New-York tribune., 1913-07-24
COMMODORE PLEADS
FOR SLEEPING SOLDIER
FOrsheW, Before General Court
Martial, Tells of Taking Re.
vOIver from Sentinel.
NIGHT TRIAL IS DRAMATIC
High National Guard Officers
Take Part in the Formal Ar.
raignment of Private
William H. Allen.

the New York National Guard were EVIL
denced i'm a striking manner last night
when a general court martial met to try
Private William II. Allen, of Battery D
I'd Field Artillery. on a charge Of being
asleep while on guard at his post AL
len. who has served seventeen years in
the national guard and is veteran NJ
the Spanish war, faces the extreme pen
atty of expulsion without honor from
| his regiment.
The court martial. appointed by Major
General John f. Organ. sat in the old
| 22d Regiment armory. at 67th street
and Broadway. Seated around the table,
with uniforms correct to the last detail.
were Colonel Charles l. de Bevoise. ID
Cavalry, president Of the court; Captain
James f. Austin. 1st Field ARTILLERY:
First Lieutenant Clarence " Radcliffe.
eth Infantry; First Lieutenant Harold
! Lawson. lst Pield Artillery, and Lieu.
tenant Robert A. White, 1st Field Ar
| tillery.
Before them. for the national guard.
appeared Major Almet r. Latson. Judge
advocate attached to the I'd Brigade
whose position was similar 10 that of a
district attorney Captain John p. Ev-
erett. OF Company ID, 69th Regiment.
who successfully defended other ma.
tional guard men in similar proceedings.
appeared as counsel for Allen.
While highly technical I'm the way il
was conducted, the court martial, from the
start, was dramatic. Even in a time OF
peace, the ceremony of trying a man out.
side of a court Of justice on a quasi
criminal charge was noticeable for the
seriousness in which 1t was surrounded
Even the armed orderlies at the door
helped TO gfIe the appearance of martial
dignity.
Post Near Rifle Range.
As exclusively told in The Tribune.
Allen was not simply charged with a
technical violation OF military regulations,
but with being asleep while on guard last
Nav at an entrance TO the state rife
range near Peekskill From his station a
road led 10 the range and opened on Il
in such a way that any one unfamiliar
with the camp would have been danger
ously exposed 10 the rife fire. At the
time OF the alleged breach Of discipline
detachments Of the naval militia were
firing continuously.
In the same manner In whicn criminal
trials are conducted. Mayor batson pro-
duced the first states witness Leuten-
ant George p. Hill. OF the Ith Regiment
who was i'm command OF provisional de-
,acbuent sent 70 the sta[e camp as
markers and scorers OF the rife practice.
Hill testified that because OF the DANGER
Gus way in which a road approached the
range he had stationed Allen TO pre'eh'
any one from going up.
"I told him 70 stay AT his posi- az 'o'e
as the shooting continued and see 70
,ha, the iron gate at the foot OF the
road was kept closed Hill said
Ia,son and Everett then engaged N
long arpument as 10 the admission oi
mrs statement Of the orders ne haa
GIVEN Allen. The question was raised IN
@a,.,-d ~ three service medals Allen wore
hts tunic IL was decided that ne
sho,,ld he permitted 10 retain them at MS
trial. .,.t.h
Il told Allen he was charged WIN
! bsing asleep. and he said. 'Ihey We so'
80 y.ropg''' continued Lieutenant Hill
corrrodore Forshew Asks Clemeney'
,,,,,,,odora Robert p. Forshev. COM
manding officer Of the naFaI Hl'ud' was
then called TO the stand.
81 came toward the gate in an au'o-
nohila" the commodore said ana sa"
Allen living on the stone wall oeslue ''o
cate asleep. | went to him. shooA n'n'
o,s drev his revolver from his holster
rha, Allen got up and l gave him oacA
the revolver, after seeing that II "aSn
,o,aod Allen refused TO let me 80
through the gate. and would not Iet me
IT,, hin, while he went TO the range
| and stopped ne firing
.I want 10 say" continued Commooore
| porshew. that Aliens conduct ai'er 10
,yss awake was that Of a soldier ana 'ns'
,r the face Of temptation. knowing "ho
was ne did his duty properly. ! ssn
that clemercy be eXerted In his oehai'
Then Allen. ruddy OF face and nervous
~ clasping his hands, told his stor'' no
denied he was asleep. and said he "'s
wing on the wall to rest. He let Com
modore Forshew take his reVoNer' "s
said. las practical joke
Three days before" said Alleh'
ceiyed an injection Of typhoid serum
All that day and the next was u'"1'
and a-owsv. and had considerable pain
and on Monday. when | was pIaceu on
r.,ard. I was still drowsy. | didn't report
| sick because ! didn't want TO give h'
didn't want the boys to think was
sqUealer.
a
ter" witness-Lieutenant Colonel ff'hN
n Hines, of the I'd Field Artillery.
ALIENS reputation as soldier VI
ways tas,been good" said Colonei Hines
Letters were produced to tine same ti-
feet, one from Colonel Daniel App'elo"'
o. the 7th Regiment in when A"e"
served thirteen years. and one from lieu'
teran, John j. Stephens, jr., Aliens I'M
mediate superior.
Spirit of Soldier, He Says.
In his summing up" Captain E'e'''
said:
"Allen had been submitted 10 an inJec'
ton of typhoid serum something W'"N"
even the army surgeons admit Is sun s'
experiment You have been told that nc
had been sick previously But ne uion'
want to give in 1t was the same splri'
which extends not only through the COW
mel OF the regiment and the other oneefS'
but To the rank and file. Allen tried 70
fight his drowsiness
I'm the seventeen years he has ser'e1
there never before has been chais'
against him. and ask you not TO dismss
him from the service where he mas uee"
an honorable member