The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-03-20
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
The Weeks Doings at the Ma
tiOnal Capital.
Is Army BRUTALITY eENERAL2

Is ARMY BRUTALITY GENERALf
ain an arprerate Of .. 600 men in any class of
life and In almost any country, you Will ma
some who are brutal in their treatment OF SUD
ordinates or their fellows, or brutal through
moral delinquencies" remarked an old Army
officer few days ago while a party was en-
gagged at the War Department ia commenting
upons5he case of Lieut.. Steele Sth Cav IN
the Army to-day there are over 2,e0O commas
stoned officers including those on the retired
list. about ? 100 being in active service;
Now. / know, from experience ana actual
observation. that the instances of brutality on
the part OF officers toward enlisted men mean
physical violence by assault or unjust anu etuC'
pRnishment-are comparatively rare, ana suCl
Instances during the last quarter century
could almost be counted on the hngerS: nut
the brutes who ili-use and maitreat their SUD-
ordiuafes are almost invariably men VINO are
addicted to bad habits and this renders them
unable 10 curb tempers that are Unnamed by
those habits.
1 remember a case in point Captain IN
a regiment on the frontier many years ago, be-
fore the railways had crossed the Missouri very
far. was a man Of excellent family. descended
from a soldier prominent in the history OF the
Revolution and as q close friend oil George
Washington, and IN general was an excellent
and dashing soldier.
'He Was a man possessed Of most polished
manners ana good bfeeNAi-s anu a A14''s t'Ar
and kindly com panion when he was not aiiilc'eu
by the demon Of drink 10 which he was un-
fortunately 4 captive But when IN liquor the
demon OF run transformed HIM also 10 q
demon. and he WAS q surly. sneering, uaggins'
gRarresoWe brute 10 all who came III contact
with linn.
AT such times as tell YOU Of. the poor men
Of his command caught it hot and heavy, and
a not infreeacut outlet for his self-manuisct-
ured iii temper was to get after one OF has men
for some trfiag inlractjon OF discipline ana
having him tied up in the stable, would give
him a dozen or tho with one OF those biacR-
snake whips tha! artillery drivers ana army
teamsteTs Use.
"Oihcr officers would hear OF it as general
gossip through the men OF their own COM
mands, but ~ hen an attemp. was made to One
tally investigate the matter, the victims them
selves refused through terror, 20 testify aud ms
subseFEictt uon-cOmmissioncd officers deciared
uublushingly that they never heard OF such
thing
"Onc day brother Captain kindly advised
the brute that he had better be careful in iu-
ture, particularly As the Army Regulations, the
Articles OF War. aud the l. :. Statutes as well,
expressly forbade corporal punishment oil en-
listed men. under penalty Of being cashiered.
The advice was meant kindly, for we ali liked
Captain Gobletful, when he had his hulk
clear OF rum, and the advising c0mradc was a
man who won high distinction during the re-
belIiOn: but the response was. '- you, SIR,
want You 10 understand distinctly, that com
mRnd my own troop, by --, sir, and you
must not attempt 10 assist me. These enlisted
men arc LOWERED - bruies, and ought 10 be
treated liz tic dogs they are. 10 keep them in
proper place. If you don't like that, you can
take il ~ and send friend 10 me-
The very answer would have cashiered him
II be had been brought to a court-mariial, but
the older officer. secure in his own reputation
as a man aud a gallant soldier. ignored the sit
nation by remaTkiug: Very well; but III tell
yOu. Gobleifal, that If ! were an enlisted man
IN your command, aud y0u should try that
game on ne ] would kill you before a day
passed by even II you should be ia the pres
snce Of the commanding ofbceT Of the garrison.
And, mark my words, some man viii do that
yet and be turned on has heel and walked
away. There was no duel, hut the brutal one
WIS killed 80; long after ia an Indian fight,
and the scandal never came 20 = head
But, a. ] said. such cases are few and far
between. and that was the worst one / ever
knew Of Tie worst OF il al isl am ashamed
Of my cloth 20 say it-thAt, for very dread
Of the scandal such cases would make. the
brother officers Or such brH:es cndeayor 70 hide
them from TIC outside public, and in various
Mays try 10 force the iJruies TO purge the Army
Register by resignation. Many resignation
that has surprised the public and the friends Of
the subject has been brought about from such
cause
In this case Of Lieut. stecle's an glad
that the sri .0a o. the President brought il be-
fore the E-ui4.ic becapse IL vas 50 aggravated
lie not only violated half a dozen Regulations
Articles Of Var and sections OF the Revised
Statutes by hs brutal treatment Of Private
Wild but hc had the disgusting lack Of deccHcy
TO become thc official prosecutor Of the man be-
lore the e0art-inartiai that tried him. and all
men familiar with The service know TO what
extent q Judge Advocate can manipulate the
evidence and % a certain extent influence the
action q the court.
" should Judge that other trials VIII follow
the Ole already ordered. and should, for ~ all
eogrt-nIari.al cases the charges aAd q summary
Of tire evidence 70 BE- given by tie witnesses is
cent TO Department Headquarters, and il was
5Bezcusaiiy stupid, II il was not criminal, 20
put I.iegL Steele on the coar that tried Pri-
Fate Wild, - iis JuGge-AdvOcate."
CAPT. 2. ). EEIGAET DEAD.
Capt Jack EeigaTt 9th Iowa Cav. Special
ETaniner o. the Pension Bureau, while being
banguetted by tie veterans Of Maysyillc, Ky
March y. vas seized with a Ct 81 coughing,
and dropped dead ia the midst Of the fesiiyi-
tics. J sar that the Company were bOrriGcd
would put the case mildly. Capt Eeigarl's
body VIZ brought 10 Washington on Friday
evening and the funeral took place AT 3 O'Clock
OH Monday. Arlington Cemetery being the place
selected 1aT tie iHtermeut. The Old Guard
u which Capt keigaTt had been q member
esoGrtca tic remains 10 theiT last resting place
and pai1 Tie last sad h0n0rs 70 the gallant dead
2 he writer Of tbs was a EchOo!mate Of The
deceased. hayiBg known him intimately since
$50. BheE bee WIS boy Of 10 years Of age. ia
OgtumWa lgwa lie was a native Of Penn
sylgaEia, hEi removed 70 Ioga when il was 4
very yoZug STATE. lie leaves 4 wife and tire,
children.
LISoOLE posi- FAIR.
Lincoln Post No. 2. Department Of the Pc
iolnac MI hold fair, commencing March n
and closing April y The arInory Of In,
Washington Light Infantry has been secured
and Is Tire best place in Washington for III.
purpose Lucoin Post is the largest in poin
Si numbers in the Department Of the Potomac
having oVer coo members and IL is thought
that thIs fair viii be a great Success and vii
I4oi only BE attractive aud satisfactory 10 Ia,
public, bul UsA be productive Of gratifyin.
results 10 Is projectors. The ladies Of Liucoit
Post Relief toTFs are taking al absorbing in
teTest D. The enterprise, and are organizing ;
corps Of 40 charming young ladies 10 assist a
the booths. which Will doubtless prove Ia,
MOST attractive feature Of The fair Macl
originality haE been displayed in pr0vidiu,
novelties mol usually found at entertainment
Of this character, and the list Of articles pre
scented f0F competitive votes shows that carefu