The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-19

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AS TO william Wasteney, he frank
/ " admitted to me that he had over
stayed hts leave, and having run out
Of money. had been unable to get
back. that he was on his way to the
old Dominion docks dressed in over
alls when arrested, that his intention
was to work his way to Norfolk on
one or the Old Dominion boats, which
accounts for his being dressed in the
suspicious and discriminating apparel
of II lalprer. / have received ixfQr-
nation from the com manding officer
OF the United States steamship North
Carolina eoTrebeFattng NaSt@ney
statement that ne is straegier. n
is not 4 deserter. There is vast diff
ference between a deserter and a
straggler, y strsggler is a man who
has overstayed his leave with no in
tention of deserving. lie may have
missed his train, run out of money.
or been prevented from returning on
time from any number of reasons.
The Case of oakley.
AS to Edward oakley, the other Of
the three men. he stated 70 me that
he had been in the navy. but had
been discharged. and was frank
enough 10 state that he did not have
an honorable discharge. l have 3ust
received from Admiral Blue. United
states navy, q telegram which cor
fohorateA hls statement, 1t reads as
follows:
Washington. D. G. July II. 1914.
Navy Recruiting Ohieer. Richmond,
Va;
Edwin ualsey oakley discharged
bad conduct Iune ,, 1914 Inform
HIM to communicate with bureau foe
duplicate discharge.
VICTOR BLUE"
7 carried tIe telegram To the Pc
lice court this morning ana secured
the relssse Fl EskIey,
Not CHARGED with desertiont Va
gr8nry, Why then release him when
shown the above telegram?
Il now appears that none If the
three men arrested were deserters.
aa3 that there was no evidence to
Justify their arrest, hat. of course,
The Richmond police department has
made no mistake According to the
''eHac, record Of the Richmond police
department" the charge was vagrancy,
So says the mayoF
More Naval Sarcasm
HAD Judge CrHtrhfeld known as
Well what the charges against these
taen were IS id the mayor. ard had
he Informed me that the charge was
Yagranry. I should not have bothered
myself abou; them
Had JudEe Crutehftld known the
charge was vagraucy. he would hard
~ have gone To the trouble of send
ing Wastenev ara oakley around 10
my office to have their finger prints
taken 70 he forwarded 10 the proper
naval authorities. This 7 did, and the
men have been Identified and their
statements shown TO he true None
Of them were deserters
Again the mayer states: "Our de-
partment acts only on the specific re-
quest Of authorized naval officers
VIII he please furnish YOU with the
requests on which these three men
were arrested. or make It puhlic7
"Oh. l forgot these men, were
charged with vaerancy," says the
mayor, and. Of course. there would
he no request.
very respectfully,
H f. PARSONS.
Lieut.. F. G.. L. S. ".
oakley Makes AFFIDAVIT.
The following affidavit was made
today by +. II. oakley;
~uly IS. 1914.
oath that | was arrested on Tuesday.
"etN - i'1fs ~ 4 ih4titiHoaAI Hol4Ce-
man on East Main street and was
informed that was being arrested as
a deserter from the United States
navy.
] stated TO the policeman that I had
been in the navy. but had been dis
charged. However. was taken to
the Police court. where I made the
same statement, and the justice said
to hold him till the 25th ill the navy
don ~ ant ~
in court when William Westeney was
brought in. He stated to the court
that he was four days over his liberty
and asked them to send him hack to
hts ship as soon as possible. He de-
MED being a deserter. He stated that
he was trying 10 work his way back
to his ship In Norfolk when he was
arrested The Judge also stated he
would hold him (Westeney) ten DAYS
l never saw Westeney until he was
brought in court. If Lieutenant Par
sons had not Interested himself In his
behalf he would have been declared
a deserter by the navy department
before the expiration OF the ten days
I was released this morning after
Lieutenant Parsons called at the Po-
lice court and presented a telegram
from Admiral Blue showing that my
statement that I had been discharged
from the navy was correct.
Given under my hand this 18th day
of July. A. d. 1914
tsigned) EDWIN H. oakley.
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 18th day OF July. A. n. 1914
{Signed)
FLORENCE C. NErsTER.
Notary Public.
Confessed Himself DeScrter,
The following letter was made pub
lie TODAY by Mayor Ainsiie:
Richmond, Va, July Is. 1914
Honorable George Ainslie, Mayor Of