New Britain herald., 1925-02-06
OLD WOUND FATAL
 T0ARMY VETERAN
Sergeant Frank BtckWith Dies in Hospital at Washington, D. c..

Master Sergeant Frank l.. Beck with, United States army recruiting officer in this city from 1922 to 1924, died victim of an old wound yesterday In the government hospl- tai in Washington, D. c. His death was caused by paralysis, which had troubled him since bamboo shaft penetrated his right foot while he was participating in one of his army campaigns for Uncle Sam in the Philippines. This cause his right foot and hand 10 be rendered use- less at various times. and last De- cember shortly after his retirement from the service, 1t became so bad that he was taken to a hospital in his home city, New London. He was removed to Washington on January 25. his right arm, leg and side being almost completely par alyzed, and died thera yesterday.
 Sergeant Beckwith's death was unusually tragic In that 1t came just when he had retired from 25 years of active service with the army and was planning to enjoy himself and look after his parents. Several hunt ing and fishing trips had been pro- jected, but ease was denied him and he died with his hopes unrealizd.
 He began his career as soldier in 1889 when he entered the Con- necticut National Guard in New London. When the Spanish-Ameri- can war broke out this was muster ed into federal service and sent to Cuba. After nine months in that island, Sergeant. Beckwith was mus tered out, but reenlisted for volun- teer service in the Philippines, en- gazing in the expedition against the insurrecto general Treas, second only to Aguinaldo. Later he was a mem- Der of the N1inanao expedition against Datto Ali, the chief of a tribe of 1500 savages, and spent four months cutting through swamps which no wild animal could pene- trate.
 Sergeant Beckwith returned to Cuba to participate in the "pacif- cation" of 1906, when American troops were sent to restore order af- ter a serious rebellion. For eight months he was with a map-makine detail which surveyed Unexplored portions of the island where not even the natives dared to go. Upon returning from this expedition, his regiment took part in the ceremon- ies connected with the Inauguration of President Taft, which proved nc picnic, for the worst blizzard in its history descended upon Washington that day. After several other re. enlistments, he found himself, in 1916, an instructor at the business mems training camp at Plattsburg N. Y, in the days just preceding the World War.
 During the last war he was sta toned at Camp Meade, Md, as in structor of recruits, being advanced to top sergeant and then commis' stoned as first lieutenant. Denoted and mustred out in the process o putting the army back on peace basis, Sergeant Beckwith reenlistet in the coast artillery corps and thei was appointed an instructor at tn citizens military training camp a Camp Devens. Finally, he decided to retire from active service and, al his own request, was transferred tt the detached enlisted mems corpi and made a recruiting officer, com 1 ing here on November IA, 1922.
 While in this city he won many friends and made a fine record ir obtaining Recruits. When he fe!' that he had served his country long enough he was promoted to master sergeant. the highest rank which ar enlisted man can attain, and retired last fall. Then the paralysis oyertooR him and his dreams of rest and en- ioyment were shattered.