New Britain herald., 1926-06-07
MEMPHIS YOUTH IS HELD PRISONER BY
 FRENCH IN NUTINY
Was Soldier in Foreign Legion, Decorated for BTaVery--C9urt
 Martial Ordered
J. 5. AMBASSADOR ASKED
 TO WORK IN HIS BEHALF

Bennett ]. Doty, Who Served in "OId
 Hickory" Division With \. T.. r. 1 May Be Sentenced 10 Death Before
 Firing Squad if Charges Against
 Him Are Proved True in Trial at
 Damascus.
 Damascus, Syria. June [ CP,-An American, giving his name as Gilbert Clare, Of Memphis, Tenn. a member Of the French Foreign Legion. is held in prison here on a charge or assertion and rebellion.
 Clare arrived at Damascus las. night under strong military guard. The prioncr belonged 10 8 company in the column of General Audreas. which advanced to Souedia last week
 The French military authorities state that Clare engaged in an aI- creation with his sergeant and then deserted with five other members Of the Legion.
 Clare and his party were sur rounded by French troops and were captured after an exchange Of shots in which no one was injured.
 Trial to be Soon
 An investigation into the case which is still continuing, was or dered last Friday. Clare will be tried by court martial at Damascus as soon as the proper papers have been drawn up which probably will be within ten days.
 If Clare is sentenced 10 death. the papers in the case will be sent to Paris for the signature Of Minister of War Painleve, without which no court martial sentence in the French army can be executed.
 In any case, the American will not face q firing squad before three weeks or q month, if he should be sentenced to death at all Has Right to Lawyer
 The French military authorities today informed Consul James keely ut Damascus that Clare has q right to counsel before the court martial and Mir. keely is arranging to secure an attorney to represent him. He himself will be present at the trial
 Consul General Paul Knabenshue rt p.i ie port to the state department at Washington and will send q repre- sentative to the French war ministry when the court martial papers ar rive in Paris.
 Washington. June GPl -- Am- bassador Herrick at Paris was in structed by Secretary Kellogg to- day to intercede with the French government in behalf of Bennett J Doty, also known as Gilbert Clare, private in the French foreign le- zion, who is facing death on charges of attempted assertion.
 Memphis Tenn, June I GP, While Bennett J. Doty Memphis youth. awaits execution for mutiny within two days by a firing squad of the French foreign legion at Sueida, Syria, the commanding of ticer of the brigade Of the Thir- teenth division, A. F. r., with which Doty served creditably in France. will be working with others in what they fear is a for lorn, hopeless" attempt to save the young soldier of fortune.
 Making Desperate Effort
 Doty was a member of Battery F., 115th field artillerr, in the bri- gade of the "Old Hickory division over which Brigadier General L. D. Tyson had command. General Ty- son, now United States senator from Tennessee, with relatives of Doty. will move in the youths be- half in Washington today. Other southern senators will join him Lemuel Doty the boys father. q lawyer of Memphis and Biloxi. Mississippi, has appealed to tho French officials in New Orleans.
 Cited for Bravery
 Doty, the only American in the French foreign legion in the des- perate war with the Druse tribes men in Syria, was known to the legion only as Gilbert Clare" He was cited for bravery in the battle of Sueida.
 Doty joined the legion for ad- venture and served in Morocco be- fore being sent 10 Syria.
 Led Army Mutiny
 Recently. adyices to his father stated, Gilbert Clare" led a little group of ten members of the legion in a mutiny. They left the legion and took up position in the mountains toward the frontier Of Palestine. A French column was sent in pursuit. Gilbert Clare's' group of mutineers opened fire on the French soldiers, but were over powered after battle. They were tried immediately and sentenced to death, Advices last night were that they were to be shot within two days and Doty's chances were con sidered especially unfavorable since he apparently was ring leader.
 Gilbert Clare" whose identity as Bennett ]. Doty was revealed only after the friends here consid- cred it necessary in his own be- half, was recently interviewed in a copyrighted dispatch to the Chicago Tribune. After declaring he was getting a "bellyful' of adventures. he was quoted as saying: