The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-08-03
CAPT H|RD LOSES
PLACE IN GUARDS
CHAMPION RIFLE SHOT OF THE
WORLD TO BE MUSTERED OUT.
THEY PATROL With EMPTY GUNS
Third Regiment Has No Ammunition
Few Companies Have a Little
Saved From Target Practice But
Il Is Under Piles of Boxes.

It Is Under Piles of Boxes.
Brownsville. Tex, July 31.-Capt.
F. S. Hird of the Third Iowa infantry,
champion rife shot OF the world, is to
be mustered out of the service today.
The Brownsville district army
authorities held up his pay and have
been sustained by Washington on
the ground that Hird's position as
assistant small arms inspector was
abolished under the national defense
act.
Hird will get no pay from the time
the Iowa guard modified. Colonel
Bennett may give him the lieuten-
ancy in company X but Hird must
enlist first as a private. Hird has
been in the guard sixteen years, join
| ing at Dubuque. He has been here as
ordnance officer, which is said to be
very responsible and hard position
to fill.
Hird's loss is serious as others
won't have his experience in handling
ordnance.
Same Ak For Others. Il
The same ak used on Hird also
will fall on Maj. Smith Brookhart,
who arrived with General Allen Sun
day afternoon. Brookhart is chief
small arms inspector. His case has
not yet been called to the attention
Of the war department.
Hird says Colonel Morgan assured
him at Camp Dodge that his job was
safe. The same assurance is report
ed to have been given Major Brook
hart General Allen said he believes
he can save Hird, although the gov
eminent order said he should be mus
tered out.
Majors Fairchild, Lambert and Nc
Connoughey also lost under the ma
tional defense act, but they remain in
the state service.
Regarding the Iowa troops a
Brownsville editor writes:
"If the soldiers now in Brownsville
are sample of that state, and no
doubt they are. blamed if We
wouldn't like to visit in the state and
get acquainted with them in their
homes"
Have No Ammunition.
The Third has no ammunition. No
enemy could attack this unprotected
camp, unless they wanted to, but If a
i Mexican band should surmount the
logic of the army officers and actual
ly ride into Colombo Victoria, the men
would be helpless
few companies have a little am
munition saved from target practice,
but they couldn't get it in less than
half an hour. 1t is at the bottom of
a pile of boxes near the mess MtCh-
ems.
Colonel Bennett expects TO make
another suggestion so that the SEN
tries may be able to warn the camp
should any forces attack. By having
some ammunition at the guardhOuse
and putting blanks in the rifles Of
the sentries, warning could be given
the guard which would rush TO the
guardhOuse, arm itself and hold off
tho enemy.
The rest of the regiment would be
aroused and might cooperate in de-
tending the camp by using bayonets
or perhaps their mess outfits. knife,
spoon and fork would be as danger.
out. large number of picks and
axes arc available.
The complaisance with which the
government regards the possibility of
armed attack extends to- the likeli-
hood of danger from the disease
breeding latrines which have been
temporarily constructed
A few hundred feet of lumber and
supply of crude oil would make
that district of the camp sanitary,
but the government is not providing
the lumber nor the oil.
The First battalion companies took
up a collection among the men and
have bought crude oil.
Colonel Bennett says the latrines
are serious menace to the health
of the regiment.
Many Supplies Lacking.
| However, the war department has
man ythings to think about. 1t has
cots to supply and lumber to send for
mess kitchens, the men are eating on
the ground, and ii yet has to send
some mules and horses for the fine
big escort wagons we have here. 1t
is true the war department has had
four or five years to think of these
things.
The Iowa guard officers are not in
clined to be severe on the war de.
l partment, but if that organization at
tempts to turn its own shortcomings
into criticism of the state militia, it
will hear something. ..
Iowa troopers continued to take
the place Of mules on wagons used
in hauling away cactus.
Three Troopers Killed.
FL Paso, July 31.-Three troopers
of the Sth United States cavalry were
killed and one wounded in running
fight with Mexican bandits at Fort
Hancock early today. The detach-
ment of American cavalry killed five
Mexicans. None of the dead have
been identified.
Slocum ExoneTated.
Washington. July 31.-Col. Herbert
]. Slocum. 18th infantry, command
ing at Columbus at the time of the
Villa raid, was exonerated of all
blame in report given out by the
war department today.
y