Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-13
THE McCALLA INQUIRY.
In the Walkef Case the Authority Of
the Captain Was 1t Stake.

At yesterdays hearing in the conrt Of inquiry
into the allegations Of ornelty against Capt
Bowman H McCalla Of the corvette Epterpriss
some damaging testimony was taken. Promptly
at 10 O'Clock the officers constituting the
court, Judge Advocate Lieut. Perry
Gorst, Rear Admiral Kimberly, Commo-
dore McCann and Capt Stanton, were on hand
in the room Of building No. II, Brooklyn navy
yard, where the inquiry is being held. Com
mander McCalla came in with one of his coun-
sci, Gustave Y. Menzies, an Indiana lawyer, who
was classmate of McCalla's at Annapolis. His
other counsel are Joseph H. Choate and Lewis
Cass Ledyard. Mr.. Choate was not present
The first witness called was Lieut. Ingersoll,
executive officer of the Enterprise. His recital
of some instances Of McCallas mode Of subdu-
ing and Furnishing unruly subordinates was
highly interesting The witness testified that
he had been with the Enterprise since October
4, 1885. Asked as 70 the system OF discipline
maintained on the Enterprise under McCalla's
command he said it was the same as author
lied by the rules Of the Navy department
All punishment on board the ship had been in
Itch, John E. Walker and Otto Sixinglad were
put in straight jackets for drunkenness and kept
In them for seven or eight days. On anotner
occasion ten or twelve men were ironed To-
gether and marched up and down the deck
under sentry. They were made TO DO this
Tor about seven hours.
On July 6, 1883, at II o'clock in the evening,
witness, who was in his cabin, heard seaman
making great noise. He heard Commander NC
Gala repeatedly 60 out of his cabin and order the
noise to be stopped. At last thee commander
went forward himself. Witness heard his sword
clanking on the deck He followed the COM
mander and found him standing near John Z.
Walker, a second-class fireman, who was in the
hands Of the ships police. Walker swore at
the commander and used abusive language and
was very violent He was gagged with a bayo-
net, which was placed across his mouth and
strapped there. After q little while it was re-
moved. McCalla then ordered buckets Of
water to be drawn over the ships side. These
were drawn and McCalla dashed them, one at
ter another over Walker, striking him in the
face. Walker again became violent and abusive
and Commander McCalla drew his sword and
struck him across the shoulder, knocking him
down.
After that Walker was put under arrest and
kept in double irons.
The articles of war had not been read to the
ships company.
Cross-examined by Lawyer G. B. Menzies for
Commander McCalla he said they had an I'M
usually large number Of bad men on the Enter
prise, whose example was very harmful to the
Others. Walker was one of the number. He
suspected him Of being in league with others
to smuggle liquor on the ship. He never knew
SO much liquor to be smusgled on board ship
as or the Enterprise. He described various
improvements for the comfort of the men
which McCalla introduced when he assumed
command of the ship.
At the request Of Lawyer Menzies Lieut..
IngersOn arose, drew his sword and demon
strated the kind of blow McCalla struck at
Walker. The commander did not raise his
sword above his shoulder. The wound in
ficted was not serious one. Walker was
half-sitting and half-kneeling, with his arms
bound behind his back with single iron. AT
the time Of the disturbance made by Walker
there were number of other men drunk, and
when the witness and McCalla arrived on the
scene men were passing up from the fore
castle. Some fifteen or twenty, he thought,
were attracted by tho disturbance. The wit
ness replies bore out partly the theory which
Mr.. Menzie wished to prove-that 1t was a case
where the commander was bound TO maintain
discipline at any cost.
The men were sometimes triced up to the
Jacobs ladder In order to make them stand
when drunk.
The punishment was not unusual on board,
nor did he consider it cruel.
The witness informed Judge Advocate Garst
that he did not think it was necessary for the
officers to draw their side-arms on the occasion
when Commander McCalla struck Walker.
The lieutenant produced straight-jacket for
the benefit Of the cOnrt