St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-14
IS HE 4 LAWBREAKER?
Serious Charges Against Sec
rotary Proctor and the
War Department.
Charles Glostep, Of the Army,
.Pl eads for a Vindieation
Of Character.
He Is Loftily Repulsed by His
Highness, the Secretary
of War.
Questions of Grave Import
for American Legislators
and Citizens.

onJ-clasS banditti," the attention OF
the public is naturally aroused, and an
explanation demanded.
Charles Gloster, up to the 2Sth ult.
was affiliated with the army department
of the United States. He joined the
army as private of the First cavalry in
December, 1878, but in 1885 trans
ferred to Company K, Of the First in
fantry. Twenty months prior to Jan.
%. he was on general service as
draughtSman in the engineers depart
menJ at army headquarters in st. Paul.
This is what Charles GlOster yesterday
published in the advertising columns of
the GLOBE. sworn to before j. K. jerks,
notary public of Ramsey county:
hereby certify that Redfeld Proctor. see
rotary of war. is a law breaker, in that he has
Illegally deprived me OF a certificate of can
didacy Tor promotion 10 the grade of second
lieutenant i'll the army. | also certify that
have been subjected to intolerable abuse aud
defamation of character by certain officials,
acting with the full and open sanction of the
war department have been arrogantly in
formed by the war department that although
L am legally qualified candidate, l will
not be certified as candidate because |
declined examination by a prejudiced board
which had no legal right to examine me be-
fore l received candidates certificate.
This board obtained from an army officer,
whom l have already published as
A LIAR,
certain false evidence against me. and al
though said board compelled me day after
day to appear before it. under my protest, no
word was spoken to me of this evidence, and
no chance gwen me to refute il; nor was any
officer recommending me asked to disprove
IL. thing which any of them would have
been glad to do instantly. A gallant member
OF this board wrote TO my captain that he
would consider my appointment u ''caam-
ity," although he was denied the pleasure of
examining me.
In publishing this statement it is not my
purpose to parade my grievance or to exhibit
the
COMMISSIONED RoUGHs
who have assailed me. The fact I wish to
wish to make known is that the war depart
ment shields and encourages system of
petty. gasping blackguardism which would
disgrace a secondclass banditti. The officer
alluded to. Capt. f A. Bout elle, First cav
airy. has been repeatedly allowed to attack
and Jraduce me in official communications,
and when | have asked for redress l have
been told that my communications would be
filed
A we'll known lawyer of St. Paul wrote to
the~war department, asking why my certifi-
cate was Withheld. and, after waiting three
months. received the chivalrous and soldier
ly reply that the secretary of war declined
to discuss the case.
These are grave and serious charges.
They are charges which it becomes the
absolute duty of public servant, es-
pecially if he be an officer of the army
and presumably a gentleman, to answer
fully and without delay. Charles Clos
ter was seen 10y GLOBE reporter yes
terday, and additional matter was Sc
cured about his charges against the war
department.. The reporter writes:
GLoSTER'S STORY.
| found Chester an intelligent and
educated fellow about thirty-three years
of age. He is British-American, and
noted for his skill as draughtsman and
topographer. For this reason he was
selected to participate in the Alaskan
expedition conducted by Lieut..
Schwatka. He returned from this ex-
petition in 1884, and was recommended
for promotion. The law provides that
''ali vacancies IN the grade OF second
lieutenant shall be filled Ivy appoint
ment from the graduates of the military
academy, SO long as any such
remain in service unassigned; and
any vacancies thereafter remaining
shall be filled by the promotion
of meritoriouS non-commissiOned officers
of the army. 1t was under the provis-
ions of the law that GloSter, upon the
recommendation of his captain, sat for
examination before the examining
board. He PASSED the examination. but
was refused a certificate emitting him
TO a second lieutenancy. He returned
to duty, remaining with the First cav
airy until 1885, when he transferred to
Company K, First infantry. In 1887 he
was again recommended for promotion
and passed the examination, but a
second time was refused his certificate
Chester claims that he is entitled to this
certificate, but that it is withheld by
what Is termed a final board,
the members of which, he says, have
been influenced against him by outside
parties. He has written the secretary
of war, but that gentleman refuses to
give ear to his plant. Gloster pos
sesses excellent tt testimonials from a
score of Well-knOwn officers of the army,
some of the highest rank.
MIR. GloSter having been attached to
the army HEADQUARTERS at st. Paul, and
it being understood that Gen. Ruger,
the commandment. was aware of the cir
cumstanceS of the case, a reporter was
dispatched to see him. He writes:
GEN. RUGER's SAY.
Gen. Ruger was seated in his Office at
the army headquarters, on Robert
street, transacting some official business
with the adjHtant general. | asked the
general if he had seen Gloster's aft
davit advertised in the GLOBE. Gen.
Ruger replied that the GLOBE was daily
delivered at his residence. and that he
had not noticed Gloster'S combination
to its columns.
Read it to me-" added the general.
! did so.
81 have nothing to say about that"
were Gen. Ruge'rS words in reply to
Gloster's charges. The general wanted
to dismiss the question there. but little
talk drew from him the opinion that it
was not his place to reply to Gloster, or
explain the circumstances of the case.
The records were all filed with the war
department; the secretary of war was
the man to give all information. He
knew Chester; knew something of the
facts attending his connection with the
army, but preferred the secretary of
war should explain, if any explanation
had'tO be made.
''DO you know anything wrong against
Gloster?'' ] asked.
81 cannot tell you," was Gen. Ruger's
reply.
PERTINENT QUERIES.
Secretary Proctor is in Washington,
Capt. Boutelle is In command at Yel-
lowstone park, and they were not ac-
cessible Yesterday. Every opportunity
will be afforded them to reply to the
charges preferred by Gloster, but in the
meantime the following questions will
strike the general public as pertinent:
Does the secretary of war represent
the nation at large or Redfield Proctor?
If the former. why has he the effront-
cry to decline to discuss the case of a
soldier, whose complaint is that his
character has been traduced by infiuen-
tiai persons and no opportunity has
been afforded him to set himself right?
A soldier does not lose his right of citi-
Zenship in this country. and SO long as
Secretary Proctor draws a salary from
the public treasury he should devote
himself TO satisfying the reasonable de-
mands of the people who help pay his
salary.
Are the ranks of the commissioned
officers to be solely confined to the sons
of capitalists, snebS, and men who have
failed in every other calling2 That
seems to be the present intention of the