The sun., 1919-03-03
SIX NAVY ARRESTS
FOLLOW SUICIDE
Sailors at Great Lakes Station
Said to Be Involved in
Petty Graft.
ONE CONFESSION MADE
Culprit Jumps From Eight
Story Window After Admit
ting His Offence.
ONE CONFESSION MADE

CHICAGO, March Six sailors OF the
Great Lakes Naval Training Station are
in custody and the body OF another,
a suicide, Is In n morgue as result
Of alleged grating in connection with
tho discharge of men from the station,
1t was learned tonight.
Lieut. Commander C. $. Roberts. exc
cutive officer at the station. said no
evidence had been found to support
charge that discharges actually had
been sold, but that number of en-
listed men and few petty officers had
apparently practised fraud on some
OF their mates by processing to have
influence in obtaining releases.
The existence Of the investigation be-
came known to-day. following the
suicide yesterday Of Samuel Moscowitz
of Detroit. a second class seaman, who
plunged from an eight story window
Sf the local naval intelligence office af-
ter making a confession. according to
Lieut. Edwin L. Reed chief of the police.
IT am not inclined to believe this
matter was anything more serious than
fraud practised' by Moscowitz and
possibly others, tor no officers have
yet =, involved" said Lieut. Com
mander Roberts. I'VE have six men
in custody in connection with the In
vestlgation. None OF them has made
any admissions
$50 far as have learned. tho highest
amount obtained by MoscoVitz was $50.
We have learned of a half dozen cases in
L vi In a.
cernber we learned OF four young men,
mere boys, who had swindled four 9TH
ers. obtaining an average of about $40
each Because of their youth they
merely got dishonorable discharges. In
the present case the report OF the Ma
val Intelligence Office is yet to be re-
ceived by the commandsrt, who, II the
case Is regarded as eufficisptly serious
may order a board OF investigation to
consider It with probable courts-n'artial
of the individuals to follow"
Lieut. Reed said the investigation here
had no connection with the recent graft
exposure in the New York Third Nava'
district, but had been ordered by the
station commandant.
Moscowitz second class seaman
was under surveillance when he fled to
Detroit The furlough fare certificates
involved in the investigation entitle ar
enlisted man to ride on railroad trains
for one cent n mile. The nature of othe,
misconduct revealed in MoscowitZ's con-
| fession was not disclosed. the officer In
| sisting he was unauthorized to discuss
the matter. He said Moscowitz made
, martial confession to the District Attor'
| ney at Detroit, and upon being brought
| here made a clean breast OF the whole
matter.
Moecowitz was &c years old and hac
been in training about elk months.
Moscowitz first was put under sur
veillance' when 1t was discovered tina
! several men had been forging furlougi
fare certificates. according to Lieut.
! Reed The Lieutenant refused to deny
! or affirm that he had learned Of at
tempts 10 "sell" discharges or of bribery
In return for assurances that the payer
would not be sent TO sea.
/ Commander Roberts SAID
! until MoscowItzs arrest the only phase
Of grating TO have aroused inquiry a
! the station was that relating to thu
, discharge brokers"
! Naval intelligence officers took Mosco
WITT after his plunge TO the Marine Hos
pital, where he died. Civil officers wer,
not permitted to investigate the sailor
death until to-day and his body wa
taken TO the training station.