The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1883-04-07
THAT LYNCKIEG AFFAIR.

rcspondcuce between our Terrific
rial officers and the parent Govern
ment, touching the lynching Of
Pearl, at Lincoln last January. We
have room but for the following,
and will add that no doubt can
exist that the matter has already
been passed upon by the grand
Jury in session at Las Cruces.
There are none who desire a search
ing investigation more than do the
officers at TT. Stanton.
March 0, 1888, General Shcri-
dan forwards the proceedings of a
board Of officers, coyened at Fort
Stanton, by the post commander
(Malor Van Horn, 18th infantry
on the 1st of February, (and consc-
quently sixteen days before the
department Of justice complained to
the war Department. to "thorough-
ly investigate" the alleged outrage.
The board Of officers submit the
following as its opinion in the mat
ter: THAT about twelve soldiers
stationed at Fort Stanton, n. Nj,
did ON or about January 22nd, 1883,
go to the town OF Lincoln, n. NJ,
did break open the Lincoln county
Jail and did take therctrom William
S. Pearl, a citizen prisoner confined
therein, thereby giving the other
prisoners confined In the aforesaid
Jail an opportunity to escape, and
did hang to tree the before men
toned William S. Pearl.
Further, that the insinuation
conveyed in letter Of Pat +. Gar
rett, dated January 25th, 1883, ad-
dressed to the governor OF New
Mexico, that an officer in the tort,
an old acquaintance OF Houses ia
ther, took this opportunity to turn
House out, has no foundation in
fact; and further, that no officer Of
the United States army stationed
at Fort Stanton was cognizant of
the act of the lynching Of William
S. Pearl, or had anything to do
directly oa indirectly herewith" D."
The commanding officer, district
of New Mexico, in forwarding the
proceedings, states that the proceed.
ings are as complete as a board Of
limited powers can make them,
but do not satisfy the ends Of JUS
tice, and he recomends that a court
Of inquiry be convened at Fort
Stanton to inquire into, and, if pos
sible, detect the criminals.
He believes the leaders in the
lynchlng can be identified and that
justice demands that all legal means
be used to hunt them out.
The Judge advocate, department
OF the Missouri, concurs with the
district commander and remarks
that las there has been no demand
from any person whose conduct is
to be inquired into and there is no
specific party accused under the
1l5th art. Of war the court would
have to be.ordered by the president
Of the United States"
Forwarded by Major General
Pope endorsed as follows:
" | haveinstructed the command
ing officer district Of New Mexico
to furnish the proper civil officers
of the territory with a copy Of the
enclosed report and to inform them
that the military authorities at
Fort Stanton will furnish them
every assistance in identifying the
soldiers concerned in this crime
who will be turned over to them
at once for trial by the civil courts.
The commanding officer, district oI
New Mexico, is also instructed tC
cause immediate examination TO be
made to ascertain how it was pos
sible for twelve enlisted men Of tho
command at Fort Stanton to take
out their horses and thus absent
themselves at night and for such &
length of time, from their quarter.
or post, without discovery.
The man Pearl, who was lynched,
had assassinated one of the enlisted
men and his lynching was the con
sequence.
Every effort will be made to de
liver over for trial every enlisted
man concerned in this transaction,
and to correct a want of discipline
or attention to duty, which render
ed the absence of the enlisted men
concerned from the post without
discovery possible.
If the civil authorities are unable
or unwilling to IN this matter, il
appears TO me that court of in
quiry as suggested by the Judge