The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-16
BALLOON
TARGET FOR BULLETS
Poor White Trash Who Fired with High
Powered Rifle Now in Jail Await
ing His Trial.
MACON, Ga, Feb. 10, 1918.


MACON, Ca Feb. 10, 1918.
Dear Ed
They do have it IN the south 1t s /
q fact that it does warm up here dur
ing the northern winter time to point
where semi occasionally the tempera-
ture at midday makes ii uncomfortable
to wear all of your winter clothing
and a L pound lined leather coat on
top of the other mentionables and un.
mentionablcs
The school has also another thing
that ] began to think was never com
ing. That is a break III the continuous
performance of initiating, flying, get
ting back, repairing and then initiating
again. This was due to the government
entirely. The bunch of cadets who
came here with US We're required to I'M
dergo the triple ordeal of being
. shot in the left arms with several
different kinds of serum as preventa
tives for almost every known disease
\ week ago Friday an army surgeon
| appeared at the school and lined the
whole bunch up and began shooting
! them. About every fifth man went
! down in heap BY night half of them
We're in bed, some with high fevers and
/ I'll with very sore arms and DISPOSE
I tions like unto q man who IS in sad
| need Of a drink aud cant get one
/ At that time we had 20 other cadets
here, who had come from Omaha to get
/ their free ballooning with us and who
! had undergone the shooting there |
used them 70 shift sandbags and to fly.
| By SUNDAY the others had begun to re
| cover and | had one crew with two
arms and lack Of knowledge and expo
=! rience and another with one arm each
! but considerable experience.
About that time ] went 50 hours
without leaving the field except to
hurry to the railroad station to eat and
twice to the headquarters to do some
necessarg desk work. But We got three
balioons in the air averr u hours Then
came the Geographic order for the
Omaha bunch t. leave at once for the
other balloon school at san Antonio,
Texas, leaving Us with % cadets all
W. eau convcnientlv handle
Friday came the second "shots -
These seemed to effect some OF the men
worse than did the first dose. After
getting of the big Cleveland balloon
of $4,000 carly Saturday morning and
/
st $50. We were Ia ing out 81. 600
and another small one when someone
called my attention 20 the weather re
port which called for rain last night
aud today To this was added the i'm.
formation that only seven of the II
cadets were available Cor DUTY and
each of them had only one arm. Til,
others We're either sick in bed nearly
I GA ~ ..-l.A
worked all night
We picked up the field and quit cold
3 ! retired at : TO read. | suspect that
; at 1.o2 | was asleep and certainly knew
nothing until \ this morning when
realized that | was still very tired
The night, il appeared, had been idea
and today it was warm, cloudless ant
with light breeze. | shall lay out
couple of balloons this afternoon. in
fate all night, get them off earl, il
the morning and start again inhatin.
another pair for Tuesday morning
flights This is 10 continue until rea
stormy weather breaks in again. no
merely until the weather man think
. it will
The crew OF the morning flight YES
terdav landed in NilledgevilIe, wher
. the Georgia military academy i locat
ed and where there is girl 5 colleg
also. They were pulled down and j.
: return the pilot spent an hour takin,
up mixed crews of girls aud bows tn
+ length Of the trail rope until the win
came up 50 strong that he was force
c TO quit. Otherwise ne would not hav
; been back vet.
: The trial Of the poor white trasl
: who shot with a high powered rifle a
one of the balloons the other day, an
/ who is still in close confinement, ha
not taken place yet. Ii we do not Ut
It inm a jail sentence he will have ha
u some punishment before his trial come
y oil. Tie is 50 ignorant that his attolne
~ claims that the American flag mean
i nothing 70 him, as he did not lino'
\ #hat it signtied. Vet this class {
citizens are permitted to buy all of tn
.e firearms and ammunition they can pa
Is for and TO shoot At anything the
g. pleas"
II It Gems queer TO look at the calcl
T., dar and then realize that | am whel
~ / do not need an overcoat-for IL
= time being. Believe me, however, af
;" or tae sun goes down YOU need som
10 thing thicker than Il Palm Beach sui
- n H. 4