The Stanford interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1911-1912, 1912-02-02
CASWELl SAUFLEY d.
PRACTICALLY ENUMERATED


Washington, February 1,-Ensigr
u. G. Saufley, L. ). N, of Kentucky
has practically been exonerated OF
the serious charges under which he
was recently court martialed ut the
Norfolk navy yard. Secretary of the
Navy Meyer to-day overruied the
court martial finding which recon-
mended loss of three numbers and
IA reprimand. The loss of the mum
members will not be imposed and only
the reprlmand, for the sake of dis
Icipline, will be given.
! Every effort was made at the Navy
Department To make the punishment
such a. it is, appear light and favor
able To the youuo officer. The
charges under which Ensign Saufley
was tried were based on negligence
in reporting promptly needed repairs
To hs command. the torpedo boat
Riddle and his subsequent protest
against taking the vessel to sea
when ordered to stand by the collie
Stcrlirc .on December q. when the
latter was ashore off the Virginia
capc-.
Mitigating circumstances were
found by Secretary Meyer In review
iirg th" pap.rs ia the ease, II was
brought out in the evidence that the
young officer had verbally reported
tie needed repairs To the captain of
the Norfolk navy yard short time
before he received order, TO get under
way, but failed to lay sufficient
stress upon the necessity for i'm
mediate attention.
Examination of the Biddie by the
cGgr: showed that the vessel was
leaking forward. While this was de
clared a. insufficient To make the
ship unseaworthy, 1t was explained
at the Navy Department that the of
ticer's youthfulness and inexperience
in command of vessels excused him in
hi belief that it was.
Another reason advanced by En-
sigl Saufley for not taking his com
mand Ia sea when protesting To the T
ward official was that he "was no,
feeling we'll. The young officer put
his disposition 80 midi, that il
raised the ire of his superior>. 1t
developed during the trial that he was
~ i'll that he had to he almost ear !
ried To the telephone and supported
by others while talking. (
The action of Secretary Meyer to-
day met with nearly approval IN ma
val citCles. The rrprimand in view /
of the circumstances. will not be con- /
sldered a. IN any way iniuring En- ,
sign Sautley'S standing. The an
Gomccmet of the final disposition of
the ease was only made after the
most careful consideration of prac-
,Ically all the high officials and Of
I'iccTs of the navy.
Ensign Saui,ey conducted his own
defense before the court martial and
j. said Ia have handled his ease very
-kilfully.
II was positively stated by Secre-
tary Meyer that no charge of COW
ardice. IL has been reported at vari-
ous times. was placed against the
Young man. lie Also declared that
the worst that could be charged
against Ensign Saufley WAS delay in
reporting and seeing TO the
repairs his boa, required. lie was
excused on this point by Officers of
The department because the Biddlr
was his first individual command. and
Ihs, he had only been in charge of
he vessel for about two and hAif
I.iic.Wily speaking. however, there
had hreu di~obcdicnce of orders. and
i j. for this that the reprimand will
he given. Il Wa, pointed out to-day
that had he been an oder office
with more experience he would have
put 10 sea- without questioning and
taken ms chance.
The result Of the affair only adds
~ the long list of poor mauaerm nj
mr. something akin to that which
has followed the No folk ward for
-owe time INST.
Ersiprl Snpf'ey j. on board the
Kansas. now in Guantan-
'mo. Cuba, fieura'ivcly sneakino.
''mder arrest. lie has had H.
freedom to go ard come. hat has not
been permitted ~ DISCHARGE the dp-
tics that would ordmarfv fall 90
him until after the court martial
matter was closed