The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-07-22
HEROIC death
Of EOPOLUCC|
MAY EXEMPT
4. HIS BROTHER
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Underneath 10 ever before the. wom-
an who gave John Eopolucci to the
United States navy and the nation.
1t is not to be wondered, then, that
Mrs. Eopoluccrs heartbeats were
J faster when she heard, on Friday aft
= ernoon, that the great lottery con-
Quoted by the War Department had
! called her other son to the colors. As
q mother will, she weighed patriotism
against the other things that told her
not to let him go.
This is the decision she has reached:
"If they tell me that his country
needs him, my other boy must go.
But II they can spare him need
{ him So"
Won't Ask Exemption.
One CLEANS in talking to Mrs. Eopo-
lucci that a great battle OF emotions
. has taken place within her breast. II
Il is left for William EopoluccPs
mother to ask the Government to ex-
Smpt her son, he probably will never
be exempted. If the Government it.
self. in the spirit OF the words Of the
. Secretary OF the Navy. says, You
have given enough Mrs. Eopolucci
will take her boy back, and know
that republics are not ungratefuL
at don't know" said Mrs. Eopolucci,
''what 1 can say under such circum-
stances. William has been drafted
He is my sole support-except for
little sewing that 1 get from the navy
yard since my other boy was killed,
and a pension OF 'S12 a month / re-
ceive because my husband. now dead
fourteen years, was a retired musician
of the Marine Band.
81 have given John. Ny heart
20 haf he fG
prisoner in Germany: that the sub
marine picked him up after the Aztec
sunk, but there is very little hope in
that, and most folks do not encourage
me. His body was never found
Three bodies washed ashore at Brest,
but none was identified as that OF
my SON.
Died nj His Post.
"He was the only one of the twelve
guuners aboard the Aztec who died
James Blevins saw him just before
the ship sank, and so did Lieutenant
Gresham. He was helping to lower
the second lifeboat at the time. Ny
son was the senior petty officer in
charge of the gunners-
Just before he sailed from New
York on the liner carrying navy gun
ners he wrote me:
1--WE sail tonight. Hope for the
best and hope to make good Do not
write until you hear from me-
81 have never heard from him since.
for he was drowned a few days later
just before the vessel reached France.
William is my other boy. He is a
painter and supports me we'll They
drew him-No. 1T63-and he will 20
unless they exempt him. do not feel
that I should ask to have him eX-
empted. II the country says Come
a mother must manage some way,
and yet at times feel that have
suffered enough. l guess 1 will leave
Il to the Government. l want TO be
patriotic, but it's hard when I sit here
and look at my other boys picture
and cry"
weeps As She Talks.
The tears came to Hrs. Eopoluccrs
eyes as she spoke.
Mrs. EopoluccFs husband was of
Italian descent. but an American citi-
zen. Mrs. Eopolucci is an American
and was born in New York. Her -hus-
bands father was Anthony EopoluccI
and he, too, was in the Marine Band
for many years. The elder Eopolucci
died a few years ago In this city,
aged ninety years.
The father OF the dead sailor was a
bandsman for fourteen years Three
generations have thus been IN the ser
vice OF the Government.
John Eopolucci wore the Navy E"
for gunnery. Before he sailed on the
Aztec he was attached to the Dolphin
and the Dolphin crew made the Navy
E, which Is the symbol OF the high. |
est skin IN navy gunnery.
. G. W. Boyd, who lives a few doors /
below the widowed, Mrs. Eopolucci.
was q gunuer's mate OF John Eopo- !
luccl.
"He was one Of the best gunners
in the navy" said Mr.. Boyd today, |
"And q popular, lOvable fellow II
served as a sightsetter and John I
Eopolucci was what we call a gun
pointer, and a good one"
The Aztec was torpedoed OF the is
land OF UshRnt, far out to sea from |
the French coast. The night was a |
stormy one and the saving Of the re-
naming gunners was almost miracu-
1ous. No one seems to know what /
became of Eopolucci as the life boats
got away. A few days after the sink
ing OF the Aztec the Navy Department |
announced that it had abandoned all /
hope that the gunner was rescued and |
Secretary Daniels called upon the
mother OF the boy.
Other Gunners All Saved.
He sank. appearances indicated,
with some Of the crew OF the ship /
although every other gunner the navy /
sent 20 protect the ship as # went |
through the submarine zone was
rescued.
William EOpolucci, now called in !
the army draft, is twenty-five years
OF age. He is in the fifth division and
Is scheduled TO take his examination
q week from tomorrow.
When the army draft bill was pend
ing in the House Representative Kahn
read Abraham Lincoln's touching let
ter to Mrs. Bixby, OF Boston, who
gave i've sons to the Union cause
They were all she had. Mr.. Kahn said
the selective draft would eliminate
such tragedies as this-thRt the Gov
eminent today would not permit a
mother to give all her sons 20 the
country no matter how willing she
might be to do so.
II the spirit Of the law and the
justice OF the selective draft is observ-
]