Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-03-17
After A Long Struggle The
House Passes the Edmunds
Anti-Polygamy Bill with
out Amendment.
The Search for the Jeanette Crew
Crimes and Criminals, For
eign and Ocean News.
Military MaIfeasance.

CORRUPTION AT THE SOLDIERS HOME.
WASHINGTON, March 14-Investiga-
ton into the affairs of the soldiers
home by subcommittee Of the senate
military committee, has excited much
interest in army circles. General
Sturgis has written letter to the COM
mittee, complaining of the fact that his
office is more ornamental than useful,
three commissioners, Adjutant Gen
eral Drum. Commissary General Nc
Freely and Surgeon General Barnes
monopolising all power, even to the
appointment and removal of laborers,
and opening and shutting the
gates leading to the city. Gen
eral Stureis succeeded General
Potter as governor, a retired officer,
who is said to have yielded entirely to
the authority of the commissioners.
Various abuses are charged upon the
latter, such as accepting flowers, fruits
and vegetables raised upon the grounds
of the home. Gen. Drum Indignantly
denies all relation to such things, and
the other two army officers, il is said,
will demand an investigation. Judge
w. A. Woolworth, counsel for the de-
| fense in the star route cases recently
tried at Lincoln, Neb., arrived tonight
to secure if possible the abandonment
of further prosecution of those az
Quilted at Lincoln on one to six indict-
ments.
WASHINGTON, March IA sub-com-
mittee Of the senate military commit
tee has been for some weeks investi-
eating the management of the Soldiers
Home in this city. Some very extra
ordinary evidence has been taken, the
results of which may be to cause con-
siderable embarrassment TO the distln-
guished officers who by law are placed
in charge OF the institution. Yesterday
there was an important secret meeting
| held at the Soldiers Home. where
some significant testimony was taken
1t appears, without specifying details,
that the persons responsible for the
management have taken milk, fruits
and the products Of the farm gener.
ally for their own tables in liberal
amounts, so that at times even the old
soldiers have been deprived Of the
delicacies which belong to them. An
act of petty favoritism has been dis
covered which is likely TO receive the
severcst rebuke OF the committee. The
/ investigation seems to have been call
ed for by Gen. Sturgis, commander oi
the Home, and his friends claim the re
cent complaints in the west agains
him on account of the old Guntowr
expedition are instigated by those II
the management of the soldiers home
who are likely to be embarrassed BY
this investigation. As apparent
coRRoBoRATIvE PROOF OF THIS,
it is stated that the petitions received
here from soldiers working for an in
vestigation of Gen. Sturgis appear Il
have been printed in Washington ano
sent out to be filed up. Gen. Sturgi:
has not asked for court of inquiry
but has published a pamphlet reply.
ing to the charges made against him
It is said that evidence In the investi
CATION will show thai it has been the
regular custom of the surgeon genera
and the commissary general to have
frnits, flowers, milk and sometimes but
ter delivered from the soldiers home
to their residences in this city, and the
third member OF the board, Adjutant
Gen. Drum, always persistently de
clined to receive any of these con-
tributions from the home or to be q
party to the scheme Of living on the
invalid soldiers. There are curious
stories, too, as to the disposition o.
furniture which was brought for the
house occupied by Presidents Gram
and Hayes, but these stories have We
to be investigated. So much, however
has already been discovered as to max,
it seem very probable that a court o
inquiry will be necessary.