Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-05
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DrsrArcn

fsPEcIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsP ArcH.1
WASHINGTON, May Ain this city the
comments of citizens on the verdict of the
court martial in the case of Major Ly-
decker, charged with neglect of duty as
military engineer in charge of the construc-
ton of the new water works tunnel, are
something more than severe. They are
savage.
The failure of Lydecker to personally go
into the tunnel and inspect the work gave
opportunity for the agents of the contractors
to perpetrate one of the most villainous
swindles, by means of bad work, ever ac-
complished in this country. The work so
far has cost the Government 81 ZOO, 900 and
the city of Washington similar sum, as in
all such public improvement the Govern
ment and the city assume equal shares of
the pecuniary burden. No city in the coun-
try is as poorly supplied with water as
Washington. Long ago the population out
grew the water supply, and the necessity
for an extension was imperative. Major
Lydecker is therefore solely responsible not
only for the useless expenditure of S2,0OO,-
900, but for an indefinite delay of the ex-
tension of the water facilities.
AN INADEQUATE SENTENCE.
The court martial found him guilty Of
neglect of duty, but imposed only the abb
surd penalty Of surrender of 500 Of his
pay each month for nine months, and
reprimand in orders. The President ap-
proved the finding of the court, but gave
plain evidence of the contempt he felt for it.
The court made the following explana-
ton OF the verdict: 1.-THE court is thus
lenient in view of the evidence before iE
that, in spaces so confined as those above
the arch in the tunnel, it was almost impos-
sible to secure thoroughly ood work under
the contract system imposed by law"
Referring to this, the President said in
his review: 'The suggestion that the strict
est and most faithful supervision of the
progress OF such work is powerless to de-
tect and convict the shsms which were
practiced by the contractors in this case is
discredit to the engineering profession, en-
tirely inadmissible. The sentence imposed
BY the court seems to have given full effect
to every suggestion that might mitigate the
ofense."
A SHARP CONTRAST.
The whole town was to-day contrasting
this verdict with another just rendered by
naval court martial in the case of Lieuten-
ant Commander Book, charged with ab-
senting himself from his vessel without
leave. He was in command of the United
States steamship Pinta, anchored in the
harbor of Sitka, Alaska, with her boilers
rotten an useless. He wrote 10 the depart
ment repeatedly for leave to have his boilers
repaired, but could get no response. Be
coming desperate, he left his ship and came
to Washington to endeavor to persuade the
officials here that his ship was in urgent
need of repairs. He had no orders for so
doing, and was court martialed. The SEN
tence Of the court, which was approved,
was that he be suspended from rank and
duty, on furlough pay for two years, re-
tanning his present number in his grade
during that period.
Book is virtually fined at least s., 900 in
money and loses two years out OF his pro-
fessional career. Lydecker loses 5000 and
no time. 1t suggested generally that to be
consistent, the verdict of the court martial
in the Armes case should be dismissal nom
the army in disgrace for riding out of his
place in the inaugural parade, and not for
to pull Governor Beavers nose.