Imperial Valley press., 1917-01-03
HARDESTY TELLS
Of AN ALLEGED
TRAFFIC REGARDS
BUYING OF ARMS
CalexicO Merchant Arrested
and Charged With Buy
ing Army Goods.
SAYS HE LOANED
1T TO SOLDIERS
Law Is Cited Regarding the
Sale Of Army Materi-
ais to Laymen.

Fl. H. Howard, business partner o1
George w. Hardesty of Calexico, who
is accused by the military authorities
of purchasing or bartering for prop
erty Of the United States government
yesterday gave on behalf of Mr.. Har.
desty the latter's version of the mat
ters in connection with the lodging
of the complaint:
"Hardesty did not buy the shoes and
revolver he is charged with buying
and never has purchased any govern
ment property, from them or from
anyone. He has bought merchandise
which the soldiers obtained with their
canteen ckecks-a perfectly legitimate
business and one which is designed
to give the soldier little ready cash
between paydays. The merchandise
involved in these transactions comes
into our hands in the following man
ner:
"Before payday, soldier who is
without money may obtain an order
on the canteen, or supply department
which is honored in tickets or checks
the amount is, of course, deducted from
his pay. At the canteen, where ci-
gars, cigarettes, smoking tobacco, ETC..
are kept for sale, the soldier may cash
in as many of his checks or tickets
as he likes, and do what he pleases
with the merchandise obtained. It is
nothing for us to be offered cigar
cites, for example, in lots of cartons
or two cartons. For such things as
this we pay the soldiers, offering them
about wholesale rates, and he gets
the cash. But not once have Har-
desty or / ever bought shoes, guns
or any other article supplied by the
government
"About week ago a soldier Of
fered to Hardesty pair of shoes and
gun, but the offer was promptly re-
fused. Later the soldied asked if he
could leave the package in the store
and, merely to accommodate him
Hardesty told him he might.sThe man
wrote his name on the package and
it was laid up on shelf"
Mr.. Hardesty was arraigned be-
fore United States Commissioner
Welsh at this city Monday evening
and was released on bond in the
sum of $1,000. The date of his trial
has not been set.
Following is the law prohibiting the
sale or disposition in any manner not
authorized, of government-owned
property:
"And whoever shall knowingly pur.
chase or receive in pledge for any
obligation or Indebtedness from any
soldier, officer, sailor or other per.
son called into or employed in the
military or naval service, any arms
equipments, ammunition, clothes, mil
itary stores or other public property
whether furnished to the soldier, sail
or, officer, or other person, under &
clothing allowance or otherwise, sucl
soldier, sailor, officer or other per
son not faving the lawful right tt
pledge or sell the same, shall b,
fined not more than $500, and i'm
prisoned not more than two years.
Section 5, Act of March 4, 1909, Grim
3inal Code. (55 Stat 19O5).
"1262. Sale, barter, etc, clothing
arms, ETC., furnished to soldiers.-Th,
clothes, arms, military outfits and &C
coutrements furnished by the Unitet
States to any soldier shall no be sold
bartered, exchanged, pledged, loaned
or given away ;and no person, no
\ a soldier or duly authorized officer O.
IcoNTINUnD ON PAdB FOUR