12th Cavalry, having been submitted to the President, the following are his orders thereon:

WHITE HOUSE, Washington, April 1, 1904.

The proceedings, findings, and sentence in the case of 1st Lieutenant Arthur G. Sharpley, 12th Regiment of Cavalry, are approved, and the sentence will be duly executed.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

Lieutenant Sharpley ceases to be an officer of the Army from April 4, 1904.

BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR:

ADNA R. CHAFFEE,

Lieutenant General, Chief of Staff.

OFFICIAL:

W. P. HALL,

Acting Adjutant General.

No. 64.

WASHINGTON, April 5, 1904.

Before a general court-martial which convened at Fort Wayne, Michigan, pursuant to Special Orders, No. 12, Department of the Lakes, January 23, 1904, and of which Lieutenant Colonel RICHARD T. YEATMAN, 27th Infantry, was president, and 1st Lieutenant OLIVER H. DOCKERY, JR., 3d Infantry, was judge advocate, was arraigned and tried

Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt, 1st Infantry.

CHARGE. "Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, in violation of the 61st Article of War."

Specification 1st-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt, First United States Infantry, having for value received, assigned to Arthur Graves, at Manila, P. I., his official pay account and claim for pay in full against the United States for the month of April, 1903, which said account was made and executed by him in due manner and form, did, nevertheless, for a valuable consideration, assign to First Lieutenant T. J. Fealy, First United States Infantry, another and second pay account and claim of the same nature and form, and for the same amount and period, he, the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt, well knowing at the time he made such assignment that the second account and claim was false and fraudulent. This on board the U. S. A. T. 'Logan,' at sea, en route from Manila, P. I., to San Francisco, California, on or about the fifteenth day of April, 1903."

Specification 2d-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt,

First United States Infantry, having made and executed in due form his certain pay account as an officer in the Army for the month of April, 1903, and having duly assigned the said account to Arthur Graves, thereby parting with all title and interest therein, and without having redeemed the same, and while it remained in full force and effect, did falsely certify with his official signature to the correctness of another official pay account, for the pay of the said month of April, 1903, duly made and executed, and assigned to First Lieutenant

R 16 Recd

T. J. Fealy, First United States Infantry, which certifi cate was in words as follows: 'I certify that the amount charged in the foregoing account is correct and just.' This on board the U. S. A. T. 'Logan,' at sea, en route from Manila, P. I., to San Francisco, California, on or about the fifteenth day of April, 1903."

Specification 3d-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt, First United States Infantry, having had referred to him on October 12, 1903, a letter from one Martin J. Westcott, asking for assistance in the collecting of a debt owed by the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt, to the said Martin J. Westcott, did reply to said letter in words and figures as follows:

[4th indorsement.]

CAMP YOUNG, KENTUCKY, October 13, 1903. Respectfully returned to the adjutant, First Infantry. The amount of the claim of Mr. Westcott was sent to him by P. 0. money order on August 7, 1903. (Signed) Frank Pratt, Second Lieutenant, First Infantry.

which statement that the amount of the claim of Mr. Westcott was sent to him by P. O. money order on August 7, 1903, was false, and was known by the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt to be false, and was made with the intent to deceive. This at Camp Young, West Point, Kentucky, on or about the 13th day of October, 1903." Specification 4th-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt, First United States Infantry, did transfer to Second Lieutenant W. W. Merrill, First United States Infan. try, for value received, his, the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt's, certain expense account and claim against the United States for the sum of twenty-one dollars ($21.00); which said claim was transferred back by the said Lieutenant W. W. Merrill to the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt, for no consideration, but for the purpose of collecting it for the benefit of said Lieutenant W. W. Merrill, he, Lieutenant W. W. Merrill, being unable to collect the claim, the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt did then present the said claim to a paymaster and did receive the whole amount of twenty-one dollars ($21.00), – due on said claim; that the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt did state to the said Lieutenant W. W. Merrill

that he, the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt, had been unable to collect the amount of twenty-one dollars ($21.00), due on the aforesaid claim for mileage and that he, Lieutenant Frank Pratt, had torn up said claim, and would not again present it, or words to that effect, which statement was false, and was well known by the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt to be false, and was made with the intent to deceive. This at Fort Wayne, Michigan, on or about the twentieth day of November, 1903." Specification 5th-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt, First United States Infantry, did present to Messrs. Clements & Smith, of the city of Detroit, his, the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt's, check for the sum of fortyfive dollars ($45.00), drawn on the Citizens' National Bank of Flint, Michigan, in payment of a bill contracted by said Lieutenant Frank Pratt, with the said Clements & Smith, for the sum of twenty-five dollars and ninety cents ($25.90), and that he, the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt, did receive the balance, nineteen dollars and ten cents ($19.10), he, the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt, well knowing the said check for forty-five dollars ($45.00) was fraudulent and that there was no institution by the name of the Citizens' National Bank of Flint, in the city of Flint, Michigan, and he, the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt, having no account in any bank in the city of Flint, Michigan. This at Detroit, Michigan, on or about the twenty-fifth day of November, 1903." ADDITIONAL CHARGE I.-"Violation of the 61st Article of War." Specification 1st-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt,

First United States Infantry, having executed and on or about the 31st day of July, 1903, transferred his account and claim for pay as an officer of the Army of the United States for the month of July, 1903, amounting to one hundred and twenty-eight dollars and thirtythree cents, to G. J. Baetcke and Company, bankers, Brighton, Michigan, did, nevertheless, subsequently make and present in person to Major Harry L. Rogers, paymaster, U. S. Army, on or about August 7, 1903, a second and duplicate account and claim for pay as an officer of the United States Army, for the same month and for the same amount aforesaid, which transaction

was fraudulent and well known by the said Lieutenant Pratt to be fraudulent. This at Chicago, Illinois." Specification 2d-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt, First United States Infantry, having made and executed in due form his certain pay account as an officer in the Army for the month of July, 1903, and having assigned the said account to G. J. Baetcke and Company, bankers, Brighton, Michigan, thereby parting with all title and interest therein, and, without having redeemed the same, and while it remained in full force and effect, did falsely certify with his official signature to the correctness of another pay account, for the pay for the said month July, 1903, duly made and executed, which certificate was in words as follows: 'I certify that the amount charged in the foregoing account is correct and just.' This at Chicago, Illinois, on or about August 7, 1903." Specification 3d-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt,

First United States Infantry, having had officially sent to him on August 14, 1903, a letter from the judge advocate, Department of the Lakes, an inquiry with reference to his pay accounts for the month of July, 1903, did reply in said letter in part in words and figures as follows:

*

*

* Upon my arrival in Chicago I first wired Mr. Baetcke to send the vouchers to me for collection and then I went to the chief paymaster and made out new vouchers and collected my pay less the stoppage of $39.50, and sent the entire amount collected plus $39.50 to Mr. Baetcke by personal bearer. * * Frank

Pratt, 2d lieutenant, 1st Infantry,' which statement that he sent the entire amount collected plus $39.50 to Mr. Baetcke by personal bearer' was false and was known by the said Lieutenant Frank Pratt to be false and was made with the intent to deceive. This at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, on the 16th day of August, 1903."

ADDITIONAL CHARGE II.-"Violation of the 60th Article of War."

Specification 1st-"In that Second Lieutenant Frank Pratt, First United States Infantry, having duly executed and transferred his account and claim for pay as an officer o the Army of the United States, for the month of April, 1903, to Arthur Graves, Manila, P. I., did, nevertheless,