Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-18
THE McBLAIN CASE.

The attention of army officers-partic-
ularlv those who feel their personal dig
nity to be disturbed by press criticism of
the officers who at any time were en-
gagged in the chase and capture of Ger
onimo-is called to the following Chey-
enne special to the Denver Ne.Cs of the
18th inst, as it is calculated to show that
some army officers, and old-time grad
yates at that, are imbued with all the
weaknesses and meannesses that affiict
common humanity, and should therefore
receive a newspaper roasting OCCASION
ally, for the benefit of the moral atmos-
phere of the army and the information of
the common scru bs who pay taxes to
support said army:
"The verdict in the case of Lieutenant
John f. McBlain, recently tried by court
martial here, has Just been made public.
The court finds him guilty and sentences
him to dismissal from the service. General
Crook has reviewed and disapproves the
sentence and orders McBlain's release from
arrest and his restoration to duty.
1t is now known here, with certainty, that
for mercenary reasons the court that tried
McBlain determined before it heard one
word of evidence to find him guilty. Every
member of the court was approached before
the trial and given to understand that to aid
some one high in rank in the army prece-
dent must be established in the McBlain
case of having temporary vacancy in the
army filed by Presidential appointment
McBlain's position of first lieutenant being
temporarily vacant and having been filled
by appointment, it was determined to drive
him from the army in order that the ap-
pointee to his place should continue to hold
it and thus justify what a number of Off
GERS desire to see done in higher position,
viz: the Judge Advocate General of the army.
The position is temporarily vacant, caused
by the suspension of General Swain, and
among others Colonel Morrow President of
the McBlain court, is candidate for ap-
pointment to the place, and in the interest
of these candidates il was determined to
sacrifice poor McBlain, who rose from the
ranks and had no powerful influence to back
him.
Had it not been for the fairness and hon
esty of General Crook, who disapproves the
whole proceeding, a foul act of injustice
would have ruined the life and character of
gallant and meritorious soldier in order to
feed the ambitious desires of men whose
high rank, If nothing else, should absolve
them from such mean methods.
To the friends of General Miles this
will be as red rag to bull. The idea
that the opposition military god could be
fair and honorable to a subordinate is
tough. 1t is now absolutely necessary
that some officer create breach in the
Articles of War and offer himself in
General Miles department, so that he
(Miles) can eclipse Crook by returning
the offender to rank and duty and throw
ing in a chrome of the surrender of
Geronimo. 1t is quite possible that the
author of the foregoing special is "of'"
in his conclusions, though strictly true in
what he states as fact, but then every
officer who reads the dispatch knows very
well that where a court-martial SEN
tences an officer to dismissal, with no
word or recommendation to soften the
blow, and the reviewing officer steps in
and sets the whole proceedings aside and
restores the officer to rank and duty, that
something is rotten in Denmark. Can it
be that General Crook is rotten? No,
perish the the thought, for they them
selves have said it; then it follows that
the court was rotten, and the common
people believe it was. For the informa-
ton of our readers we will state that
Lieutenant McBlain was charged by his
fellow officers with the unmanly act of
obtaining a divorce from his wife bv
fraud, and the writer, beliving in the
honor of these army officers, wrote
something strong about such an action
in an army officer, and now, that
these same army officers, either the court
or the reviewing power, have by their
voluntary action proven that McBlain
was outraged, We announce that we
are sorry we did roast Lieutenant Nc
Blain, but then we did it on the indict-
ment and report of his fellow officers.
With no intent to reflect on the gentle
men who wear and honor the United
States uniform, it is but fair to assume,
from the foregoing dispatch, that some
military men deserve an occasional roast
just as well as the poor civilian who looks
with awe on the alleged exceeding purity
of all things military.