The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-07-09
MAN OVER AGE IS
{ CAUGHT IN DRAFT
Porto Rican From Big Island
Finds Himself In Singular
Plight But Escapes


parallel to the man in Jail whose at
torney told him he could not be ar
rested. That man could only say but
I IN here and that was the situation
Of the Porto Rican for all of the
proceedings were on the face of them
regular.
Innocent men have been sent to
prison and served long terms while
the guilty men remained outside the
penitentiary walls in the bright and
joyous sunshine of liberty, secure in
the fact that blindfoldcd justice might
he unusually blind. But the man who
sought to evade service through having
another unwillinPly impersonate him
will have to face an irate Porto Rican
and has Uncle Sam hot upon his trail
bringing retributive justice. And Uncle
sam has, the culprit will find, long
arm.
Among the three hundred and more
men who have already arrived from
hilo district, sent by the draft board
Of the Big Island metropolis was q
heavy set Porto Rienn wearing q
bristling mustache. He did not appear
to be in the best physical condition,
but he came in with scores of others
Brings ALI Documents
When he was brought before the
mastering officer he had all his registra
ton cards and papers and induction
notice. These he passed over to the
busy mastering officer and his staff OF
Jerks, was checked of and sent to the
lisrobing tent. He DOTTED his civilian
'lothes and stepped into the shower
booth, emerging with u blanket wrap
bed around him. He was sent from
| ent to tent and half dozen surgeons
examined him and found him o. K,
physically fit for military purposes,
although his feet are said to have been
IN poor condition, a defect that can
be remedicd. He did appear little
old for q draftee whose maximum ace
should be not more than tmrty-one
years.
accepted For Service
Finally, he emerged clad in the khaki
inform of an American soldier. He
looked well, quite military, but he ap
Deared at all times eager to talk Ia
Hu officer. He bad some trouble he
wanted to talk about, or some com
2laint to make, many of the dfaftpcs
Feel that way. But the camp officers
have been extremely busy men during
the past week, for they have passed
lpon nearly a thousand draftces. In
lividual cases could not well be at
ended to, yet finally he got the cal
# an officer and informed him be was
thirty eight years old The Porte
Rican had learned that no draftce
should be over thirty one years OF
IgP.
"What are you talking about
Hou re in the draft. -
But, eNpostulated the new sol
Her, 81 m thirty eight years old. "
1t was explained to him that he har
been passed through and his paper
apparently found correct.
Natter Of Identity
81 IN not the man in those papers,
vas the Porto Rican's surprising an
!UuncPment.
He was asked to explain and die
20, and this is the story:
While he was in the hospital il
lInkalau last year. his feet in ba,
Aape, as he said, the registration WI,
lCld. While he did not know this al
he time, he learned just recently that
I Portuguese had gone to the registra
ion booth and filed out blank i,
he Porto Rican : name. The Portu
tuese by this method. slipped out OF
he grip of the selective draft machine
caving the Porto Rican to be caugh
the vortex and carried along unit
was actually wCarinI the uniform
# soldier of the army