St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-16
COL. FLETCHER.S CASE.
An Army Scandal Investigated
and the Accused Acquitted.

Special to the Globe.
OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 15.-The case of
Col. Joshua G. Fletcher, charged with
conduct unDecoming gentleman and
an officer" the specific charge being
that he defiled his wife's character. has
been decided, and. although the court
martial's findings are supposed to be Sc
cret, there is still good ground for as
serting that the colonel has been ac-
quilted. The court spent an hour in
considering the charges, when the doors
were thrown open and the announce
reached. The verdict will be transmit
ted to Gen. Brooke, and through
him to Washington, whence it
will be announced to the public. Col.
Fletcher is native of Philadelphia and
a son of the late Joshua Fletcher, editor
of the Philadelphia Sun, and brother
of c. Harry Fletcher. the state repre-
sentative from the Thirty-second ward
of that city. This fact has created great
interest in the outcome of the trial in
social and political circles in Philadel-
phia. The people at Wayne Station,
Penn, and Whereabouts are also deeply
interested because Mrs. McFarlane,
upon whom the responsibility for the
present difficulty is placed, is resident
of that locality. She was left widow
by the death of William Miskey, once a
prominent contractor in Philadelphia,
and a defendant in the celebrated
Haines, Miskey, Clements case. After
conviction. and while proceedings were
pending IN the supreme court, Mr.. Mis-
key, who was the son of the late select
councilman of the Twentieth ward,
Philadelphia, died.
THE SECOND MARRIAGE.
Mrs. Miskey was afterwards married
to S. B. McFarlane, who is the Phila-
delphia agent for W. & J. Sloane, the
carpet manufacturers of New Y York city.
She is the sister of Miss Thomas, to
whom Col. Fletcher was married in Phil
adelphia in April, 1885, after having
made her acquaintance in New York
city. Mrs. McFarlane went to Omaha
about three months ago, and, according
to the testimony given before the court
martial by Col. Fletcher, she ST eeeded
in creating quite rumpus. When the
story of the trouble first became known
it was through the fact that Capt. Demp-
sey and DR.. Henderson, members of the
colonels regiment, went to the iatter's
house one night and gave him sound
thrashing. In the colonels testimony
he said:
Nothing had been said concerning any
misconduct on the part of my wife and Capt.
Dempsey and DR.. Henderson, until Mrs. Nc
Farlane jumped up and called in Capt.
Dempsey and said to him, Capt. Dempsey,
Col. Fletcher charges you with having i'm
proper relations with my sister, Capt. Demp-
sey seized me by the blouse and said: Did
you say it?' 1 said: No, Dempsey, l never
said it or had such a thought. So help me
God, 1 never did" ION June 10, in the
evening DR.. Henderson called at my quart
ers and presented paper denying taese
charges and demanding that sign it or take
the consequences. I asked him into the
dining room, where there was light, l then
told him that was glad that Mr.. Wright was
with him, as he knew me, and l wished to
make an explanation to him. DR.. Henderson
said, No, time is too short: sign this paperr
Il read the paper and told him it was utte rly
false and that would not sign it. ''Sign it
he said, or take the ;consequences.' replied
that could not sign 1t, as 1t was false. Then,
without giving me ali opportunity to defend
myself, he struck me and Knocked me down
and then jumped on me.s
TESTIMONY FROM PHILADELPHIA.
Col.Fletcher was moved about great
deal from post to post after his marri-
age, and Mrs. McFarlane frequently
visited them. On these occasions, it is
charged. she always created trouble.
C. Harry Fletcher, of Philadelphia,
went to Omaha last week and gave tes-
timony in favor of his brother, and
Charles A. Pierson, of Philadelphia,
cashier of the Central National bonk, is
quoted by the official stenographer of
the court martial as having said that
ssMrs. McFarlane's reputation for truth
and veracity is very bad" Col. Fletcher
has fine record, and is now fifty years
old. He entered the army in 1861, was