Evening star., 1916-08-06
Court-MartiaI of Six Men OF
Field Hospital Corps Who
Crossed Border.
HISTORY MAKING EVENT
FOR LOCAL GUARDSMEN
Thomas G. Henderson First Defend
ant to Go on Stand-Testimony
of All Alike.
BY j. CROSBY MCCARTHY.
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.


DISTRICT NATIONAL GUARD CAMP
WARREN, Ariz.. July 3l.-The triai oS
ca,r;-Inartial of the six men of Field Hos
ui;al No /. o. NJ. ID. c., who invaded
Mexico July % was a history making
event in the annals OF the National Guaro
of the District of Columbia. Never before
had a member of this organization been
tried by a court-martial ordered and pre-
sided over by regular army officers ana
held in a regular army camp. 1t was 'he
same as any special court held in the
United States Army with the exception
that the majority OF its members we're
from the militia, the manual Tor court
martial making this provision where MI
htian1en are OF trial.
The co,rt-martial was held in the "club
tent" of the officers of the "a iniahtrS.
TIE court convened at O'Clock IN the
morning Capt Robert McCleaVe was
uresiGent of the court. Lieut.. G. A Ro-
zeile. ir Judge advocate, read the order
convening the court
The president of the court then saio:
The court will come TO order TO near
Thomas G. Henderson, who wishes 20 IN
troduce First Lieut.. Russell NJ Maci-en-
nar Signal Corps. o. NJ. D. e., VINO Is 10
represent him as counsel
The accused was asked how ne
wished to plead to the charge. guilty
or mot guilty" After consultation
with his attorney. Lieut.. MacLennan'
Private Henderson pleaded guilty 10 tne
charge and guilty to the specification
with the exception of the words. Ito
visit a mine in Bisbee, Ariz, and ana
in direct violation of standing orders
Sergt. Hart First Witness.
The first witness called was First
Sergt John W. Hart of the Field HOS
pitaL who testified as to the issuance
of the pass to the men and his under
standing as to the privileges which it
carried and its limitations Serst'
Hart testified that the so-called pass
in reality was not pass. He regard
cd il as merely a list of names Tor ms
guidance and giving authority Tor the
mems absence from camp ana 10 pe
used by him in checking and account
ing for the men at retreat. II was his
understanding that the men were no,
limited as to the places they intehueo
to visit 1t was not until the pass
had been issued, that he Learned iron, tn
the men that they were planning 10
visit a mine, Sergt. Hart said
Mai Charles II. Bowker, commanding
the field hospital unit, was the second
witness. He told of the request mace
10 him for a pass for the six men In
question, stating that it was under
stood the men were to go TO the mine
ard nowhere else Maj Bowker was
asked whether he had ever given the
members of his command instructions
about not crossing the international
boundary: to which he replied that he
had neither given such Instructions 10
his subordinates nor had he received
such instructions from his superlors-
The defense then introduced Sergt
Mai. Hefner of the 22d Infantry to as
certain whether any orders against
crossing the boundary line had been
issued TO the troops in the Warren DIS
trict since the arrival of the District
militia organizations in the locality
The sergeant majors testimony de-
VeIoped that no such orders had been
issued and that the only order bearing
on instructions against crossing the
international line which had passed
through his hands was in the fall of
1914 or in January. 1915.
capt. william r. Hudson, adjntant
Of the field hospital unit. testified as
to the issuance Of the pass TO the men,
ali OF whom. he said. always had con-
Quoted themselves in Soldierly man
ne- about camp and had been reward
ed for their good behavior. four of
them having been advanced 10 the rank
OF private first class. while one was
made orderly to the officers and an
other assistant clerk at the camp ex-
change.