The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-01-15
LOST AIRMEN
HAVE FIGHT
Lieutenants Farrell and Hinton
Come to Blows Shortly After
Reaching Civilization
false REPORTS
ARE CHARGED
Official Story Sent to Secretary
Daniels is Short and Snappy.
En- Route to u. S.

Mattice. Ont, Jan. 1.-THE long
trek To civilization OF the three
AL'frlcsn naval balloonists came to
dramatic climax here this after
noon when two OF them--Lieuts Far
rell and Hinto.-came to blows over
Statements alleged to have been made
By the latter i'm a letter TO his wife.
When they emerged from the bush
nj 2.20 o'clock, after sixteen days
journey from the Hudson Bay Com
pany's post at Moose Factory. nea~
where they descended December II.
the three aeronauts. bound i'm a tie
OF friendship Though their facing to-
sether of death. apparently were in
separab.e.
An hour later Lieut.. Farrell sat i'm
the parlor OF tho log cabin home o..
III y. Williamson. clerk in the Hudson
Bay coinpany's store here. relating
the story of TIL partys adventures
TO newspaper men.
During the converse ion Lieut.. Far
rcll was shown copies of news dis
patches. among them a letter alleged
10 have been sent by Hinton to his
wife, and published in n New York
newspaper. which said, I'm part:
"hr. Farrell fell from exhaustion
several times. Wanted us to cut his
tNroat and take his body for food,
and asked us TO 60 on and let him die.
but We decided to stick together. 1
was the only one that did not express
my feelings and kept them cheered
up"
Hinton then came into the room.
he told Farrell he should not con-
tinue his talk to newspaper men, as
he had dispatches from the secre-
tary OF the navy forbidding any OF
them TO talk until an official report
had been fled.
You rat you have been talking
Yourself Farrell snapped back, indig-
nantly. He then accused Hinton of
writing false reports. referring to the
letter.
Hinton replied that the letter had
been published without his consent.
but that its contents evidently had
been exaggerated. Farrell then went
into another room to apologize to Mrs.
Williamson for his language. While
he was gone. 1t is said. Hinton de-
clared his remarks about exaggeration
''S oniN lOE dItli DcncUt.
Farrell returned. More words passed
between the officers. Then Farrell
took off his coat and struck Hinton
on tho jaw. Hinton was sent sprawl
ing over n table. AT this juncture
newspaper men and others in the
room STEPPED between the men.
The men left the cabin separately
and went To n special train waiting
on siding to take them to Cochrane.
Brief Report Filed.
Washir gton. Jam 1i-Drief and
cryptic was the official story told by
the three American naval balloonists
who reached Mattice. ont. today.
after Their adventure in frozen Hud-
ron Day country.
The story. an embodied In an on
cial report. filed by Lieut. Louis Kioor,
commanding officer of tho balloon. on
his arrival at Natticc. was received
tonight by the Navy Department. and
made public as follows:
Secretary United States Navy. Navy
Department, Washington. ID. c.:
"Rcpor-. free balloon A-559S, flown
under my command. passengers
Lieuts. Farrell and Hinton. from naval
air station. Rockaway. December Is.
Encountered storm, which forced du-
ration flight. Aband (garbled) stormy
area. landing impossible for safety
crew. forced land December Il in for
ess, approximately twenty miles
northeas, Moose Factory. james Bay.
Ontario Canada. Reached Moose Fac
tory safely December II. Subsisted
and transferred this place. Hudson
Hay Company. Proceed January i2,
naval air station. Rockaway."