SONS OF WEALTHIEST MAN IN ARIZONA ARE

LISTED AS DESERTERS,

WITH THE DEATH PENALTY ATTACHED.

 

     Marvelous as it may seem, yet nevertheless a fact, the two sons of Multi-millionaire Shattuck, the "copper king of Arizona," are listed as deserters from the liberty army of the United States.

     Henry Shattuck was drafted here in Yuma, while his, brother, Warner A. Shattuck, was drafted in Bisbee. Where the Yuma contingent was lined up for roll call last Tuesday at the county court house, Henry Shattuck was conspicuous by his absence. He also failed to respond to his: name the evening the boys entrained for Fort Riley and a substitute had to take his place. Warner Shattuck played the same nasty trick on the board at Bisbee. His father gave out the information that the last he heard of his son was "somewhere in the state of Sonora, Mexico, probably Guaymus." Further than that nothing is known of these to "slackers"—or deserters.

     It is a pretty howdy-do when the sons of the wealthiest man in Arizona can "get away" with such a job. If the) were two poor, hard-working boys, boys who had previously enjoyed the reputation of being honest, hard working boys, but little attention would be paid to their deserting, their country when the country needs them. It would be bad enough to forever have it said of them that they were "slackers"—deserters in time of war. But when it known that they are the pampered sons of a multi-millionaire it puts a very different aspect on the case. Their father resides at Bisbee from which point about 1,200  I W. W. fellows were recently deported because of their refusal to work for wages they thought too little for the work performed. No matter how bad those scalawags were in the eyes of the average man of Arizona they are infinitely better than the two Shattuck boys who have "gone to parts unknown" rather than serve Uncle Sam in his hour of distress. Shattuck, the father, has made his every dollar right here in Arizona. He owes this country much more than he would ever be able to pay through sending his sons to fight for the freedom and liberty of mankind. 0n whose advice these two scape-goats have acted no one knows at this time, but no matter who gave the advice or whether they acted, on their own advice, they are both now listed as DESERTERS IN TIME OF WAR, which means that they are subject to the death penalty should they ever be apprehended and it may be well to say right here and now that if a few of this class were given the extreme penalty there would be I fewer desertions in the American army. The father of these two boys will have a hard row to hoe henceforth in the state of Arizona. The thousands of men working in his rich copper mines will naturally look upon him with suspicion with the thought ever uppermost in their minds that "the old man- could have restrained his sons from deserting had he so desired. Whether this is true or not will cut no figure. His sons are deserters, and in this instance the Biblical injunction will be reversed, for the sins of the sons, will, to a certain extent, be visited upon the father. The fact that the elder Shattuck owns large real estate holdings in the vicinity of Yuma brings this nasty incident all the closer to our doors, for we have already sent, 57 brave and worthy young men to the front to fight Shat-tuck's battle, to keep the kaiser and his hungry horde from I crossing the ocean and depleting his bank account. His two sons in the meantime have gone where all cowards go, where they cannot smell powder nor have a chance to grapple with the enemy in a hand-to-hand encounter. So much greater is the disgrace on the Shattucks.