The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-19
CAPT. BLAIR PLEADS GUILTY
THE PROCEEDINGS or THE COURT MAR
IJJL SUDDENLY ENDED.


serIou. Error, hut he L. GuiItcs- Of inten.
tIonnI wronR-Tbe Findings Made In secret.
The shrill buglc notes Of tho post dinner
call we're rcGchoing about the battered walls Of
old Fort Columbus. on Governors Island. yes
terday. ns Capt Thomas Blair Of the Fifteenth
United States Infantry was brought before the
court martial trying him on charges OF con-
duct unhocoming nn officer and gentleman"
The nccused officer. who wore n fatigue uni
form. was seated by window with his counsel.
The long solitary confinement has told upon
him. Ho looks haggard and careworn. ana not
withstanding the fact that he has had the priv
iego Of exercising in the quadrangle Of the
fort for the past few days through the nterpo-
sition Of tho Post Commandanl. Capt. Ward
his checks are pale and his eyes dull.
There was breathlcss silence when Gen.
Mcmahon Of counsel for Capt Blair called tho
attention Of the court to paper he held in his
hand lie read the following;
The accused. ancr reflection and upon the advice Of
counsel, has decided to Withdraw his plea Of mot
guilty t1 thu specification While be docs not admit that
at the time of his In Kentucky he lccyei tit
he had been legally married IN scotland and claims that
he h. therefore euitess of intentionally doing the
wrong that's charged him yet he docs not deny
that In acting solely upon his conviction In
matter he committed error serious In IT, conse.
qucnccs others thathe Is willing 10 make whatever
rcparauon or atoncmcut there may bee In the iul
acknowledgment o mis- wrongful act, and he therefore
pleads guilty to the spccihcauDns and awaits ho Just
sentence OF tie Court
Gen. Mcmahon said that II must bo distinctly
understood that Capt. Blair does not plead
guilty" to the general chargc-ot conduct
unhccuming mn officer and "A gentleman but
TO tho spccn ptions. Of which there are two.
hbH fS, spgbch tb nsd rs u" a !S rSomg u 6n
marry 2 certain woman N Glasgow, .oilHnd.
on tn" 22d ot February. 1861 and that, while his
Grnnngcr last lall' and thus committed the crime
The second specification charges tho nr.s-
written n nntnr Iurp,rtir,, tn b, n sn"cinl order
signed with the name, OF, ". II. konoe whrrely
IL appnarru tnht ne nnn 'n'n ulsS,nnrEed from
thc sn. 's,inn cinr.. t nc,,,lca Ii
" SI ~ 'al.n ~. ,'."l = VI d" l.'ti l.'ti
~, i'nt ~ & "r ~ w. n.S W'ns u, ,i''l,u'
NiSnis AMI nnnli,. hi,n me- I'tt.,r tn rurry ,ut
Gs d@,9h to mpfrg X he ,Tr wd% o1 i9s lat Gen.
.t, ,S Ir,I',r t. Cow
orn,n.r, i.T Nv ,.ed xxx nor no 10y, 10y,
secret session. nm coaE., s.i.lns as a. iury.
BROUGHT IN vfiGt Mha' ,s tnis was Is not
! tbe couft. II was earned ON GOOD Wtlih"r,iS.
| however tbnt but ON" verdict couli have ba.n
| arrived m under the military code g. ruilty
Of tho charge Tha, an Acknowledgement Of the
! Specification was a virtual acknnwl"dgment of
! the general Charge and that even though the
| second marriage was mldn uilwit,iucly Tho NO.
| knowl"dgment of the making OF tho spurious
| discharge from tho service was an ncA nowi,.lc-
| ment 1f tho attcnlut To deceive md Yns thcr,,.
| iors in ,otnpntihl~ with conduct " L."opinl. nm
| officer ana "A gentleman"
! The name signed tu the fraudulent disrharye
as that II tho AIJn'nnt. General is that OF an
| officer in the Third United states Artillery
| The Scotch marriage was proyan by n certi-
fled copy ~ tho unrriag. cert tircate II the pris-
| oner with Ann Bnillir 1t reads ns follows;
| So II rbopa. Nichou iotu.r i.urncvroan h,cbci,,
ascI ~ rcslirncc No - W wcineadow street Psisicy
rr.,d. Feb -. 1851. h gent Terrace GLASGOW
aier hanns accgr Ing 10 ilc form, = te fw.hNeran
Church !" Ann Bsiiir sp'iet nscl ~ "i \. 10 Yer,
S,hsh .3 ,,. ~, ,. ', sr' [ Iil H. cn,
Of M ms, S'choi and Eo, n T,plir tanner i'.,
| AMI Nafy Blii.. wIi-, ultb!cn nimc ~ AtNaia.rr
| were me paf.ut. Ann N.lhc s-fcd ~ John Gra
| hsm. munster H.fri,k So a 'nnNh. Glasgow, aud
'1W...ir, ,,, ,l t-. ni , ffr,,r, i.,i
! b, Ar.b,'. ii IA Assistant n, STAR w.
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