The New York herald., 1879-02-05
Major RENQ!'S CONDUCT.
A Witness, Who Was With the Train as
Packer" SWeaS He Was Drunk.
OFFICERS THOUGHT HIM SOBER
Colonel Rsnssn Says There Wasn't NhHEsg Enough With
The Command to Puddle Him
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HEnALDs1

By TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
CHICAGO Feb. 4. 1879.
The testimony to-day in the Reno inquiry was Do
cidedy adverse to that officer. and in more than one
instance created sensation in court The first wit
ness put upon the stand after the formality Of read
ing the testimony of the preceding day. was b. L.
Churchill. who testified that he rancher on
Tongue River. near Fort Keogh. and that
he accompanied Clusters command as
''packer;" the first he had Of the
command being engaged with Indians was at about
eleven O'Clock the morning of the 25th, about two
miles and half from the Little Big Horn; there
were about hundred and seventy-fve mules and
about citizen packers he thought. in the pack
train; with tho news that the command was engaged
came orders TO hurry up the ammunition packs;
witness accompanied these; they hurried along
as fast they could go; when the am
munition packs reached the top of the hill
where Reno was witness men in the bottom,
but several coming up the hill; about hour and
half after he had arrived the hill. few minutes
before the ammunition. witness the fighting
the hill; he did not much of Major Reno; tho
officers he most saw were Colonel Benteen and
Captain Weir; at about ten o'clock he
Major Reno; a named Fritz started out
with witness in search Of something to eat;
Major Reno stopped them and asked them
asked about the Iules Fritz replied that they
all right; Reno then repeated the question in
maudln way and struck at Fritz, his motion sprink
ling quantity of whiskey them both; Reno
then seized carbine and witness took hold Of Fritz
and led him away; he thought that Reno was intoxi-
Gated. Sensation among the lades.t
QUESTION OF soBRIErY.
This brought Mr. Gilbert TO his feet. who said he
had given widest latitude to the inquiry: but
charge to which Major Reno was called to answer
was one Of cowardice, not drunkenness. and Mr..
offered should be excluded. The Recorder replied.
saying that Mr.. Gilbert made mistake in seeming
to think that Major Reno was here on trial; he
was not. This was inquiry into Major Reno's
conduct. and if an ohicers sobriety did
did not know what did Mr. Gilbert claimed that
Major Reno had asked for this inquiry account Of
letter written by Mr.. Whitaker charging him with
cowardice and the inquiry should be restricted to
that issue. The Court ruled that Lieutenant Lees
questions we're in order and the Recorder continued
his examination but elected nothing more startling
than that the witness saw Major Reno two three
times the next day. oncc in the morning lying be-
hind the pack saddles
ACTED.
Mr. Gilbert first questioned the witness about
the preceding part of his testimony and the witness
testified that Major Reno accompanied by on
Ger or somebody else when he struck Fritz this
about ten o'clock witness did not know that Reno
had had trouble with the packers about skulking.
with Fritz in particular; Major Reno stepped
back and took up carbne after striking at Fritz;
the witness seized Fritz and not Reno because he did
not think Reno would do anything with the weapon.
The following lively dialogue then took place:-
Mr.. Gilbert-Major Reno was staggering. Of course.
Witness-He stepped forward in a way that might
be construed, perhaps, as staggering. or it might
have been natural.
Mr. Gilbert-He was hccoughing, of coursei
Witness-I did not hear him.
Mr.. Gilbert-His voice vas thick, suppose, and he
did no. utter his words distinctly did he? That.
suppose. was the reason Fritz did not hear him.
wasn't its
Witness-I did not observe whether it was or not;
the witness did not know that Major Reno had had
any trouble with the men stealing rations and
ordered them desist not to prevent equal
division of the rations but he quite that hc
never had any trouble getting his share OF the
rations.
Lieutenant Edgerley being recalled testified that
he saw Major Reno ut about nine O'Clock the night OF
the 25th lie came along the line where the witness
was. He gave indication of drunkenness. Tho
witness spoke to him about closing up gap in the
line and Major Reno told him to do it. The witness
sober then. lie sober next day. and the witness
saw no indications of drunkenness the night before.
The witness had never heard ntimaton that Major
Reno intoxicated ut any time until he (the wit.
ness) came to Chicago to attend the Court.
''As soHER HE IL Now.
Colonel Beneen being recalled testified that hewas
with Major Reno he might say all the time the night
Of the 25h: he sober he is the witness
Law down in Major Reno's bed and il he had been at
any time the slightest degree under the influence
of liquor the witness would have known it. ''why."
said the Colonel. good naturcily. 'there wasn't whis
key enough in the command to make him drunk. II
Id known nc had any whskey I'd have been after
him."
A fierce looking gentleman. with dark brown
mustachc about six inches long. and who gave the
name of Captain Edward r. Godfrey next called
He was of the Seventh cavalry. now stationed At
Standing Rock, Dakota. He accompanied Colonel
Bentecn on his sorte of to the left after separating
from Clusters column. and described the movements
of the command substantially as previous witnesses
had DONE Soon after arriving upon the hill he saw
Major Reno, who appeared to be somewhat excited,
and was talking with Colonel Bentcen. he thought,
in regard to the advisabty of going back after
Lieutenant Hodgeson's body. This witness answered
the regular set questions and gave his testimony
clearly. but nothing new was elected. The Court
adjourned until hat-past ten Tomorrow