The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-15
HE IS SENTENCED
TO PRISON TERN
Gets Five Years Confinement at
Hard Labor on Charge OF Scan
dalous Conduct Tending to
Destruction of Good Morals"
His Sensational Story
Is Denied.
Special to The Times-Dispatch.I


tending 20 the destruction of good
morals" as charged in the specification
on which he was arra!gned. W. w.
Dickey. chief commissary steward on
the battleship Kansas has, been SEN
fenced by the court martial. which
convened here December 2. TO five
years confinement at hard labor the
maximum penalty.
Preliminary 10 an appeal 20 the
Secretary of the Navy, r Randolph
Hicks. OF Norfolk. counsel FOR Dickey.
Immediately after the announcement
OF the sentence. took steps 10 perfect
habeas corpus proceedings py which
10 prevent the transfer OF the prisoner
10 Portsmouth. y. H. where the SEN
tence is to be served. II was said that
plans had been made TO carry Dtckey
TO Portsmouth at once
The trial OF Dickey was conducted
with the utmost secrecy. and neither
the exact nature OF the charge nor the
evidence adduced in the trial was
learned until to-day. when Mr.. Hicks
disclosed the grounds on which he said
he would appeal the case 10 the
Secretary OF the Navy. and II neces-
sary. TO the President
The court was comprised OF Captain
Roger Wells. Of the battleship Louis
lana president: Commander III. Il
Price. Lieuten Snt-Commande A NJ
Cook. LieutenantCommande E H.
Delaney, Paymaster c. II. Peoples.
Lieutenant Commander W. H Jehries.
Captain J. c. Breckenridge, Captain a.
II. Mark. Judge advocate
brought $4,000 Damage SUIT
A $4,000 damage suit. alleging false
irr.prisonment IN advance of the charge
was brought two weeks ago by Dickey
against Rear Admiral Doyle. OF the
Norfolk Navy Yard, Captain Wells.
Captain Mark and others.
The charge against Dickey arose in
cident to an investigation by the Navy
Department into alleged irregularities
on the part Of certain government con-
tractors and stewards of the fleet IN
the purchase Of conmissary stores
According 70 the evidence before the
court-martial. Dickey. who had been
promised immunity. signed paper
corroborat;nz a statement by George
T Davis. also a commissary steward
which the department purposed using
in the probe OF commissary transac-
lions. Subsequently he was witness
before the board OF inquiry investi-
eating the commissary AFFAIR. and on
that occasion repud!ated as false the
statement which he had signed ana
which was offered as evidence at the
inquiry.
Following the latter declaration.
Dickev was cited to answer the charge
OF "scandalous conduct tending to the
destruction OF good morals" the basis
for which was that one or the other
OF his conflicting statements, both
made under oath. was false. The real
charge which II was assumed he had
TO answer was perjury, but the speci-
fcations. Il was Claimed, neither so
stated nor gave concrete declaration
Of any specific charge. and that is one
Of the grounds on which Dickey's at
torney will seek to have the court-mar-
tial verdict annulled. Dickey's attor-
ney contends, and so argued TO the
court-martial. that the accused COM
missary was at an unfair disadvantage
because ~ not having known pre-
cisely what the charge was
story Told by Dfckey.
The outstanding feature OF the tes-
timony before the court-martial was
the story told by Dickey Of the cir
cumstances which he declared attended
his signing the statement which he
later asserted was false and Of how
he believed these circumstances would
vindicate his action.
Dickey testified that on October
he was sent t. the battleship Louis
lana. then in Hampton Roads. and told
by Captain Mark. OF the Marine Corps.
that he was desired as a witness in the
comnissary investigation.
He told me-" Dickey continued.
that Chief Commisssry steward
George T. Davis had made confes-
sion. and that he wanted me to cor
roborate what Davis had Said. told
him I was irnocen; Of any wronsdoing.
and felt reasonably certain that any
thing Davis had said. against me wosll
injure me In no way
He told Of how. when he persisted
in protesting innocence. Captain Mark
Informed him he was under arrest and
sent him TO Louisiana. where he was
placed In solitary confinement When
he had been IN tho brig Jay or so. he
testified he etided 81 would b. letter
10 lead Captain Mark 60 believe ne
would corroborate the Davis state
mcnt thinking thereby 20 gain liberty
for a sufficient time 60 employ "a law
ser. At his next interview with Cap
tain Mark. he told him be wouli cor
roborate a part Of what Davis had
said. subsequently he mace state
mcnts. he said. 20 both Captain Mark
and Pay Inspector Bonnanon similar
20 those nc signed several weeks
later. Then h. was returned TO the
Kansas. and was there thrown INTO
the brig again. I'm solitary confinement
i vas not allowed TO communicate
with any one" he said. Il made an
official request to Captain Hoogewcrt
TO be allowed 70 communicate with
counsel. and he called me 20 tho quar-
ter deck and said " attempted &C
communicate with any one on the out
size he would take action In my case
d-n quick I was kept on the kansss
urtf1 November .. on which date Pay
Inspector Bonnaffon came aboard the
ship. That was the first time ] had