Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-27
AUSTRIAN DRAWS FIVE
YEARS At HARD LABOR
Charged With Disobediencc to Oni-
Ger in Refusing TO Put On
Army OvcrCOut.
vIRGINIAN ALSO is SENTENCED
Private David Burackcr, OF Page
County, Described as an IIlitcratc
Mountaineer, Must Serve Zen
Years at Hard Labor.
Lspecial to rhc rlncs-Dlapairh.l

LSpeCl'tl 10 Inc lIlcS- DlSpdltU-J
CAMP LEE, VA, February 2G.-For
refusing to obey AN order Of a superior
officer. Private Andy Bogovitch. Of the
Fifty-siXth Company. Fourteenth Train
ing Battalion. was to-day sentenced to
five years at hard labor and diShonor.
able discharge from tho army Of the
United States. Eogovitch for
warded here by Il Pennsylvania board.
At the same time, announcement was
made that Private David Huractcr OF
Company II, Three Hundred ami Eish-
tcenth Infantry, whose home is in I.u-
ray. Page County. Va, had been given
ten years at hard labor tor dcscrtion.
Both sentences are subject TO the
a?prova: OF tie War Department.
Tive case Of Rogo.i'ch is tho most
unusual that has been tried here. Ac-
cording To III. evidence introd l.. III In
his behalf. nc is All Austrian subject.
who has never taken out his first
papers and is also a rcscrvist in the
Austrian army. lie was ordered by
Lieutenant John a. Moss to uniform
himself in a military overcoat This
command he refused to obey. with tho
result herein noted. lie has been sen
fenced to the Atlantic Disciplinary
Barracks. at Fort jag. y. Y.
BUItACl<Et LEFT CAMP
NOVEMBER 1: on PASS
Private Burackcr left Camp Leo
a pass on November p and remained
in dcscr,ion until he was apprchendrd
at his home nca. I.uraT on January !.
inc general court-:nartial sentenced
him TO fifteen years at hard labor. but
because Of his being an i!litcratc
mountalnccr the sentence was reduced
to ten years at hard labor b. General
Brett.
In reviewing the case General Brett
said:
THE accused left camp on a pass.
went to his home and remained until
apprchendcd by sheriff six weeks
later. Although he testified in his own
behalf that he intended TO return, there
is no other evidence TO show that he
ever would have returned had the
sheriff not arrested him. Ills whole
course OF conduct IN fact shows that he
intended to remain in the mountains
around his home. The evidence also
shows that he is an illitcratc noun
tainccr and his short service has not
yet developed in him the sense OF dis
cipline and the spirit OF loyalty 20 this
government which would have made
him look upon dcsertion as one OF the
most serious crimes that soldier can
commit. For the foregoing reasons the
confinement imposed is reduced TO ten
years and in order that he may not hc
c!asscd as fclon and earn. II he
chooses honorable restoration 10 the
J colors, the Atlantic Disciplinary Bar
, racks. Fort Jay, y, y. is dcs!s-
mated as the place OF confinement"
Generous response 20 the plea for
co operation Of the people back home
10 return dcscrtcrs has been heard.
Numbers OF the Virginia men who were
in desertior en- February /, have been
returned by ahcrffs and patriotic
Americans who were moved by patri-
otic motives. With continued cooper
| alton the record viii be cleared.
W. J. ONeal. advance agent OF the
, Flora Bella" company. WAS At camp
to-day making advance arrangements
for the presentation Of his show next
week Flora Bella" will open On
Monday night. ana will show through
until Sunday matinee and night
/ The rife range Will be formally
| opened on Friday. when each OF the
, four infantry regiments viii so there
, for target practice. The range is the
. largest in the United States, being the
only ono that will accommodate two
L brigades of infantry at one time.