Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-10-09
WORLD war VET
DESERTS FRENCH
when HOMESICK.
Under Sentence of s Years
Imprisonment, Freed
and Sent Home.
BY NEA Service


BILOXI, Miss, Oct. 8.-Where will
the urge for adventure carry Mad
Ben Doty nextq
MAD Ben" whose more formal
name is written Bennett j. Doty, is
just now emerging from as unpleas-
ant scrape as the urge for adven-
ture ever got a man into. But his
friends here doubt very much that
that will stop him from getting into
another in the near future.
For Doty, who has just been re-
leased from a French military prison,
where he was confined for DESERVING
from the famous Foreign Legion, is
one of those chaps to whom ordinary,
peaceful life is acutely boring; one of
those chaps for whom organizations
like the Foreign Legion, and out of
the way places life the Ruffian from
tier, were invented.
Nearly Paid With Life
Doty very nearly lost his life in
this latest escapade.
Only the repeated pleas of his father
and Influential friends prevented it.
Here is what happened:
Doty served during the World war
with the Old Hickory division, COM
posed largely Of troops from Tennes-
see. When the war was over he
returned to his parents home in
Memphis somewhat dissatisfied. He
announced that the World war had
not, on the whole, been quite excit-
ing enough.
Doty was a favorite in Memphis
social circles. His family was we'll
to-do; had he been content to stay
at home he could have stepped with
out difficulty into an easy, honor
able career in business or society.
But he couldn't do it. "He just
wouldn't stay put as one Memphis
lady put it. Life at home seemed
tame. Doty craved action.
So, one day two years ago, Doty
slipped away, went to New Orleans,
and boarded a ship for France. In
France he enlisted in the Foreign
Legion.
A Desperate Crew
Doubtless you know something OF
the Foreign Legion. 1t is probably
the widest, most desperate collection
of soldiers since the days OF the
Roman legions. The Foreign Legion
will enlist anyone, with no questions
asked murderers, thieves, ne'er-do-
wells of all varieties, gentlemen
tankers,' men who have found other
parts of the world too hot to hold
then-such are the men who join
the Foreign Legion. The discipline is
iron, the pay is 40 cents a month
the term of enlistment is five years
and the recruit has the satisfaction
of knowing that the chances are
MANY to one that he will be klllee
before his term expires.
This was the organization into
which Bennett Doty's love OF adven-
ture thrust him.
Doty served in the campaign against
the Riff, where he won the Crolx de
Guerre for bravery. Then he was
transferred to the Syrian front, where
the French were keeping up a spo-
radio and bloody warfare with the
Druse tribesmen.
Dotv's parents, meanwhile. hae
moved to Biloxi. They heard IRON
him semi occasionally-often enough
considering the fact that it cost hin
q weeks pay to buy postage stamp
He seemed to exult in the desperate
nature of his work, to revel IN the
DANGERS in which he was placed.
But one day, on leave, ne me
some Americans. Contact with Unen
made him homesick-acutel SO. Ane
SO. one night he crept away from M
detachment and sought to cross tn
border into Palestine, hoping to maxi
his way to the coast and take Shll
for America.
He was caught. The legion ordl
narily has one penalty for deserClol
in the face of the enemy-oeaCn
Doty's doom seemed sealed.
News of his plight reached America
His father sent pleas to the Frencl
authorities. Influential friends az
likewise. His gallant record was clteo
The American government requeSte'
leniency. So Doty escaped with
sentence of eight years imprlson
ment.
That was year ago,
a few weeks ago Dotys father sen
a new appeal to French Minister 0
war Painleye. The appeal touches
the heart of the French official. H
issued a full pardon, and Doty wa
freed. A
Will He Stay?
Now Doty is preparing to return
home.
But will he stay home when h
gets here?
His friends shake their heads a
thew ponder. mad Ben" is not tn