright. frank
Fadden in the 1atter's latest mono
logues.
Among other things disposed of by
the district court Saturday was the
case of Mike Heery against the city
for $3.50 damages and an order COM
pelling the city to fill the streets In
front of his two lots in the northwest
corner of North Topeka. Mr.. Heery
| claimed that his lots We're washed out
during the flood of 1908 and damaged
| in the above sum. Also that the
streets on both sides of the two lots
were washed out in such a manner as
| to further damage the lots unless the
excavation was filled. The evidence
| showed that the two lots in question
were never at any time worth more
| than $50 a piece and that IN their
present condition were worth practi-
ca1ly nothing. Judge Dana held that
| the city did not have 10 pay $3.50
| damages and spend another $3.50 fill
| ing the streets to save a couple of lots
| worth at the most about $40.