The National tribune., 1888-05-10

labors was among the Piegans, Occur d'Alene
and other smaller tribes of northern Idaho and
Washington, where he had successfully es-
tablished thriving mission stations, aud his in
fuence among his Indian followers was so great
that he had many times prevented serious col
lisons with the whites that were constantly
pushing their way into the fertile valleys and
rich mineral lands of the Indians. When, at
last, Gen. Grant was asked to make the priest
Chaplain, the petition was signed by hundreds
of citizens and army officers who knew of his
good work and respected the man, and the sig
natures and letters were not from Catholics
alone, but represented the followers of every
Christian denomination. Gen. Grant himself
knew of the good the old priest had done, and
the appointment was not long delayed. He
was stationed at Fort Occur dAlene, in north
ern Idaho NOW Fort Sherman). There he was
near his old Indian friends, and still labored
for them in addition to his military duties.
Finally, some time in 1882, he was granted leave
of absence and went to France to visit his boy
hood home. The time for his return came and
went by, but he was still absent. and nothing
was heard Of him for months, during which
time he was duly reported absent without
leave" Then came letter from France that
he had long been i'll, and soon after the absent
Chaplain reported here in Washington. His
statements were finally accepted and the mat
ter was dropped, but he was ordered to his
post. Then he disappeared again for time
and was again absence without leave" so that
when he did finally turn up he was placed in
arrest. Then scandal followed close for it
was discovered that he had been guilty of
duplicating his pay accounts as recklessly as
any ruined young gambling and dissipated
Lieutenant. There was a downfall for the loved
priest and respected army Chaplain. 1t was
dreadful shock to every man who knew him,
and few could believe the dreadful story, but
there was no valid explanation. And so, when
a cOurt-martal found Post Chaplain TOussaint
Mesplie guilty of conduct unbecOming an Oth-
Ger and a gentleman" President Arthur felt
bound to approve the sentence, and he was ig-
ANONYMOUSLY dismissed the service in January,
1851 Then, but not until then, the great
Church Father 1Iesple had served so long, took
action and he was stripped of his priestly robes
and dismissed also from the Church and pro-
hlaIted from performing again the services Of
his faith. 1t was a strange case and Is still
wonder to all who knew of it. He was not adj
dlcted TO dissipation, did not gamble, as far as
any one knew, nor were there ever any whis-
pers Of other scandals. No one even ever knew
what became OF the large amount OF money he
had obtained on his duplicated pay-vOuchers.
! mad lost sight of him, and so when / saw this
Old man sitting III that dark and dratty base
ment hall, | was somewhat startled. 1t was
hard TO believe that the loug- time faithful and
brave missionary and honored army officer,
Was the sad-faced Old man there in his watch
mans blue suit and broad official badge. When
j spoke to him ho said shyly. IN his broken
french English. that most Of those that knew
hin in his old days pass him by now without
speaking. He said he had for some time been
on the night-watCh, but that now he has duty
only in the day and the Old man was grateful
for that for he explained that he Is now too
old to be up all Of each night. It's strange
case a0d a sad one, and l don't suppose any
one wllL ever learn the secret OF it all
a MITIGATED SENTENCE.
] saw general court-martial order at the
War Department this week that strikes me as
being funny, and although il is hardly Wash
in&ton Gossip" strictly, / made a note of it,
because all general Court-martial records come
here for Overhauling and final review. A pri-
yate in the band OF the 10th IT, S. Inf took il
into his head to desert from Fort Bliss Tex,
last March, and added TO his crime by stealing
and carrying away one bed sheet value -
cents" He caught and brought back two
days later, and in due time and process Of milf
tary law was convicted of his crime and SEN
fenced " to be dishonorably discharged from the
service OF the United States, FORGETTING all pay
and allowances due or that NAV become due
and to be confined at hard labor for five years"
That isu't funny, but this is The proceedings,
findings aud sentence being laid before the De-
partmcnt Commander for action were duly
approyed but that officer was moved at heart
apparently by the heavy sentence, for he adds:
ION account Of the length of time the prisoner
has been confined, 10 days Of the sentence to
confinement are RENTED As thus mitigated
the sentence viii be executed" 1t seems TO me
that that unfortunate criminal musician will
be gratifigd to the end Of his days TO his good
General for taking off 10 days from sentence
of 1, $50 days hard labor in penitentiary.
ONE SOLDIERS CAREER
Mr Felix Brannigan, who IS now am assist
ant attorney III the Attorney Generals Office
here, and living at No l3l0 7 street, served
during the war in the 74th n. 7. from the be-
ginning until long after the surrender at APP
p0mattoX. After peace came he was sent to
South Carolina and served during the early
days Of reconstruction under that able soldier
statesman, Gen. Stewart H. WoodloTd, who then
commanded the l27th \. 7. the Monitor
reglmentj. Braunigan was still a very young
man, and while with Gen WO0diord on duty
acquired d taste for the profession Of law, which
his commander encouraged. When Lieut..
BTaunigan finally left the military service he
came TO Washington and secured ClerIlship in
one Of the Departments, the Treasury 1 think,
and at the same time entered the law school of
Georgetown University, whence he graduated
with high hoDOrs. / do not know where he
went from here, Tor he disappeared from Wash
iugtOn for half a dozen or more years, but my
impression is that he went out TO Utah with
MS IIE6Hl - el@u2AuGSsy, aLULHGr IRISH sol
der Of our SIDE when that sntleman was sent
there by Gcn. Grant as United States Attorney
FOR the Territory. While Gen. Dcvens was At
tomey-Gencral Sir. Brannigan was appointed
to his present position, and has proved so COM
tetent that he has been ever since retained
under each succeeding Attorney General.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT LIBRARY.
The splendid new building Of the State, War
and Navy Departments is woiully lacking in
proper accommodation for the excellent library
Of the War Department, and the quarters hur-
riedly prepared are utterly inadequate in room
aud unworthy Of place in so magnificent a pub
lie building. When the original plans were
designed the interior arrangements, except for
the south or State Department front, were not
elaborated, and 50 the State Department was
the only one Of the three that was definitely
provided with library room That is modelled
somewhat after the present Library Of Congress
at the Capitol, and its four tiers of alc0ves.
while not SO well lighted throughout as they
should be, are spacious and elegant. When the
east or Navy Department frout was built next
grand library room was designed that is fit
ting to the place. 1t is a large, square room at
the top OF the building over the eastern en-
trance and rises through two stories into the
cupOla Of the front, thus forming a splendidly-
arched rotnnda. around which are alc0Ves aud
opening rooms for the books. The walls are
decorated with marble panels set off with
bronze trimmings and in each of the four cor
ners are huge allegorical figures in bronze each