Evening star., 1923-04-28
MARINE CORPS OPENS WAR
TO GAIN FULL RIGHTS
FROM CITY POLICEMEN
continued from First Page. !

number Of other marines and All Off
Ger of the corps. who succeeded with
difficulty in restraining the enlisted
men from forming a company and
Storming the Jail. into which their
unfortunate mate had been dragged.
Returning to Quantico. the officer re-
ported the matter directly to Brig
Gen. Smedley Butler. who dispatched
several truce officers to Fredericks-
burg to demand the release og Sc
groves and obtain promises of action
against the offending policemen.
The authorities of Frederick Sburg
refused TO grant either request. il is
said, and Gen. Butler promptly de-
clared the city "out of bounds which
meant that no member of the Marine
Corps might enter its corporate limits
without risking courtmartial. Stimuli
taneously he had general assembly
sounded, explained the situation to
every man in his brigade and prom
ised to take legal action Immediately
to clear both Segroves and the bri-
gade of the alleged insult.
Before the men broke ranks they
had raised a fund of $4,000 to EN-
ploy an attorney. Col. Richard L.
Byrd, Sd. one of the most distin-
was Immediately instituted on be-
half of Gen. Butler. the officers and
men Of the marine regiments at
Quantico to have the policemen dis
u,
warrants will be sought charging
them with criminal assault. and a
civil suit for damages will be
brought by Segroves.
Want Example Made.
This report was received with en-
thuSiasm at marine headquarters,
from the general wearing two stars
down to the sergeant orderly at
| tached to that office. The officers and
,c1 = n1aV- haxr
would like to see the government
| make an example of the F'redericks-
burg officers as a warning to other
policemen.
In the past, officers and men .de-
| clared. every one has regarded en-
listed men as illiterateS and buns fit
only to be pummeled and assaulted
| by any policemen with bad temper
and pugilistic tendencies. There was
d time. it was pointed out, when sew
eral Washington tneaters refused to
sell enlisted men orchestra seats, un-
til the government objected and de
| nanded that the ban be lifted.
The men who fought at Chateau
| are going to demand their rights"
one officer declared. They are not
to be beaten and prosecuted by every
policeman who thinks their uniform
VIII prevent them from getting jus
! tiGe. the Marine Corps stands be-
hind every man in it's service-a nd
viii prove that statement from now
! Gen. Butler, in personal in
| terview. explained that Immediately
! after the assault a committee, COM
1 posed of the city manager. city treas
| urer, chief of police and q leading
| citizen of Fredericksburg, called on
him.
! Asked Fair Deal.
II explained to them" the general
said. that all we ked of Fredericks-
! burg was good behavior on the part
of their policemen. If a citizen from
| Fredericksburg We're arrested in
iQuantico by one of our guards and
| then beaten up it would not be neces-
! sary for any one to complain. That
guard would be court -martiaIed and,
If found guilty. sent to the peniten-
tiary.
"The members OF the delega tion
explained that they were powerleSs
! burg. who was in New Orleans, re-
turned. We waited until the mayor
did return and then 1 sent an officer
to see him. The mayor offered to
discharge one of the policemen, but
! further than that said he could do
nothing but write a letter of apology
/ replied that that was not salts
factory, called the men OF my com
mand together and put the question
up to them.
| Raise Big Fund.
'T asked them to let me know the
following morning how much money
they could raise. The next day we haG
a fund of $2,4S1. which we have term.
ed the marine defense fund. An enlist
ed man can not very well afford tc
defend himself on his salary, but
when he belongs to a family thai
can raise nearly 81. 500 for him, he IL
with some family. l should. say. Jus,
because a man puts on a uniform he
does not lose his citizenship.
What we do not use Of that fund
for this case we will keep to defend
any other marine who is unjustl.
treated-and this command stands read
to give any amount more that may bt
necessary"