Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-07-20
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Perth Amboy feels keenly the disgrace brought upon the city by
its former policeman, Richard A. Maher, who became a deserter
when called upon to serve his country.
Naher disappeared on the eve of starting for Camp Dix in the
~fS%fdraft, after drawing his money out of the bank and otherwise
<making deliberate preparations for his departure. 1t is apparent
that he knew well what he was about at the time. Any excuse of
drunkenness will not hold. Besides, he was away for five months.
Surely he must have come to his senses before that time.
1t would seem, judging from the story told by the members of
the local draft board, that some powerful influence is operating in
behalf Of Maher.
What is this infuenceY Perth Amboy has a right to know.
The thousands of loyal boys who today are facing German
bullets in France have a right to know why this man with a record
of desertion, now it said to have received IN honorable discharge
from the army, while they, who responded willingly and gladly, are
bearing the brunt of the burden to make the world safe for such men
as Maher to live in.
On what ground is Maher discharged from the armyf
We can imagine of no other ground than physical defects.
But there ar thousands of men found physically unfit to go to
France who are able to do necessary work in the various camps,
thereby releasing men who arr physically fit to serve in the trenches.
Down at Camp Dix there are several hundred acres being farmed to
raise food for the boys in the camp. Men physically unfit to go to
the front are working the farm. Is Maher physically unfit to work
on a farmi
But Maher, with his experience as a policeman, might well
serve IS a member of the military police in some camp o II city when
military police are installed.
Why was he dicharged7
The fact that he was a policeman before he was drafted shows
that he must have had some physical qualifications. And if the re
port be true that he will endeavor to get back on the local police
force it is apparent that he must consider himself at least fit for
Why was he discharged from the armyY
Col johnson, who was assistant chief of staff at Camp Dix at the
time, was interested enough In this one particular case of Mahers
to come all the way to Perth Amboy one Sunday afternoon, We are
told, for the purpose of trying to influence the local draft board to
recall its classification card declaring Maher a "wilful deserter' and
issue instead a card Inducing him into the service on an equality
with the boys who had not deserted when their names were called.
When the local board refused to do this and insisted that Maher
be fttingly punished, Col. johnson is declared to have shown a let
ter sent out by Secretary of War Baker to the effect that any man
who failed to appear when called, but who later gave himself up
and expressed a willingness to serve should be accepted without
punishment.
Leaving out the question whether Maher gave himself up or
was delivered at Camp Dix, how does the great desire on the part
-prites at Camp Dix to let Maher off without punishment
-xx6Vth a similar case about which the following appeared in
I@gHork Herald of May II, 1918:
"CAMP DIX, WRIGHTSTowN, N. j., Friday-Twenty
years at hard labor in Fort jay, N. Y, and a dishonorable
discharge from the army was the punishment meted out to
Private Frederick F. Lipphard by a cout-marital today.
Lipphard lives at Camden. He was a member of Battery +,
307th Field Artillery. He remained away from camp for
four months and returned voluntarily. He was placed under
arrest and his court-martial ordered" ~@
Lpphard, of Camden, was absent four months and gave himself
up voluntarily, yet he gets twenty years at hard labor at Fort Jay
on Governors Island and a dishonorable discharge from the army.
for granted that he gave himself up, the commanding officers pro-
duce a letter from the War Department interceding for him and
finally he is said to have received an honorable discharge from the
army.
was placed under arrest and his courtmarhal ordered.
When Maher, of Perth Amboy, returned to camp voluntarily,
granting that he did, the colonel Immediately began to plan to admit
him in good standing.
There is but one possible difference in the two cases. In Lipp-
hards case, he ran away after he had arrived at camp. In Makers
ease, he ran away before he arrived at camp.
But why the great difference in the outcome of the two casesf
Did Lipphard fail to have the influences in his favor that
Maher apparently hast
There is all the makings of a pretty scandal hidden under all
this.
Perth Amboy is justified in demanding that more light be thrown
upon the matter.