Helena weekly herald., 1878-11-14

The Painful Case Of Henry w. James, U.
=. A.

The Painful Case Of Henry w. James. U.
Captain and Brevet Lieut.. Colonel Henry
W. James, Assistant Quartermaster .. s. A.,
in charge of Lieut.. Van Orsdale, 7th Infant
ry, and detailed soldier, arrived in Helena,
Saturday, from Fort Shaw, and under guard
was placed in the Sisters Hospital until Sum
day morning. Realizing that he was kept
under restraint he was for time quite vio-
lent and in his excitement seized an earthen
vessel and hurled it at the head of the atten-
dant, who escaped, fortunately, with scalp
wound. For several hours he INDUCED in
wild threats against the army, the officers
of which he charged with conspiracy to kill
him. He demanded that Judge Wade, Mar
shal Botkin and others be sent for to prepare
indictments against General Brooke, Adjutant
Hale, and other officers, whom he named as
the ring-leaders in plot to deprive him OF
liberty and to take his life. With difficulty
Lieut.. Van Orsdale restored order, aud re-
assured of his safety, the Colonel grew quiet
and tractible. Sunday morning he was placed
aboard the overland coach, and with Lieut..
Van Orsdale and other attendants departed
for the States.
Only brief reprots having been made by
the Territorial papers of Col. James aft1iction,
it may now be referred to more fully in con-
nection with some mention of his citizen and
military life and of the dramatic occurrences
which followed the development of his
malady, already reported to the Eastern press
COL James was assigned to duty as Quarter
master of this Military District about one
year ago. About the Goth of Sept he had
orders to proceed to Cow Island, which is the
head OF navigation on Othe Missouri River,
after the1st of September. His duties there
consisted in receiving and forwarding GER
tain quartermaster's stores that had been de-
layed in transportation. 1t was not pleas
ant assignment, but Col. James had sense OF
duty, and obeyed without hesitation. He
went to Cow Island and performed the work
assigned to him. Then he went to Carroll,
where, it appears, he had some collision
with Lieut.. Jerome, I'd Cavary, that resulted
in charges and counter-charges. Next Col.
James visited the camp of the I'd Infantry on
the Marias, and thence started for Fort Shaw
with an ambulance and single soldier for
escort. The next we hear of him, Capt.
Horace Page, of the Sd Infantry, met him
wandering wildly and aimlessly across the
broad prairie. He was not long in ascertain
ing the cause. Col. James was poor, raving
maniac. Subsequently it was learned that he
had sent off first his escort and then his driver,
and had then chopped his ambulance into
tooth picks with an ak, and burned it with
all his papers. 1t should be remarked here,
however, that none of his vouchers were
among the papers destroyed, and that his ac-
counts were in all respects in perfect shape.
He was taken at once to Fort Shaw, where
he received every possible attention.
Col. James moved from the East to Chicago
in the year 1856 He was then employed as
teller in private banking house on Lake
street, near the fremont House. He resign
ed that position to accept the cashiership of
the City Bank of Kenosha. Thence he re-
moved to Milwaukee, where he was engaged
in banking and in some railroad enterprises.
He served during the war as Quartermaster,
and made an excellent record. He subse-
quently received commission in the regular
army. For some time he was on duty at
Oregan, and during the riots of
1877 he was on duty at Baltimore, where he
rendered services that were recognized in the
reports of the commanding General. Dur
ng his residence in this Territory he has i'm
pressed every one with whom he has had re-
ations with a high sense of integrity, and
regard for the interests of the
He has wife, and son ap-
manhood, at present residing in
Baltimore, as we'll as brother at Chicago.
Happily there are now vacancies on the re-
ired list, of one of which he should have the
benefit, on account of his long and useful
service, and his unhappy and, it is to be fear
ed, incurable infrmlty.
Personal.
Judge Gaddis returned to Camp Baker
% day.