Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, August 26, 1914, Page 8

_ghe battleship Utah, was in command of -was a natural-born commander. Boys in Blue Who | Proved Themselves Heroes at Capture of Mexican City—One of * Them Supported His " Wounded Comrade With One Arm and . Fired -at Mexicans With the Other — An- other Stood Like a ‘Rock . Under Fire. Thrilling Deeds Which , Show the Caliber of “Our Jack Tars. (Bpecial -Correspondence ‘WASHINGTON, D. C., July 31, 1914, OK extraordinary heroism in battle and for conspicu- ous acts of valor,” Admiral Fletcher of the United States Navy has recommended that sixty enlisted men of the navy and Marine Corps, who seryed their coun- try in the taking ®f Vera Cruz be given medals of honor and a gratuity. The medals have been ordered by Sec-| retary Daniels, and will be presented some time during August. This date has been set aside for an occasion of national pride. The men honored are to be brought to Washington at the expense of the government, and President Wilson will bestow the medals personally. Bach of the men named by the admiral showed mettle Americans must delight in, ‘but ten of the number marked as medal- ists merit particular attention. George Cregan, the boy from Port Richmond, N. Y., boatswain's mate of the battleship Florida, has a mother who is prouder of him than is.Admiral Fletcher, and when asked for his photograph sent a note also, stating that in one of the young man's letters home he related how “two days before the war” he “did his Easter duty so that if death called him he hoped .to be prepared.” The joy- ful little missive from his mother ended with, “So you see George went to battle & soldier of both God and his country,” and in a postscript was the added infor- mation gladly offered, “George sends me $20 a month besides. It was about 12:30 a.m. of April 21 when Ensign G. M. Lowry of the 1st Company, Florida Battalion, at the cus- tomhouse at Vera Cruz, requested vol unteers among his men to enter an alley. way between their present post and a warehouse from whose roofs came heavy firing on the Americans. George Cregan was the first to respond to the call. One by one, four others joined him, and with- out a thought except for the honor of the Btars and Stripes, Cregan marshaled his comrades into the crooked, ill-smell- ing alley leading to the warehouse and the hiding Mexicans. * = There was a brisk interchange of shots for several seconds before either side had a man to fall. The enemy suffered first, a tall, lank, dark-skinned fellow ‘who was alming wildly being ®o severely wounded that he fell in a heap among his excited companfons” One of them be-! came 8o énraged at this that he tried for the head of a volunteer named Schu- macher. The shot was true, and the! American dropped. oy It was sharp business for the next few | minutes, and Cregan showed himself a| hero. He clutched his wounded com- | rade, let him lean on his knees against ! him, and while he continued firing with his right hand tried hard with his left hand to check the blood spurting from Schumacher’s wound. Lieut. Walnwright | recommended this young man, who has Seen seven years’ service, for Admiral Fietcher’s list of medalists. It was Lieut. Wainwright also who rec- ommended Percy A. Decker, boatswain’s mate of the Florida, and another New York state lad, who has seen six years' service with Uncle Sam’s marines. When the ambulance came for Schumacher’s body Decker was standing perhaps thirty feet away. - He was one of those who had gone with Cregan, and though this was his first hint of real battle, and one of his close companions for months was being carried away dead, he never swerved, his eyes never left that ware- Bouse front. ‘Therefore, when a Mexican, hiding be- hind a tier of boxes, suddenly rose and almed directly at Ensign Lowry, Decker was ready, his mind as alert as his eves. By some movement unexpected in so rig- idly watching a figure, the American di- verted the Mexican’s attention to him- self, just as the gun was being leveled at Lowry. And Lowry was saved. The Mex- ican fell against the cheap pine boxes of his barricade, with Decker’s bullet in his breast. lantern -hanging there where the BEN:J CLAGGETT SIPTH | 1tbrary in the city of Vera Cruz was ‘onee the church of San Francisco. dedicated in 4834, and for many yeard was It | was a prominent church of the port, kmown particularly for the tribute it levied "upon seamen and importations. There ‘is a wondrously tall tower, where the old bells were wont to hang in the early days of Spanish dominion. After the church no longer claimed the edifice the citizens used the tower for a lighthouse, and on stormy nights the bells had hung guided into harbor the sailors who thus received return for th tax once laid upon them by the corpora~ tion of the church. e ¥ * % The historic tower is now a favorite retreat, as dusk comes on, for troops of | buzzards, sacred bird of mystery. On the night of the 21st of April, while the city was all excitement here and there and everywhere proved that no one slept, a young Kansas led a little squad of men from the Utah into the midst of the scavengers' place. and his company was below in the streeft. which the Aztecs called the and the intermittent firing lookout His name was F. N. C. OveraQ, The squad, under his direction, took turns in patrolling the surrounding roofs, while their comrades remained in the unlanterned tower, to themselves, service in thé attack upon the silent company stationed below and maintaining constant patrol amid the darkened roofs, where stealthy “snipers” might be lurking. ice was ‘announced as of special walue by the commanding lieutenant. diverting observation thereby performing dowble preventing of a surprise This serv- { From the roofs of the Diligencias and Universal hotéls and the highest point of the municipal building there was con- stant firing by the enemy upon the Hotel Mexico, where the Americans had taken a stand. Frederick E. Norman, with four or five other men, took up a position on the rear of the roof of the Mexico. With- in a few minutes one of our men fell. Norman, the steadier, coolly continued firing and directing his companions at the same time. whose nerve seemed to Erow A swarthy little Mexican next went down, and thén another American. The third bluejacket was wounded and a number of Mexicans killed before there was any cessation of firing. Meanwhile, Norman, standing there in the last light| of the day, with his slim bit of a squad{ of men daring to be a well defined tar~/ get. was an example that gave the better sheltered men down on the street a thrill and spurred them on until the na- es beat a retreat. Norman has been in the service but three years, and Is 2 marine belonging to ‘the Utah. * * ¥ Young J. G. Smith, whom his home city of Los Angeles is proudly acclaiming a hero of the first order, is a glant fireman A reports him as having accomplished a feat never even thought of before. Smith was with the Benet Mercier gun detach- ment. The Utah was short of men and had been compelled to round out its ma- chine gun quota from {its fireroom. Smith, “who 1s sald to be a veritable Hercules, was first on the list. After the custom nouse nad. been cap- tured this battalion’ went into action to hold the place. It was diffcult business, and men were falling every minute. The guns were not effective under such con- ditions. Sukdenly, without a word, the big Californian seized one of the Benet- Merciers from the pavement, set it upon his massive shoulders and opened fire with it, much as a child might manipulgte a toy rifle. Such service had not only never been performed, but was the supest means that could have been at that. moment to save-many lives while taking many lives. Capt. Anderson of the New Hamp- shire recommends for medalist George E. Bancroft, a Wisconsin lad who_has seen seaman service for four years. Dur- ing the thick of the fight he picked up a wounded man, fallen beside him in agony, and carried him in the midst of the whistling bullets to a nearby house which was under heavy fire from the naval academy. There he sternly de- manded that relief be given the com- rade he considered dving. “The relief was scornfully ' refused, whereupon Bancroft carefuly deposited his comrade on the Mexican's doorstep and, in answer to the cowardly firing upon. him from within, grasped the wounded man’s rifie, and commenced shooting with both hands. Whether it was admiration for such a fine spirit. or fear of the naval academy’s forces that did it, the purpose of Bancroft was accomplished, the firing from within ceased, and the wounded man . was car- Gro. d. S_Mvru. tied to the rear. returned to the nothing unusual Bancroft then quietiy firing line, as though had occurred. - - % Roy Holloway, also of the New Hamp- shire, a gunner's mate, who enlisted from Indiana about ten years ago, has been named by Lieut. Grady for ‘a medal and gratuity. < He was in the action early, and during the long hours of the seizure of the city showed never a sign of weariness, Once. when the constant firing dislodged an extractor pin- from one of the big guns. Holloway leaned down under the gun, in the midst of the enemy’s rapid fire, and not.only se- cured but calmly replaced the pin. That had been sufficient to attract the attention of his commanding officer, but later in the action, and while still on duty beside the gun, a firing pin devel- oped what in ordinary parlance would be a “hot box.” The daring of an hour before was successful. This, too, would be. And again the young Hoosier stop- ped firing for a moment and with deft fingers swiftly overhauled and thorough- ly cleaned out the overworked pin, then silently returned to his work of shooting the enemy, as though nothing to merit a glance at him had happened. B Another Indlana marine of the Florida, James A. Anderson, who has seen eleven TREDERICK T NORMAN years' service, was detailed for work on the roof of the post office. He and his squad continued firing for safie time, without mishap. Then a well ajmed bul- let struck Anderson in the neck. One of his comrades, who had seen little of straight firing, almost dropped his rifle, but Anderson smiled grimly and, stagger- ing, but not falling, kept on firing. The blood streamed from his tbroat, and he was getting pale, but he refused to leave his_post. When his superior officer sternly ordered him to a first-ald sta- tion he obeyed reluctantly. * * | The lad who was standing so close to him when the bullet made its. mark. did not expect to see his comrade again, and | AN DERSO: Prrey A DECKLR> his hands trembled a bjt as he kept on firing, But what was his surprise when perhaps a quarter of an hour later An- derson returned, his wound dessed and his courage undaunted, to resume his station on the firing line. . Lieut. Wain- wright recommended him as one of the sixty enlisted men to, be honored. e No Wonder! R e p rie sentative Roberts of Ne- vada has a line of stories that. -are constantly ‘being credited to other people. He tells one about a cer- tain indlvidual who, after having conducted a thirty- day skirmish with the demon alcohol, finally collapsed. ‘When he awoke he he was in a large and airy room im a comfortable bed. “Best place I was ever in,” continued the individual in recounting the adven- ture. sentative Blink and they introduced me to Judge Bazoop. prominent people in my lif They were all kind and af “I met Senator Blank and Repre- I never met as many in one place. ble and Sen- - ator Blank insisted that I should dine =& Neils Drustrup, chief turret captain of the second ‘section of the third company. During the afternoon of that eventful April* Gay when Vera Cruz succumbed Drustrup was in charge of an advanced barricade standing prolonged fire. He displayed remarkable courage and cool- ness, according to Lieut. Castle, who named him for Admiral Fletcher's list. He showed that his fourteen years in the scrvice had been full ones, and that he The enemy’s firing was constant for four hours, but there was never the quiver of an eyelid to betray the turret captain’s realization of the fact. He might have been fencing for fun, so far as fear was concerned. Many a man who was trembling in his first battle took courage as he glanced at the immovable, silently commanding Drustrup, braving death at the head of his battalion, and not one man among the sixty pamed for extraordinary valor has stronger commendation from the leader of the fleet. Drustrup is from Brooklyn, and has been with the Atlantic fleet for fourteen years. - ‘What is now the museum and pubiic with him in a short time. lightful spot.” It was a de- “They always have prominent people there,” replied the friend sympathetically. “They usually have King George there about once a month. You were in the psychopathic ward of a hospital.” Appreciated. It happened sev- eral years ago, and ever since Repre- sentative Hulings of Pennsylvinia has been trying to figure out whether, taken al- together, it was a compliment or a eriticism, and whether T. Jefter- son or himself 1s responsible. “Col. Roosevelt and I were invited to adorn the Fourth of July celebration in Pittsburgh explained. Declaration” ard t year,” Mr. Hulings booked to read the e’ colonel, following “T was me, was to make the eagle scream. Now.. the_ dullest, thing. on earth to listen to is something read from a book. Compared to a speech, it's like dried prunes beside fresh peaches. “So 1 carefully memorized the pal- ladium and, instead of reading it, after a brief introductory remark, I ‘glided into its recital. It's a; pretty long- winded document, that Declaration, but I was thinking I was doing pretty well until, as I finished and was just stepping aside to make room for the colonel, I heard one .of .my auditors close-by say to a neighbor: “*That there fellow makes a mighty good speech, but, gee whiz, ain’t he the long-winded cuss! “A Bigger Flea.” “A United States senator comes mighty near filling the definition ' of omnipotericy - these latter days,” ~ re- marked Represen- tative L'Engle, who is also a promi- nent-*journalist of ¥lorida; “but I witnessed a recent incident wherein even one of these met a higher pow o 3 P er. Yes, 'twas a railroad ticket agent, of course. “The senator had ‘sent his secretary down to the ticket office to get his ticket vised. - The agent scrutinized-it a moment. Then he asked laconically: ““You Mr. —7 naming the senator. * ‘You mean Senator —," corrected the secretary, haughtily.- ‘No. I'm his Tetary. He sent me down here fo gel this ticket vised for him. He's senator SRS agent, curtly. ‘Have to come himself,’ cut in the| then,” sald he. the secretary. aghast at this exhibition of lese majeste. . ‘He's the senator -from e'll-have to- come down here him- self’it he wants to ride on that ticket, again cut in the agent in, an irritated tone. d “ ‘But, can’t you. understand?’ insisted the secretary. ‘He's a senator from —.' * ‘Move on, please,’ snapped the agent. You're blocking the window. ¥eu, sir,’ turning to.the next in line.. ‘Where to, please? *“And the last T saw of that secretary,” concluded Mr. L'Engle, “he.was standing as in a trance, the picture of pained as- tonishmen Sleep of the Just. ‘The new senator from Alabama, Frances Shelley ‘White, is a lawyer .and “has o - large practice In his state. Sometimes his work takes him out in the interior, and ‘on one of these trips he was ac companied by his client, said client . being = a plous man, a dea- - con in the church to which White belonged. It was late at night when the darky pulled up his span before the doors of the inn, which. was- presided” over by a lady of generous'heart' and: equal ‘pro- portions. When he-went to ‘the desk'td engage a room, White was’apologetically told that it was impossible, on acéount of an influx of Visitors, to. glve Hiin ‘a ‘Sep- arate chamber. , ., ‘A “I guess I cah gét a separate r« But to' this'the reply was the same. : £ v *‘But you don't understand!’ exclelmed| “May T ask who is 10 be_my. bed-fel- low?’ asked White, who did not relish the idea of ‘sharing- his couch with a strange “Why,” replied the landlad. the gentleman with whom you came.” *Oh, that's all right, then,” said White, with'a sigh' of rellef. ‘He and I .are both deacons in the same church and have been sleeping together during the 1L o'¢loc. sermon in the First Baptist for twenty years." During his campaign for- the Senate Mr. White was traveling from Decatur to Athens and had to cross the Tennessee river swamp. The black driver of the carrige, who was a man of gredt curios- ity, got the idea his passenger was a commercial traveler, and with the free- dom of thé southern darky asked what he’ was selling. - White, who was deep in thought, r&- plied, laconically, “Brains.” “Is dat 80,” chuckled the man. “Well, boss, you ain’t got none wid you to de- ltver, is you?" Wasting Their Time. R e p.r e sentative James Benjamin Aswell of Louisi- ana' is a new mem- ber. Though French on his fa- ther’'s side, on that of the distaff he is of Irish extraction. The name original- 1y was Azwelle. Mr. Aswell has the honor of repre- senting that sec- of his -state In which many of the French refugees. settled when driven by the English from their home fn Ar- cadia. The world outside of Louisiana is very ignorant, says Mr. Aswell, as to the real meaning of the word “creole.” He de- fines it very clearly. “A orecle,’ he explains, “is.a pative- t will be born citizen of Loulsiana whose parents are of foreign birth.” Of courzs, in this district represented by Mr. Aswell, there is a large popula- tioh of colored people, most of them small cotton. planters. Mr. - Aswell tells - the storyéof one old darky, who, like most of his race, was a great talker on religious subjects. A white friend asked him what church he-belonged to and was told by thé man that he was a Baptist. “Well, Amos,” continued the friend, vhat do you think of the Episcopal Church? ““Well, dat church am all right, marster,” he said, with a shake of his head, “only I finds dat in de case of dese Piscolopians dat dey spcads_tod much time.in church a-reading out. de proceedings of de pre- vious meeting.”” A Real Bookworm. Repr esentative Gordon Lee of Georgla is some- thing lke the measles in his tal- ent for “breaking out.” A few weeks ago he lingered in his office until the dewy shades of evening gathered over the restau- rant across the way. When he tried to open the door, it had siip- Ded the bolt, and Lee was a prisoner. Banging and_calling.dld no good, for the legisiative. halls seemed deserted. By the feelings far down in his stomach he knew it was time for dinner. The shad ows began to creep over the table and he thought it time to say at least “Ishka- bibble.” if not express himself in stronger language. TUnless he wanted to remain over night a prisoner in the midst of luxury, Lee knew it was up to him to do something. There was a door opening into a com- mittee room -which comnfunicated with this, but a bookcase was reared against it. 'Lee pulled that out, opened the door, and there in the other room was another case of huge proportions. S6 he pushed out one row of books afnd began to squeeze through. Tipping the scales at about 240, Lee is no feather- weight, and it was surely some sight to see him squirming through—but only the brave deserve the dinner—and Lee got bome 4n tim for the soup. s BEVEABAANT avany Benjamin W. Claggett, hospital apgi prentice, first class, a Maryland boy whe: has been in the. service of Uncle Sam fof only three years, made his mates of th Florida proud that he belonged to them He was on the firing line for two dayy and nights. Capt.. Rush, who reportel his work to the admiral, said that durimr all the forty-eight hours of action the young man showed no signs of fatigue that,“he exhibited coolness,. courage ant fine Judgment in his work.” 5 Almost simultaneously, during a perio¢ of incessant firing, some little distantf away frfom the youthful Marylander' twe marines fell. He chanced to see them & down. Without orders he dropped ir rifle, beckoned Private Lee Mahr, ®ho -k also named for medalist, to aid, hifm, ant seizing a stretcher, ran to the assistanc of the men just shot. Through this s act of Claggett and Mahr, who is a Miw nesota lad, the wounded men were r$ moved to & place of safety and their liver saved. The enemy’s fire during these severa minutes had not ceased, and as spon a the injured comrade was carried to ar undisturbed corner his rescuers returnes to the storm of bullets and went on witl their part in the battle. as though sucl ! courage and kindness were merely & de tail of the big business of war. Well Acquainted. = “THERE is one young man in Wash- ington, acting as secretary to & senator from a western state, who wil be more careful in his correspondenc( in the coming months. He is a apio- mat and prides himself on his tact, buf in ‘one case this spring his diplomagy was just one too many. The senator has fréquently been th recipient of letters.from people whe sign some nom-de-plume, as “Pro Bonc Publico,” “Anen,” “E Pluribus Unum" and similar phrases. Recently a letten came in regard to the senator's vote or the Panama“ tolls - question, and t' cataract of-advice -was signed simply “Flat Lux”"—a translation of wh would be: “Let there be light.” 5 Now, this secretary did not think much about the_ signature, evidentl His head was bothering more with the, problem of how to take two girls dowrs the river on the same boat and keers them friends, and also as to the stat of an extremely flat purse. . But Nabis was strorig and he ran off the follow-! ing letter: { Mr. Fiat Lux, Smithville, Ky. it % 20td carthuty 1ts e ‘bt Yo% Jgtter and] & pleasure to bear from you or any of your fam ily, and I recall with pleasure meeting you the occasion of my last trip to Smithville. -‘: As the senator happened to read thl over when submitted for signature, | |never was sent—and the secretary ar- congratulating himself that he has. notd a2 e A Treasured-Souvenir. ye UML‘CH communion with wears one’s belief in mme" ism of the average person dowm to -s- very thin difference from . skepticism," remarked the actor, Forbes Robertson! to a dramatic critic the last time be. visited Washington. ” “When I was playing in London las' year,” he went on, by -Way of expiana- tion, “I was introduced at a club-one day to a man who was most extrava- gant In his praises of ‘my work. As w: parted he assured me that, of ail-pos. sible souvenirs, he would treasurg my " autograph the most highly, and when 1 replied that'I would be pleased to give him an autograph pass to the play for the following evening, he fell into ex- pressions 'of the most extravagan'- thanks. Accordingly, I wrote out a pass signed it and handed it to him, recelv- ing therefor his most heart-felt assur- ance that it would forever rank among. his most precious treasures. . . Next evening, after the play, in looks" ing over the receipts in the box office, 1 found that pass,”