Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-11

| SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT on TRIAL FIRST.
| The old Office Of the Secretary of War. the
scene OF the trial of Major Lydecker, was again
brilliant with the glitter of army officers uni
forms this morning, thirteen officers having
assembled there to try Capt. Geo. A. Armes, re-
tired on a charge of conduct unbecoming an
officer and gentleman"
THE STORY OF THE ARMIES CASE
| is not all told in the specifications accompany
| ing the charge. Captain, or he is better
known, Major Armes, is familiar figure in
Washington, and no one was very much sur
prised to see him in the inaugural parade.
Some days later, however, the announcement
was made in the newspapers that he had been
put out OF the procession by some OF the aides
on Gen. Beavers staff by order Of
Gen. Hastings. Capt. Armes preferred charges
against these offcers-Col. Horatio G.. Gibson,
of the third artillery, and Capt John g.
Bourke, third cavalry-the latter of whom fol-
lowed suit and preferred charges against
Armes in turn. The charges were in a fair
way to be wholly ignored and to gather dust at
the Office of the Acknowledgement, when one
morning the papers announced that Capt
Armes had pulled or attempted to pull the nose
of Gov. Beaver in the lobby of the Riggs house
in this city. This resulted in a quiet investi-
CATION by the inspector-general of the army
upon whose recommendation the court was or
dered
THE SPECIFIED CHARGES.
The specifications which have already been
reviewed in THE STAR, set forth that Armes
caused the false arrest OF Capt Bourke by
making an affidavit before the Judge of the Po-
lice Court. and then failed to appear against
him; that he wrote letter to the adjutant-
general of the army making false and mali
clOus accusations agslnst Gibson and Bourke of
drunkenness and of bosterous and dsorderly
hot no oil
to be printed newspaper arti-
Gle over his own name, publicly
and maliciously insulting Gibson and Bourke
by calling them 'blackguards wearing the
United States uniform and further insulted
them by publishing a copy of the letter written
by him to the adjutant-ge this being
known by Armes to be malicious and false and
made with the dishonOrable intent of defaming
those officers by false representations; and that
Armes did without provOcation or justification,
make cowardly and disgraceful, violent, pub
lie assault upon the person of his excellency
James A. Beaver, the governor of Pennsyl-
vania."
THE LETTER WHICH CAPT. ARMIES WROTE
to the Acknowledgement is as follows
Il have the honor to submit herewith
charges and specifications against Col. II. G..
Gibson, third artillery, and Capt. Jno. G.
BOurke, third U. S. cavalry. for conduct unbe-
coming officers and gentlemen, and for drunk
L
parade, March 4. Both of said officers charged
upon me in threatening and assaulting man
ner, grasping the bridie-rein and jerking my
horse, using abusive and threatening language,
appearing In a boisterous and drunken condi-
ton. ordering me off of the public avenue and
calling the police to assist them in putting me
off. All this without just cause or provocation.
and while l was riding peacably and quietly
along under secret instructions from one whom
L supposed to be in authority"
OPENING PROCEEDINGS OF THE COURT.
The proceedings were begun at IL o'clock by
the judge advocate reading the order for the
detail of the court. The officers are as follows:
Col. Richard l. Dodge, eleventh infantry; Col
i. F. Townsend. twelfth infantry; Col. Jno.
Mendenhall, second artillery; Capt. Jno. G.
Turnbull. third artillery; Capt. Sanford c. KEEL
lOgg, fifth cavalay; Capt. JnO: Z. Myrick. third
artillery; Capt. Greenleaf A. Goodale, twenty
third infantry; Capt. Lewis Smith, third arti-
lery; Capt. Frank ". Hess, third artillery; Capt.
Geo. 5. Anderson, sixth cavalry; Capt. Jas.
Parker. fourth cavalry; Capt. Jas. o. Hara, third
artillery; Capt. Thos. L. Knox, Iirst cavalry;
Major Geo. u. Davis, judge advocate.
The judge-advocate announced that all the
members of the court being present he was
ready to proceed with the trial of Capt. Armes
The captain entered the courtroom clad in
his uniform of an officer of cavalry but with
out his helmet with its long yellow plume. He
took seat at the table in the corner where
recent trial. He was alone and had no counsel.
CAPT. ARMIES ADDRESSES THE COURT.
Major Davis asked him if he objected to be-
ing tried by any member of the court named in
the order. The captain faced the court and
said:
Il would like to make few remarks before
answer that question. 1t seems 10 me that
this summons puts the cart before the horse. l
think that Col. Gibson and Capt. BOurke, who
hrst made this assault upon me and caused
this whole trouble, ought to be brought to trial
instead of me. They have busted themselves
with Major Clous who used to be the COM
mander OF the department of Texas for Gen.
AugUr and Col. Barr, who was Secretary of War
for Mr.. Robert Lincoln and, have had influence
enough with those officers to cause this court
TO be ordered and have helped them 10 get up
these charges. l know that they have talked
about this case good deal, and if the men,
bers of the court have not been influenced by
what these officers have said have no objec-
lions to any OF them"
The president of the court, Col Dodge. re-
piled that he was sure that the members of the
court would render its verdict upon the facts
adduced by the evidence alone.
Capt Armes then said that under those cir
cumstances he had no objections to being tried
by the court constituted.
The judge-advocate swore the court and was
sworn in turn. He then stated that Can't
IL,
sent note 10 gentleman III regard to his ap-
pearance as counsel. A recess was taken until
i o'clock.
CAPT. Knox TO ACT AS COUNSEL FOR CAPT. ARMIES
The officers reassembled around the table at
1 o'clock, and Col. Dodge asked Maj Davis
what time it was. The major replied that his
watch stood at few minutes OF one. but he
thought that il was slow. The colonel waited
a reasonable length of time and then raped
on the table and called the court to order
The judge-adyocate then announced that the
accused desired TO produce as counsel Capt
Knox, first cavalry, a member of the court
This proposition had been submitted to the
Secretary of War and had met with
approval. The major then read an order from
the acknowledgement relieving Capt. Knox from
duty as a member of the court. Capt. Knox
arose and stated that he had been asked to take
the position of counsel for the accused at a
moments notice and without warming or knowl-
edge of the facts of the case. He asked there
fore. that the court adjourn until ii o'clock to-
morrow morning in order to give him an
opportunity to make some preparation for the
defense OF Capt. Armes. This was agreed to.
THERE WILL BE NO DETAIL
Of an officer to take Captain Knox's place on
the court, which will proceed with but twelve
members. Captain Armes first desired to Sc
cure the services Of Lieut.. Lemby, of the third
artillery, as his counsel, but the lieutenant de-
cllned on account of a severe attack of neu-
ralgia.
MARRIAGE MISUNDERSTANDING licenses have
been issued by the clerk of the court to w. +.
Young and sina V. Collins: Jas. H. Dorritee.