The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-13
By Edward Everett Hale

and the whole room was hushed dead
as night for minute Even Nolan lost
his swagger in q moment Then Nor
gan added: Mr. Marshal. take the
prisoner to Orleans in an armed boat
mander there"
The marshal gave his orders. and
the prisoner was taken out of court.
Mr.. Marshal" continued old Nor
gan, "see that no one mentions the
United States to the prisoner. Mr.
Marshal, make my respects to Lieu
tenant Mitchell at Orleans and request
him to order that no one shall men
ton the United States to the prisoner
while he is on board ship. You will
receive your written orders from the
officer on duty here this evening. The
court is adjourned without day"
have always supposed that Colonel
Morgan himself took the proceedings
Of the court to Washington city and
explained them to Mr.. jefferson. Ger
tain it is that the president approved
them-certain. that IS, if l may be-
Iieve the men who say they have seen
his signature Before the Nautilus got
round from New Orleans to the north
ern Atlantic coast with the prisoner on
board the sentence had been approved.
and he was q man without a country.
When l was second officer of the
Intrepid some thirty years after | saw
the original paper of instructions:
Washington with the date. which must
have been late in 1s0D.
Sir-You will receive from 1t. Neale the
- N@la ToRn Io11f cv7<a mt
in the United States army.
This person on his trial by court mar
tial expressed with an oath the wish that
he might never hear of the United States
again.
The court sentenced him to have his
wish fulfilled.
For the present the execution of the or
der is intrusted by the president to this
department.
You will take the prisoner on board your
ship and keep him there with such pre-
cautions shall prevent his escape.
You will provide him with such quarters
rations and clothing as would be proper
for officer of his late rank if he were
q passenger on your vessel on the bust
ness of his government.
The gentlemen on board will make any
arrangements agreeable to themselves re-
garding his society He is to be exposed
unnecessarily to be reminded that he is
prisoner
But under no circumstances is he ever
to hear of his country or to see any in
formation regarding it. and you will
pecially caution all the officers under your
command to take care that. in the various
indulgences which may be granted. this
rule. in which his punishment is involved.
shall not be broken.
1t is the intention of the government
that he shall never again see the country
which he has disowned- Before the end
of your cruise you will receive orders
1f1l, rrrfII exSyrA hi iv,fo +i0v,
Resp'y yours. w. SOUTHARD.
For the Secretary of the Navy.
I suppose the commander of the Le-
want has 1t today as his authority for
keeping this man in his mild custody.
The rule adopted on board the ships
on which l have met 1.-THE Man With
out a Country" was, think. transmit
ted from the beginning. No mess liked
to have him permanently, because his
presence cut off all talk of home or of
the prospect of return. OF politics or
letters. of peace or of war-cut Off
more than half the talk men like to
have at sea. But it was always thought
too hard that he should never meet the
rest of US, except to touch hats. and
we finally sank into one system. He
was not permitted to talk with the
men unless an officer was by. With
officers he had unrestrained inter
course. as far as they and he chose
But he grew shy. though ne had favor
ties. l was one. Then the captain al
ways asked him to dinner on Monday.
Every mess in succession took up the
invitation In its turn. According to the
size of the ship. you had him at your
mess. more or less often at dinner. His
breakfast he ate in his own Stateroom
he always had a StaterooIn-w which
was where a sentinel or somebody on
the watch could see the door. And
whatever else he ate or drank he ate
or drank alone. Sometimes when the
marines or sailors had any special jol
hfcation. they We're permitted to invite
"Plain Buttons" as they called him
They called him plain Buttons be-
cause. while he always chose TO wear a
regulation army uniform. he was not
permitted to wear the army button.
for the reason that it bore either the
initials or the insignia of the country
he had disowned.
1 remember soon after I Joined the
navy. Some one told the system which
was adopted from the FIRST about his
books and other reading As he was
almost never permitted to go on shore
even though the vessel lay in port for
months, his time at the best hung
heavy. and everybody was permitted
TO lend him books if they were not
published In America and made no al