Las Vegas optic., 1914-03-11
SOLDIER CHARGED
WITH NUMEROUS
OFFENSES
MEMBER OF NATIONAL GUARD AT.
TRINIDAD TO BE TRIED
BY coURTMARTIAL

Trinidad, Colo, March 11.-Thirty-
three separate and specific charges of
misconduct and violation Of the army
regulations, including serious civil
charges such as burglary and larceny,
assault and battery, threats and re-
ceiving stolen goods, have been pre-
ferred against Private John A. Cross
of Company K, Colorado National
Guard who is being tried by court
martial. Cross. a former Denver law
student and a member of the college
company" is being charged with
these offenses by Captain Philip Van
Cice. The court martial began yester-
day at Camp San Rafael and will CON
tinue for several days. Cross is charg-
ed with about every offense in the
military category.
Colonel Yinginfelter is presiding
over the court martial and Captain
Hildreth Frost is acting as Judge adj
vocate. Captain Van Cise appears as
prosecuting attorney and Captain Ed
A. Smith in the defense Of the soldier.
The findings of the court martial
must be reviewed finally by Governor
Ammons, who is the commander in
chief of the national guard
Cross is alleged to have stolen di-
vers and sundry things such as a
winter cap and one olive drab blanket.
He is charged with manifesting dis
respect to superior officers. At Lud-
low on March 4 the private is alleged
to have said, 4 am tired of the joke
meals you have sent to me and am
not going to work ON an empty stom-
aeh. am under the DOCTORS orders,
not yours" Further. he is alleged to
have said to Captain Van Cise, I'll
be d. if do guard duty and work
in the rifle pit"
Private Cross, it is charged, did in
cite other members OF the company TO
mutiny by inducing another private
to disobey orders. and did himself re-
fuse to lug coal to the guard tent"
He failed to attend to his duties at
camp, so saith the specifications.
1t is charged that Private Cross did
refuse to work. reigning sickness,
and did threaten to shoot any man
that pointed bayonet at him." And
Cross is alleged to have sought to
slip one over on the medical corps
doctor by holding a thermometer over
hot stove and then putting it to his
"feverish brow" to indicate that he
was sure a sick man"
Private Cross was absent without
leave many a time and often, accord
| ing to the specifications.
Private Cross is charged with hav-
ing induced one Private Healey to de-
sert the guard.
It is charged that he did take, steal
and carry away cigars, cigarettes and
whisky for one Pete Montelli, at Lud-
low, saloon man.
Private Cross did maliciously as
sault and beat Private c. Farwell, is
the text OF another charge.
In sooth, Private Cross is charged
with about everything under the sun.
He appears to have been a ..bad egg
and to have been a thorn in the side
Of the officers in camp seeking to
enforce strict military discipline.
Here are some Of the offenses with
which cross is charged:
Behaving with disrespect toward
commanding officer, melting and com
mencing mutiny and sedition in the
guard absence from duty in the rifle
pit, neglect Of duty to the prejudice
Of good order and discipline, breach
OF discipline, violent abuse Of and
threats made to another private, lar
ceny of one blanket, disobedience Of
orders, absence without leave, alb
sence from reveille, persuading a SOL
dier to desert, receiving stolen goods,
burglary and assault and battery.