Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-24

THE DISORDERLY SOLDIERS.
A Board Of Pennsylvania Militia ON.
City.
On account Of the newspaper publica-
dons calling attention to the bad conduct
of some of the Pennsylvania troops while at
tending the Inauguration here, Gov. Pattison,
after conference with the adjutant general of
the militia, issued an order for the con-
vention of a board of military officers in
this city to try the charges. The board
of inquiry arrived here last night and
met at the Riggs house this morning to or
ganlze and take testimony. The board con-
Sists of Pressly n. Guthrie, adjutant general
Col; H. c. Demming, staff fcommander-in-chief
and Col. Silas w. Petit, Judge advocate, and
Major Wilson, of Gen. Hartranft's staff
TAKING TESTIMONY.
After the board organized to-day, with Col.
Demming as recorder Mr.. w. A. Short and Mr..
A. w. Bogia, both of this city, appeared in de-
tense of the 14th and 9Th regiments.
MIR. Short was the first witness and after being
sworn testified that the 14th regiment left the
city about IL o'clock in the forenoon of the 5th
INST, and were not in the vicinity of Virginia
avenue, where the offences were alleged to have
been committed by them. The witness said he
accompanied the regiment from their quarters
at Masonic Temple to the cars when leaving,
and stated that there was not ten minutes
delay in boarding the train, and there was no
disorder. He said he was with the Sth regi-
ment on Maryland avenue between 9th and
10th streets, during the whole time that they
were there, and he saw none OF the unusual dis
turbances complained of from the time OF their
arrival there until their departure.
In answer to a question of the recorder, Mr..
snort said there might have been some disorder
that he did not see, but he did not think it prob
able.
Mr.. A. w. Bogia, GAL I street, corroborated
the previous witness testimony In regard to the
l.
ments AS far as the 14th was concerned wit
ness testified that that regiment left the city
about IL O'Clock on the 9th inst, several hours
previous to the time the depredations were al
legged to have occurred. His testimony in re-
gard to the Sth regiment was similar to that of
the previous witness. He confined his testi-
mony to these two regiments, as he was not
brought into contact with any others.
TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CHARGES ARE.
After the conclusion of the examination OF
these witnesses the board adjourned until 2
Commissioners and the chief of police to learn
the specific charges made against the troops,
which they were appointed to investigate.
WHAT ADJUTANT GENERAL GUTHRIE SAYS.
Gen. Guthrie, adjutant general of the Penn
sylvania national guard, who accompanied the
board to this city, stated this morning that
neither Gov. Pattison nor himself had received
any communication from officials in this city in
regard to the reported vandalism and depreda-
tions of the Pennsylvania troops up to the time
he left Harrisburg yesterday afternoon. He
added that he had ordered the board to exam
inc into the complaints as published through
vestigating YES 1 the Il matter, M he said, the board
would call upon the Commissioners and
chief of police to receive an official
charges" he said, "than any man who reads
the newspapers, and 1 think it is unjust to
bring the entire national guard into disrepute
of its members, which have not yet been
proven If any OF the men acted In the man,
ner charged, he said they will be punished and
reparation made, but he objected to the manner
in which the charges were made. All they had
to go upon, as yet, were the newspaper publica-
tionS.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DISTRICT coMM1s-
SIONERS.
The members Of the board of inquiry called
at the District Commissioners Office about II
o'clock to-day and had private conference
lasting about half an hour. They stated to the
Commissioners that they had received no def
mite information as to the charges made against
the state soldiers, the governor of Pennsylva-
MIA having got the information upon which he
the newspapers. The facts cleaned in the in
vestigatiOn made by the police, with the Com
missioners' letter to the governor, was not
without the specific charges, and the consulta-
ton to-day resulted in pOstponement of the
case until 10 O'Clock tomorrow, when witnesses
will be summoned. In the meantime the Com
missioners furnished the visitors sent with
copies of the testimony they had dispatched to
the governor OF pennsylvania, ana OffereQ them
the use of their Office to hold the Investigation
tomorrow. The Commissioners will endeavor
to notify the parties aggrieved of the fact that
the board is sitting for the purpose of investiga-
tiOn, SO that they may come forward to make
their statements.
THE ALLEGED VICTIMS.
The Commissioners have notified James F.
Owens, Mrs. 9. V. Davidson, and others who
claimed to have suffered loss ofproperty by dep
relations of Pennsylvania soldiers, who were
Inr
have made investigation of the facts in the case,
and have forwarded to the governor of that
state report made as the result of such inves-
tigation, with request that he take the proper
action in the premises.
SALE OF VALUABLE PRoPERTY.-Chas W.
Handy, real estate agent, 921 street north
west, has sold for Thomas Kirby to Christian
Heurich for the sum of So, 200 cash, parts of
frontage of 81 feet on street by a depth of los
feet on sth street. with Improvement thereon.
PRESENTATION TO R. L. DowN1NG.-At the
Opera house, Baltimore, last night, Joaquin
Miller, the author of the play, appeared on the
stage, and in a CHARACTERISTIC speech presented
Mr.. ROb't L. Downing with a fac simile of Hank
Monks stage whip, mounted in California gold
and Nevada silver. Mr.. Downing responded
with much feeling in 1elicitous little speech.
A CHURCH ELECTIoN.-The congregation of
the Ninth Street NJ. P. church has elected
10 the Maryland annual conference, which
meets in Alexandria April 1st, Mr.. E. ].
Hill delegate, and Mr.. n. Brewer alternate.
They have also elected Messrs Benedict Mil
Swingle and George Topham, trustees, and
Messrs. E. J. Hill, n. Brewer, James S. Tap
ping, ]. B. Walling and F. ]. Bartlett.
CONTRIBUTIONS BY BISHOP PARET-Last
evening Bishop Paret confirmed a class of
eleven persons in ST. Johns Chapel, 22d and
Virginia avenue presented by the minister i'm
charge, the Rev. Mr.. Reazor. The Rev. Mr..
Leonard rector of ST. Johns; the Rev. Mr.. Nc
kee, rector of Emanuel, and the Rev. Mr.
Curtis, minister in charge of st. Mary's Chapel,
were also present in the chancel and officiated
in the services. The bishop delivered an in
inteSeSting address,