Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-14
SAYS OFFICER SHOULD
HAVE BEEN DISMISSED
General Criticizes Sentence OF Lieu
tenant Absent Without Leave
From Camp Lee.
TWO MONTHS FOR PRIVATE
Field Artillery Battery Adopts Elcv-
en- Belgian and French Orphans.
Three Trains Of Western Penn
sylyanians Arrive.
Ispccial Ito The Timcs.Dispatoh !

Especial TO The Times Dispatch.l
CAMP LEE. February l3.--"Thc court
erred on the side OF lenicncy in fail
ing to sentence the accused 20 be dis.
missed from service" was the COM
mcnt OF Brigadier-Generai Lloyd NJ
Brett in reviewing the case OF Second
Lieutenant John T. Spicknall, OF tho
Three Hundred and Fifteenth Field Ar
tllery. who pleaded guilty TO absenting
himself without leave from his com
mand. A general court had sentenced
the second lieutenant TO be restricted
70 tho limits Of the post or camp where
nc may be serving for Il period of six
months.
On December 81 Lieutenant Spicknall.
who is from Baltimore. asked for a
leave. which Captain Werner \. wcltc.
his company officer. refused TO grant.
Tho following day Mr.. Spicknall
left camp, and did not return until
.,ecember IS. when tried nc plcaa.I
guilty to the offensc, and minimum
penalty was imposed By the court. The
comma ndnE general can dsapprovc
the sentence of the court, but cannot
impose heavier penalty than the court
gives.
iiccr OF the Eightieth Division who has
been sentenced for an oncn.c by a
general court.
In reviewing the case General Brett
said:
The sentence, though inadequate.
is approved. and will be duly executed
at the station Of his battery. The cour,
erred on the side OF lcnicncy in fail
ing TO sentence the accused to be dis
missed from service. If officers arc
permitted TO absent themselves with
out authority. especially after having
been denied leave OF absence, as Was
true in this case. then they must be-
come incapable OF demanding any
proper discipline from soldiers under
similar circumstances. Lieutenant
Spicknall has made n bad beginning in
his military career. and unless he shows
hereafter higher standard OF con-
duct and e better conception Of the re-
sponsibiiities of his position. his ca
-ecr in the army, which ought to bring
him hereafter the proud distinction OF
having served his country in the hour
OF its need. must, on the other hand
be quickly terminated. II is hoped
that his trial will serve 20 remind him
of the serious responsibilities imposed
upon officers and of the inevitable con-
sequences TO himself If he continues a
course of conduct such as that which
has placed his commission in jeopardy
in the present case"
Private Samuel j. Smith. OF the Three
Hundred and Eighteenth Infantry,
pleaded guilty to abacnting himself
without leave. and was sentenced to
TWO months at hard labor lie is from
Hopkins Gap. Rockingham County, Va.
Smiths brother was recently convicted
of the same offensc and sentenced to
six months at hard labor.
Eleven Belgian and French orpha ne
have been adopted by the officers and
men Of the Three Hundred and Thir-
tcenth Field Artillery, and for the dura-
ton Of the war these children will be
| provided for by the artillerymen. The
estimated cost of keeping one OF the
children is s1.5 a year.
The plan embraces every individual in
the regiment. Colonel Charles D. Her
ron, the commanding officer and his
wife will each adopt one child. Each
of the six batteries, including the Of
fccrs and the men, tho headquarters
| company and the supply company of
the Three Hundred and Thirteenth Reg
iment and the officers Of the brigade
will provide for another orphan.
This IS the first regiment that has
taken steps toward caring for the or
phans OF any of the allied nations.
Eleven hundred and ciShty-two ad-
| ditional selected men from Western
Pennsylvania arrived at camp this af-
ternoon and tonight. Three special
trains were necessary to transport the
men. They are part of a quota of
zoos that is being forwarded from that
state. This makes Pennsylvania
quota on the first draft so per cent of
the total. An additional Is per cent
Will be forwarded from Western Penn
sylvania on the Esd.
Nirginia's quota is practically COM
plete and West Virginia is TO forward
the balaoce of its quota of white men
TO Camp Meade. There will be sun-
cient men from Pennsylvania to bring
the division TO full war strength. but
II they are assigned to the various
units that need them it will mean that
Virginia and West Virginia regiments
will lose their identity as essentially
representative OF thes. respective
States.