New Britain herald., 1917-07-17
Female SOLDIER
GOT TO FRANCE
But Came Right Back Again
Hubby Remains to Fight

New York, July 1.-THE identity
of the young woman who cut OF her
hair and disguised herself as an
American soldier in order to go with
her husband to France and who was
brought back on Monday under mil
itary guard was disclosed yesterday
when she was taken to police head
quarters in Hoboken. She gave her
name as Mrs. Hazel Carter.
She said she was married to Cor
poral John Carter In Douglas, Ariz..
on Dec. II, 1915. and lived with him
happily until June this year, when
the regiment was ordered to prepare
for active service in France.
directly 1 heard that my husband
was to go abroad" Mrs. Carter said,
Il tried to Join the National Red
Cross in Douglas, because I wanted to
be near him. They would not accept
my services. 1 was born on a ranch
and I have been used to riding and
looking after myself since I was a
child. After thinking it over + decid-
ed to disguise myself as a soldier and
go anyway Please understand that
Corporal Carter did not know any
thing about 1t because realized that
If I was discovered and he had any
thing to do with my slowing away it
would get him into trouble with his
superior officers.
when the troop train pulled out
Of Douglas I was at the end Of the
train, and my husband was at the
forward end with his company With
my hair cut short and wearing a
khaki uniform and service hat, I felt
confident that I could pass muster
r
in my bearing. Two days after the
train started I was discovered by one
of the officers and put of at some
out-of-the-way station in the west and
told to go back to Douglas.
IT said goodbye again to my hus-
band" Mrs. Carter continued, "but
really didn't promise him to go back
home, or I should not have got on
the train again. You see, the train
had to switch there for about half an
hour and all the soldiers got out to
run up and down after the long jour-
ney. When the cry acme All
aboard I Jumped on the end car,
where I had several friends, and they
took care Of men out Of sympathy.
when the regiment finally reached
port there was such a scramble among
the thousands Of soldiers that no one
noticed poor little me when I went
on board the ship and slowed away
down below where the baggage was
stacked in tiers. Three days after
the ship was at sea I was discovered
by one of the officers, and the colonel
ordered me to be placed under guard,
where I was nicely treated, but was
not permitted to land
Mrs. Carter said that If she had
managed to get ashore in France, it
was her intention to go to Paris and
offer her services as an assistant
nurse at one of the hospitals pre-
pared for the American wounded.
The pseudo-United States infantry
man, who was taken to police head
quarters in her uniform, did not at
tract much attention on account Of
her boyish figure and slightly mascu-
line features AS she had no other
clothes Mayor Patrick r. Griffin Of
Hoboken gave the matron some
money from the Poor Fund" to pur-
chase the necessary articles of female
attire so that Mrs. Carter could return
to her Arizona home today under her
own personality. The police said
that she was the handsomest and
smartest looking soldier they had
seen in Hoboken since the war start
ed. which cheerd the corporaIs wife
up considerably. She asked the
mayor If he would allow her to get
a position Of some kind and remain
in Hoboken during the war. Mayor
Griffen kindly but firmly refused Mrs.
Carriers request, and said that she
would remain in charge of Mrs. Gar
rick and start for the west today.