The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1912-08-15
IONGSTRETH DEFENDS
MALTA ENCAMPMENT
SAYS. NEWSPAPERS GREATLY
MAGNIFIED REPORTS OF
DISORDER.
Froh Saturdays Daily.

Editor Log Cabin Democrat:
Dear Sir and Friend-Some of US
have been fully disguised by the way
some insignificant talk has been mag
nified into matters of great import
ance, by some of the papers of the
state, and that the Conway people
may know the truth and not be alarm
ed at big headlines avowedly written,
II have assumed the duty of writing
you an occasional letter.
| desire to state that Camp Stafford
was the most quiet, orderly, best-man-
aged military encampment | ever saw.
So far as l know, there was only one
"stabbing affair" The captain had
one of the boys placed under arrest
and sent him to the sheriff to be turn
ed over to the civil authorities.
The prosecuting attorney, sheriff
and district judge conducted the en-
tire case. The comment of the judge,
after hearing the evidence, was that
The believed the fellow who got hurt
deserved more than he got, and that
he saw nothing in the case to warrant
referring the matter to the grand
jury, and accordingly discharged the
boy.
You possibly heard of the Fordyce
affair. The editorials, as you possibly
recall. state that fiction in its place
was all right, but in a case like that
reported from Fordyce, the truth
should, in a measure, have a show,
or words to that effect.
The men interested in the Fordyce
affair have volunteered to pay three
times the actual damages, but to their
surprise, when they had received the
! money, they learned that the actual
damages had increased from $38 to
about 5000, so | am informed by the
men who expected to settle for the
damages.
AS | said, practically all of the mil
itary men in camp had no money with
them, and what little crapshooting
there may have been was done more
for amusement than with the idea of
gambling for profit land as l report
ed to the chaplain of the regiment, it
seemed to me that the regiment need
ed and would have enjoyed and appre-
ciated a Y. M. C.. A. tent more than
anything else that usually accompa-
! ,,,n ioh ,rt
have.
The lessons in hygiene and santa
ton at this encampment will have
lasting benefit throughout the state,
and was better than SO per cent of
the school yards in Arkansas.
On the long hike on Saturday, every
member of Co. A came through in
good shape, and when the bugle
sounded for payday, every man was
in his place.
The breaking of camp was an in
teresting scene, each one being in
readiness at the sound of the bugle.
Every tent dropped instantly. We en-
trained promptly at $40 p. M, on the
9th inst, all having sleeping car ac-
commodations. Travel rations were
issued and with the coffee secured at
Little Rock, the men were in good con-
dition when they arrived at the range
at .Beebe, at 9 a. m.,, on August z. By
this time all of the men were expe-
rienced We divided our company in
to squads for detail of four men each
and signed each detail different work
to do, and by II o'clock our new en-
campment was established and the
grounds had been cleaned up.
AS you know, First Sergeant Smith
returned tS camp with five of the boys
who were unable to go to Alexandria.
was commissioned to act as sum-
mary court officer for the week, and
we spent Monday evening leisurely
trying to settle a case where one of
the boys had gone to town without
first securing official permission. The
punishment was from 25 cents fine to
so cents fine and five hours hard la
Dor. Lieutenants Jones and Cunning
ham were detailed to have charge of
the firing pit for the day. Company
X began the preliminary firing with
Company H of Yellville, Companies
A and B acting as spectators. Com
napu will rot IFS first preliminary