Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-05-30


saw or heard Of the country. We had
few long cruises then, and the navy
was very much out Of favor; and az
almost Ill Of this story IL traditional.
as have explained, do not know Ger.
tainly what. his first cruise was. But
the commander to whom he was in
trusted perhaps it was Tngey or
Shaw, though I think It was one Of
the younger men-we are all old
enough now-regulated the etiquette
and the precautions Of the affair, and
according to his scheme they were
carried out suppose, till Nolan died.
When I was second officer OF the In
trepid some thirty years after, I saw
the original paper Of instructions. /
have been sorry ever since that I did
not copy tho whole of 1t. It ran, how.
ever, much in this way:
''Washington," with the date, which
must have been late in 1900.
"Sir-You will receive from Lieu
tenant Neale the person Of Philip No.
Ian, late a lieutenant in the United
States army.
'This person on his trial BY court
martial expressed with an oath the
wish that he might never hear Of the
United States again.
1.-THE court sentenced him to have
his wish fulfilled.
'For the present, the execution Of
the order is intrusted by the president
Of this department.
"You will take the prisoner on board
your ship, and keep him there with
such precautions as shall prevent his
escape.
'You win provide him with such
quarters, rations, and clothing as
would be proper for an officer Of his
late rank, If he were a passenger on
your vessel on the business Of his gov
eminent.
"The gentlemen on board will make
any arrangements agreeable to them
selves regarding his society. He is to
be exposed to no indignity of any kind
nor is he ever unnecessarily to be re-
minded that he is prisoner.
'But under no circumstances Is he
ever to hear Of his country or to see
any information regarding it; and you
will especially caution all the officers
under your command to take care that,
In the various indulgences which may
be granted, this rule, in which his pun
ishment is involved, shall not be
broken.
1T is the intention Of the govern
ment that he shall never again see
the country which he has disowned.
Before the end Of your cruise you will
receive orders which will give effect
to this intention.
Respectfully yours
Nv. SOUTHARD,
':for the Secretary Of the Navy"
II had only preserved the whole
Of this paper, there would be no break
In the beginning of my sketch Of this
story. For Captain Shaw, II it was he,
handed it to his successor In the
charge. and he to his.
The rule adopted on board the ships
on which have met 1.-THE Man without
a Country was, I think, transmitted
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 OF
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 sys-
TEN. He was not permitted to talk
with the men unless an officer was by.
With officers he had unrestrained in
tercourse, as far as they and he chose.
But he grew shy, though he had favor
ties: I was one. Then the captain
always asked him to dinner on Mon
day. Every mess in succession took
up the invitation in its turn. Accord
ing to the size Of the ship. yoR had him
ut your mess more or less often at
dinner. His breakfast he ate in his
own stateroom, he always had a state
room, 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. Some
times, when the marines or sailors had
any special jollif1cat1on, they were per-
mitted to invite "Plain-Buttons," as
they called him. Then Nolan was sent
with some officer, and the men were
forbidden to speak of home while he
was there. They called him '*Plain-
Buttons" because, while he always
chose to wear a regulation army uni.
form, he was not permitted to wear
the army button, for the reason that
It bore either the initials or the in
sigma Of the country he had disoWned.
(TO be cOntinued).