Show JACK BECKJS SAD END Former Rough Rider Kills Himself in Savannah Ga WAS A SON OF MAJ BECK 1I I 1 Became a Member of the Utah Troop in Torreys Regiment Thirst for Drink Caused Him to be Reduced I in Rank and Finally Dishonorably Discharged Disgrace Drove Him i to SuicideA Bright and Estimable Man with i Qnly One Weakness Leaves 1 Wife and Two Children Clippings frrun Savannah Go papers recently repilvod in Salt Lake convey the Information ilmt John H Beck who Is described as a sportnboul town has committed suicide In the I Georgia city Trick Beck left Salt Lake In May 1S9S as a member of the Utah troop In Torreys rough riders After the resrlmcnt was formed at Fort Russell j Vyo Jack sopn became one of the 1 most popular members r > f the Utah j organization He was made a corporal I I when the troop I was mustered into the j I service and as he had been virtually J reared In army posts his knowledge I of military affair was of Immense value to the troop For a lime he ren I ileied excellent service hilt his one I I l great weakness which had been pain t fully apparent long bcfotv iho I train which currled him from this t city had I 1 reached Ihe I State line 1 I sjnon hcgmi I III gcl the better yt him Jack like I many I others could not stop vtlth t mir drink The regimeI remained at Foil Kus sell for about live weeks Hefoiv three I I of those veikK had passed Jack bad oblainol a pass to visit Cheyciiiu found a convivial crowd and only re tuined to the post v 111 a detail headed by Serffl Iurlon I Morris VUIK tnt to the town to cot him It was thought for a time thai this lit tie infraction I of military I rul Ic would cost lack his hlrlpes hut as u i was his ii ttit offense and lie was one of the brightest J I and most odleient of Iho troops I non oommissloned ofHceie he was let off with a light line and a warning LAST MEETING WJTII HIS WIFE I I lle managed to keep pretty straight from that time until the regiment J started south In Jmuu lie i was a married man and always carried a I photograph of his wife and two babies who wore then in j Omaha He telegraphed tele-graphed to his wife lo meN the reg iment at the depot In Omaha Some of the boys of the troop made II I a point lo i ser that Jak was kept soh < n until unmlui was reached and they succeeded suc-ceeded in doing tills At the station In South Omuluv the wife a evveel faced darkeyed Mule woiiiun was walling with the babies and the four went up town together to the borne of Mrs lioeks parents Tbe regiment left Omaha about midnight By tho I time St 1 Joseph was readied Jack had one of his bad ypelln again From that time on he kept getting vorso Several days absence from rump without leave at Jacksonville caused him to be reduced re-duced to the ranks lie seemed to become utterly reckless after thaI lIe was permitted to go to the city one day and came hack Intoxicated That night ho was made one ofa detail toward to-ward the horses durIng the nightS night-S > crnl of the men who knew hIs condition con-dition and feared he might fall asleep endeavored to get him excused from tho detail but without success As every one expected Jack fell asleep It I happened that during his relief Lieut Andy Burt and First Scrgt Archie McKay had occasion lo pass the post whore Beck was They found him asleep and he was Immediately placed under arrest For six weeks he lay In the guardhouse and then was by court martial sentenced to be dishonorably discharged to forfeit all pay und allowances al-lowances and to be confined nine months The sentence of conllnement was remitted and he was at once dishonorably dis-honorably discharged and escorted out oC the camp A STRIKING CONTRAST At Just about the time of his disgrace dis-grace the dispatches announced that his father who had been gallantly leadIng lead-Ing his colored troopers In Cuba had been recommended for promotion for bravery In action It Js probable that Jack never wrote anything of Jils I trouble to his family If he did a letter let-ter which his mother wrote to Col I Torrey did not Indicate anything of thisAfter After his discharge Jack secured employment at a restaurant located near the camp and worked there for a while The boys were always careful not to refer to his trouble and ei deavored to treat him as If nothing or the kind had occurred and he seemed to appreciate their kindness At tlmos I I he would say that he was mighty glad j I he had got out of the business and did not care how it had happened no I that ho had got out At t other times he would bitterly reproach those whom he thought were responsible for his disgrace and claimed that he had been Jobbed Many of the boys also took this view 1 of It although all united In saying that the om primarily ic I sponslble for the trouble was Jack hlm I Hef 1 tholl h f 1ln1 I 1 his real feelings about > the mailer ol It was readily apparent to everyone who knew him that he felt his disgrace keenly He soon left the employ of the restaurant and moved Into Jacksonville Jackson-ville A friend would encounter him there once In a while and nearly always al-ways found him Intoxicated At the time of his enlistment he was a very J robust man but his dissipation and perhaps his disgrace soon began tot to-t 1I upon him and when the regiment was mustered out In October he was the hadow of his former self Through the Influence of friends he secured an appointment as civilian at tache to the Quartermasters department depart-ment of the ftlcrhlh Army corps went with the corps to Savannah and accompanied ac-companied It to Havana when Itcalled In December He remained lu Cuba at a good salary all winter i and In the KprlnjfCJiine back to Savannah So far as can be learned IIP communicated little If any uuitlu his family and cor I lalnIy never en me north aguin i This may be taken nw the best proof of hov I keenlv I he fell his disgrace for lie always al-ways socin d lo be 1 wholly wrapped up In his wife and babies HAD DETKUMINlSp TO D1K Ho remained In I Savannah tin u man bOil ltowl1 until I I I hils deatli t The news i paper clippings state t that t I the night before 1 he died l ho was eonveiHLng with a newHparKT reporter lie Invited the man to I lake u drink and remarked Well In the morning 1 shall he either I In heaven or In h LHtle wa thought of the remark but Ills dead body was found in his room the next II day ho having poisoned hlmsalf The I authorities In Savannah were able to I I f learn nothing of him except his name I and the fact that he had been a mem her of Torreys regiment He was bur I led In Saannuh the following day lIe 1 was about 30 years old I Poor Jack already had the sIncerest I sympathy of all those who knew him and were familiar with his troubles and now that bin story IH thus brought 1 to such a sad end pity for him and I his family will be redoubled He wan try I proud of IIH family and would 1 often refer with a glow of cmhiiHfasm I to some of the evcnls In his fathers I fine army career It Is Probable hat I 1 It WU thin t pride In the honor of hia I family that Drevented him from ever returning to the North He evidently preferred to sever all relations with those whom Iw felt might have partaken par-taken of his disgrace It IH I easy lo Imagine how a mini of Jacks chnra tel could brood over disgrace until despondency de-spondency would lend to selfdestruc lIon Jacks virtues were greater than his faults I If he had a weakness other than hIs uncontrollable passIon for drink It I was not manifested during his career as a member of Torreys regiment lIe was a bright educated cultured and gemilal man full of liu i mol and crenerous almosi to a fault j He WAS possessed of a flue voice and I on different occasions formed part of a male chorus which went from the camp to Jacksonville on the peisonal invitation uf Gen Fllzhugh Itf to entertain the General and his family I He had within him all the i elemi iits which might lead a man to a career of honor and usefulness and his downfall I I und death can he attributed to drink I aIOIlI |