Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-07-20
LOCAL BOARD REFUSES TO
GIVE MAKER CLEAN BILL
fcontlnued from page ID


which classified Maher as a "wilful
deserter," and issue In its stead a card
inducing him into the service. Col.
johnson claimed that Maize was not
a deserter according to the ruling OF
the secretary of val and he showed an
order signed by Secretary Baker, in
which It was stated that any man who
willingly gives himself up and express
es his desire to take his place in the
ranks, even If he had not reported
when his name was called. should be
accepted without punishment.
According to that ruling. the locaf
board brought out, a man could be =
deserter for five "a and. II he were
not caught IN the meantime, be could
at the end of that give himself up and
be accepted without punishment.
There's the order" was all the re-
ply tina the colonel made.
The members of the local board liz
not hesitate to express their opinion
OF such an order.
The mayor asked IL he was privi-
legged to make such an order public in
this city and was told that he might
do as he pleased about 1t, as that was
such an opinion as that becoming
known throughout the country would
upset the morale of the whole draft"
was the local boards opinion.
But 1t seems that while Maher was
still missing there came to Mayor Ten
Broeck's ONCE one day a man who in
troduced himself as Inspector TRULY,
attached to to the adjutant generals
Office in looking Wv t-~-hia Eases. He
had been looking up some information
in this vicinity and called upon the
mayor. During the course OF the con-
versatfon about slackers the mayor
brought up the Maher case. some time
later Inspector TRULY came to Perth
Amboy again in regard to some ques-
tionnaire matter and, the mayor says
that TRULY then told him that he had
delivered Maher at Camp Dix
Having this Information from
TRULY, the mayor was somewhat sur
prised when Col. Johnson stated at
the New Packer House conferences
thai the first he knew about Mahcr
was when he noticed a man standing
In his office. Upon asking him what
he wanted the man, according to Col.
johnson, said he was Richard Maher,
of Perth Amboy, that he had failed
TO report for the draft when called;
he said he was drunk at the time and
didn't realize what he was doing. and
that now he wanted to give himself up
and join his company.
When the mayor told of his nder-
standing about TRULY delivering Ma
her to Camp Dix, Adjutant General
Gilkyson is said to have declared that
that was not true.
Then TRULY is a liar" said Mayor
TenBrock.
Gen. Gilkyson objected to the ex-
preston.
Cant help it." said the mayor
there is no other way to express my
self"
"pd have you understand that Mr..
Purdy is a trusted employe of my Of
hce," the general Is quoted as saying.
"and I'd have you understand that /
am q trusted employe of the city Of
Perth Amboy," retorted the mayor.
Whom did TRULY tell he had deliv-
cred Maher at Camp Dix?" the gen.
eral Is said to have asked.
He told me-" said the mayor with
much p~ositiveness.
Further efforts were made to have
the local board give Maher a clean
bill. but they were obdurate. They
maintained that Maher had deliber-
ately deserted; that lie was gone five
months and that in justice to other
boys who had willingly answered their
country's call, he should be fttingly
punished. They declared that as far
as the draft board of Perth Amboy
was concerned, the record classifying
RldneT dS u WllAul oCcCA WOdA0
stand, and they do so stand today.
The next thing the local board
heard OF the matter was that Maher
was wearing a uniform. He came to
this city soon afterward and began
Dragging among his friends that he
never would go to France. This &C
ton on the part of Maher was duly
reported to Col. Johnson, but. 70 far
as known. no action was taken.
Thus the matter has drifted on. al
though there has been a great deal Of
comment throughout h city about
the case. The disgrace has been felt
all the more because the man was a
member of the police force. As IL to
add insult to the disgrace II Is report
ed although not confirmed in any way,
that Maher will endeavor to e re-
instatement on the police force. The
city authorities will oppose this to the
limit. II is stated.