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Show --ll. S. INTERCEPTS ! GUARD 110 ROBIN' Ohio Infantrymen Arrested Pending Investigation of Their Action. WASHINGTON. Dec. 26. Charges that J the Eighth Ohio resiment on the Mexican border has not been properly cared for, set forth in a "round robin" petition signed by members of the regiment, were arrested by the war department before1 making public a report from Brigadier j General BIt, commanding- the El Paso j district, saying the regiment is comfortably comfort-ably and adequately housed and its number num-ber of sick is below the average. The statement says: Out of the pr.3 enlisted men and forty-six officers in the Eighth Ohio there are twenty-three on the sick report at this date (December 2i. Only two deaths in this regiment since arrival on the border. One of these was a suicide and the otiier was Private Lapp, who died of pneumonia, private Lapp was properly r cared for and no blame attached to anyone for his death. All tents of the Eighth Ohio are floored and walled and supplied with utoves and ample fuel. This regiment is comfortably and adequately housed and Its number of g'ck is below the average. In the First Ohio brigade infantry there lias not been to date a single death. Out of all the Ohio troops in this district, over 7000 officers and men, five died and two were killed since arrival on the border. EL PASO, Dec 25. The hearing of Private Robert Dixon of the Eighth Ohio infantry before a summary court, which was to have ben held today, has been postponed to pernfit the preliminary hearing hear-ing to be continued. Private Dixon was charged with having t drafted the "round robin" in the Eighth Ohio camp and to have circulated it among the men protesting against camp conditions. condi-tions. Private Wilson Murphy of C company. Eighth Ohio Infantry, has been ordered confined to his quarters in connection with the investigation of the "round robin." which was signed by approximately 4i0 members of this regiment. Private Robert Dixon of the same regiment has been confined con-fined to bis tf-nt oti the charge of having drafted the "round robin." It was stated at the camp tonight that a further Investigation is being made of the case In order to determine whether or not . the men signed the document which was forwarded to Ohio and intercepted en route. The non-commissioned officers, who were to be reduced if guilty, stated In their defense that they signed a paper In the belief that it was a correction of a newspaper article that appeared in an Ohio paper. It was said to have been materially different from the one sent to Ohio. i i General George Bell, Jr., said tonight that this gave the case a different complexion com-plexion and it was possible t hat Dixon and Murphy might not be tried by the summary court ordered for that purpose, but would be tried by another court as soon as the investigation was .completed. |