Evening journal., 1918-03-12
CAMP CANT D X RO[KE
MASTER YIOHEISI
Artist Reveals Himself After
Modesily Charming Mass
of Soldiers
GETS PUGILIST
FOR BUNK MATE


CAMP DIX, wRIGHTSTONN. n. j..
March ii.-The "rookics" In c Com /
pany. siith Infantry. were relaxing in
the barracks after their evening mess
when over in the corner OF the room
one o. the new soldiers pulled a fiddle
from beneath his cot and began tuning
the strings Then he played lively bar
or two OF a popular war song to test
them out. II was a new experience to
have a vlolnist in camn, and She player
soon had quite an audience IN the bar
racks dorm" Encouraged by their
plaudits. the player passed the newer
melodies TO some Of the old classical
airs.
The notes foated from the opon win
dows out across the quiet parade
ground. Officers passing to thoiT
quarters stopped 10 listen. Mon from
surrounding barracks crowded their
windows There was Immediate rccos-
milton that a master hand was guiding
the bow, for the violin seemed 70 sigh
and sob and laugh by turns az the
,Vhlm OF the player. Reglmental officers
who heard tho melody sought ont at,
once the Identity OF the player. Their
invcstlgation disclosed that he Is Harry
Rapps. drafted from Elizabeth, this
state but with a wo ld-wide renuta-
ton as a professional viollnist under the
staee name Of "Ywaxy" In the year
before the war Ropns toured Europe.
playing before tho best audiences IN
London. Berlin and Paris. lie recently
returned from an Australian tour. when
he learned he was about to be call d
70 service with the colors. He says
he Is quite ready 70 lay aside the bow
for the bayonet ms long az Uncle sam
nneds him He hcnos, however. to be-
able to take his fiddle 90 France with
him. Officers who have heard his play
ing plan TO arrange 20. Strangely
enough. drafted into the same company
is James Shearer. a pianist who has
recently flled several engagements In
Now York and North Jersey cities He
was planning another world tour as ac-
conpanist FOR Rapps when The two were
summoned in the same d~aft detail
And the draft makes even STRANGER
hedfenows than politics, for the
'bunkie" Of the violinist is Alovsius
Mesklesk, who, as "Al' McCloskey.
was three years ago known as one OF
the hsrdest-hlttlng pugillsts In the
heavyweight class IN America One OF
his last ANTAGONISTS before leaving the
ring was "Jem' smith, at present Camp
Dix boxing Instructor. He also went
up against "Gunboat" Smith. Frank
Mascal and other famous heavyweights
and was sparring partner for "Al' Pal
zer before his last big night When he
was drafted McCloskey was being con-
sdered as an assistant boxing instruc.
tor for one OF the army trainlng camps
Company G.. OF the South Jersey regi
ment, discovered today that II, too, ha'
a prominent boxer among its new re
cruiis IN the person Of Alfred Rentz. o
Union county a former New Jerse,
bantam-welehi champion
Two court-martial sentences announ
ced yesterday. one from division
headquarters. the other from regiment
al headquarters Of the 3iith Infantry
Indicate that military authorities her,
have adopted resolutions almost a.
STRINGENT as those in effect at the from
for the punishment Of men who make
habit OF remaining absent from camr
without leave. A sentence Of three
years 40 hard labor az Fort JAY. for
feits OF pay and a dishonorable dis
charge from the service at the end OF
his term has been imposed upon Pri-
yate Frederick Williams. Of Kenville
Morris county, by the division board
The penalty. which has been approved
by Major General Scott Is said 20 b,
one Of the most severe ever imposed ir
a case where desertion was not proven
The board decided there were agg~a
waiting circumstances in the Winiam'
case Drafted into the 30Sth Field Ar
tille-y in the FIRST New Jersey quota
Williams disappeared from camp ani
was absent ncarlya q month before mill
tary police found him He was sen
fenced 10 four months Imprisonment
on December i6 he was ordered trans
ferred TO the ith Infantry, but. el
route to their camp, left the train a
Wilmington. Del and was not appre
hended unit January 9 when he wa
captured In New YoVk A charge o
dasert'on was made against him. bu
the division board gave the accuse
The benefit Of the doubt and b-ough
In a verdict OF guilty OF "absent with
out leave" with the heavy penalt
recommended
Despite the fact that he was a vetera
Of the regular army. Private Wllial
J Boyer, Of New Brunswick. no soon,
got out Of the guard house, where b
had been confined for ten days fC
overstaying his leave. than he le
camp and was absent for nearly