Ft
Thomas Barracks Deserters and Prisoners
Kentucky Post, Thursday, 3 August 1899, page 5
The report of the general court martial held at Ft Sheridan, Ill. which tried Charles Davis of A Troop, Second Cavalry and H Brennan, of H Troop, Eighth Cavalry, who alleged deserters, reached Ft Thomas Thursday. Each was given a sentence of 20 days in the guardhouse and $10 fine. Both men have been held prisoners at the post guard house, three months past, awaiting trial.
James H Maskell of L Battery of the First Artillery, who is alleged to have deserted from Ft Sheridan last year, was dishonorably discharged Thursday, by order of Adjutant General Corbin. Maskell has been a prisoner t the Ft Thomas Guardhouse for five months past. Upon receiving his discharge he will be paid for the nine months elapsing since his disappearance from the battery.
Private Phillip Bruning, Company C, Nineteenth Infantry, as alleged deserter, who was captured at Louisville, last week, was lodged in the Ft Thomas Guardhouse Thursday to await trial by general court martial.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 19 October 1899, page 5
Private Herbert A Teal, of Battery L, Fourth Infantry, who has been held a prisoner at the Ft Thomas guardhouse for alleged desertion, was Thursday, released and sent back to rejoin his regiment at Ft Dupont Del.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 3 April 1903, page 1
While attempting to overpower a sentry to effect an escape, Harry Pulver, 24, a military prisoner t the Ft Thomas Ky. barracks was shot late Thursday and died from his wounds. Zion Parsons, 22, Company M, was the sentry. He was in charge of Pulver and another prisoner, W O'Brien in the paint shop at the northern edge of the reservation. Pulver died at the Post hospital in a few hours. Before death he stated that he and O'Brien planned for five days to escape.
Pulver was a Company B Third Regiment, private from Astoria L I and was serving a two years sentence at hard labor for theft, following his arrest in Cincinnati for stealing a bicycle.
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Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 19 May 1903, page 1
Elmer Landecker, 30, a prisoner at the Ft Thomas guardhouse, serving a year for desertion, attacked Corporal Arthur Crosby of Company B, with a razor Tuesday and then cut his own throat from ear to ear. He is reported in a critical condition from loss of blood. Landecker is believed to be demented.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 28 August 1903, page 5
James Stonnett, general prisoner at Ft Thomas, escaped from the guardhouse before 6 pm Thursday evening. He was with a number of other prisoners, being taken from the mess hall to the guardhouse when he succeeded in getting away. Stonnett was serving a two year sentence for deserting from Company A, Fourth Artillery.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 3 December 1903,
page 5
Flem Mahaney, one of the general prisoners, who made his escape from the post guardhouse last April, was apprehended at Eminence, Ky y the civil authorities. He has been brought back to the post to serve his sentence.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 16 January 1904, page 1
Confined in the rough barracks at Ft Thomas as a prisoner, charged with desertion, the thoughts of Private John Ruffin were with a dying wife in a little cottage in Springfield O. and, desperate at his confinement, he tried to escape Tuesday night and get back to the bedside of his loved one before the finger of death should forestall him. He left the Post without a furlough and stayed longer than he expected. He was arrested and brought back to Ft Thomas. An effort is being made to allow him to go back to Springfield under guard.
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Kentucky Post, Friday, 15 July 1904, page 5
John Lapointe and Louis H Hoffman, deserted from Ft Thomas Thursday and Capt. M E Saville has sent out notice to all police. They were last seen crossing in a skiff from the Fort. Hoffman is a general prisoner and LaPoint was a sentry when the escape was made. Hoffman and another prisoner named Lanier deserted with Sentry Paulette about three weeks ago. The prisoners were captured at Chester Park but Paulette is still at large.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 10 September 1904, page 5
Another general prisoner escaped from the guardhouse on June 23 last with the sentry, Private Jas. C Pallett of the Twenty-seventh Infantry, has been apprehended in Cincinnati and is again in the guardhouse here to serve out his sentence. Hoffman was apprehended the day after his escape at Chester Park and returned to the Post, tried by general court martial and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and while serving sentence again escaped. Hoffman whose home in in Cincinnati is well known and not too well liked, and thus his arrest is made certain.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 19 August 1905, page 8
In the case of Walter Gray, formerly a private of Company D, Second Infantry, and now a general prisoner at Ft Thomas, the charges are dismissed, provided he shall be credited with good conduct up to August 28.
Joseph F Coburn, accused of desertion from Company C, Second Infantry, was taken to the post yesterday for detention.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 19 October 1905, page 7
With three bullet holes in his clothes, one of which pierced the crown of his hat, and surrounded by an entire battalion of soldiers, Reece Bollin, a prisoner at Ft Thomas, was captured in the woods near the post late Wednesday afternoon after making a daring break for liberty. Bollin is serving two years at hard labor for desertion and was working on the rock pile late Wednesday afternoon. Bollin took advantage of the fact his guard, William Gossett, was his life long friend and schoolmate and thought if he made a dash for liberty Gossett would not shoot him. The guard fired 10 shots at him. Three bullets pierced his clothing and one crashed into his leg which rendered him unable to run further.
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Kentucky Post, Thursday, 20 December 1906, page 5
Howard Donar, 22, a general prisoner at Ft Thomas, is in the Post Hospital suffering from alleged dementia and the officers at the Fort have recommended he be removed to he General Hospital in Washington DC. Donar was living in Tindale Ky. and has a wife and child. He was tried by court martial for alleged desertion and sentenced to 19 months confinement. He escaped but afterward gave himself up and was confined in the guardhouse.
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Kentucky Post, Monday, 3 May 1909, page 5
Richard Cronen of Company D, a long term prisoner in the guardhouse at Ft Thomas, made a dash for liberty yesterday morning while the regular morning inspection was in progress. Before the men could reload their weapons Cronen had disappeared over the bank into a ravine leading down to the Ohio River. The men pursued and after loading their rifles began firing at the fugitive. Cronen was captured just as he was to jump into a skiff and flee to the Ohio side. Cronen had yet two years to serve.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 8 March 1919, page 3
Private Irvin Taylor, who killed George Lawson, Lexington, while guarding him on the Ft Thomas reservation Feb 18, was preparing to assume duties in recruiting service, following acquittal by court martial of blame in the shooting. After the killing it was shown that Larson was a victim of mistaken identity, as proved by fingerprint records of the War Department. He was arrested when accused of being a man of the same name who deserted from his organization in Texas.
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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 11 September 1926, page 1
A paroled prisoner at Ft Thomas Army Post was AWOL Saturday, military authorities told northern Kentucky police, in asking aid in a search for him. Edgar Hughes, the prisoner, having been paroled, was working at the post garage Friday without a guard. Friday night he failed to return to the guard house.