River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-02-23

pdidSidpu III tile DIGsluCllt AuHudl
message. In drunken row, December
l, 1878, James Webb, who was sea-
man on the United States steamer,
Ranger, stabbed Constantine Kashine,
a warrant officer of the Russian naval
steamer, Crayser, then in the port of
Nagasaki, Japan. Three days after
ward Kashine died from the effects of
the wound inflicted by Webb. The lat
ter was arrested and tried before Willie
p. Mangum, United States consul, with
four assessors" sitting as consular
court, in pursuance of our treaty with
Japan and the extra-territorial laws
passed by congress in 1860.
ALTHOUGH THE PRISONER WEBB,
was sentenced to be hanged, the evil
dence clearly showed that the legal
elements of the crime of murder in the
first degree were wanting, and that
Webb's crime was manslaughter.
Commissioned COnspirators.
SOME ADVERSE CRITICISM ON HIGH OFF,
GALS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14-There are
ominous shaking of heads about the
capital in reference to certain actions
of President Arthur, Gems. Sherman
and Sheridan and few others, who are
believed TO form coterie to act in uni
son. 1t originally came from opposi-
tion to the Pettibone bill, which pro-
vides that call general officers, and Off
GERS OF the different staff corps shall be
retired from active service when they
have served forty-fve years in the ar
N.Y." Also that officers of the line or
the army when they have reached the
age of sixty-two. Gen. w. 7. Sherman
completed his sixty-second birthday
yesterday, and has now reached the
age when eligible to retirement, and
when, if the bill now pending becomes
law, he will be compelled to retire.
But Gen. Sherman has no notion of re-
from the operations of the existing
laws, on the ground that his Office is an
exceptional one; that it expires by linn
itatisn with his own life; that whether
he retires or not none can succeed him,
and that it was not the intention OF the
law that he should be retired.
However, General Sherman is under
stood to have been using all
his political, personal and social
influence in opposition to the bill which
compels retirement at the age of 62,
showing that he means to take the ben
eft of the doubt for himself in the event
that the bill should become law
Gen. Sherman's attitude causes a good
deal of criticism in both political and
military circles, and is regarded to
some extent by military men as sub
versive of discipline, inasmuch as there
has recently been rather severe in
hibation laid upon officers against at
tempting to influence legislation. But
Gen. Sherman is not criticised as much
as Gen. Sheridan end President Arthur,
on account of the retirements which
were made last week. Gen. Meigs, at
65, was retired on account of age, and
Gen. Rucker, at 72, was promoted to
fill the vacancy. Inasmuch as the only
ground upon which Gen. Meigs could
be retired was that of age, it is to be
presumed that Gen. Rucker, although
72, has renewed his age at the fountain
of youth. Gen. Rucker happened,
however. to be the father-in-law of
Lieut.. Gen. Sherman, and he also
CHANGED to be a special favorite of Mrs.
Grant. In this connection the follow
ing story, told by gossip writer here,
shows the character of
TALK IN Army CIRCLES.
There is a general howl in army cir
Giles over the late appointments Of
quartermaster general and paymaster
general, in which he hand Of Arthur
was visible but the voice of Grant was
audible. Gen. Sheridan has been in
dustriously log-rolling for his father-in-
law for the last six months, but his jolly,
commonplace face looks trifle less
satisfied than week ago, at the pros
pect of the fight that is to be made in
the senate over Gen. Fuckers nomina-
ton, in which several senators will
take occasion to wound Gen. Fuckers
feeling cruelty. This is really Mrs.
Grants nomination. That good wo-
man has never forgotten to be grateful
to Gen. Sheridan for jumping her great
stupid BOBBY of boy, Fred. Grant,
over the heads of hundreds OF gray
haired veterans and making him lieu
tenant colonel. 1t is not to be expeoe-
ed that Mrs. Grant would exactly ap-
preciate "the bad FORM" to put it
mildly, of having q youngster who had
never smelt powder lieutenant colo
mel while men who fought all during
the war remained captains for twenty
years, with the prospect of being re-
tired as majors, nor did Gen. Sheridan
appear to, but he has reaped the re-
ward of virture in having Gen. Meigs
retired at sixty-five on account of his
age and Gen. Rucker promoted at sew
enty-two on account of his youth, it
may be supposed. Col. Rochester was
elevated over eleven other officers,
every one of whom was better entitled
to the paymaster generalship than he,
and both nominations are about as
wildly bad as any that were made by
the pieus fraud.