Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-24
claim is wholly unreasonable and his
position untenable.


shown and established both by the lease
of Mott hall itself and the evidence, that
Major Russell and Captains Starin and
Keller held the building in trust for the
Eagle Corps, and not otherwise and
that the Eagle Corps were responsible for
the rent of the building and its manage
ment; and that Colonel Russell had
nothing more to do with the renting OF
the building than did Captains Starin
and Keller; nor was he responsible to
the lessor; but the Eagle Corps as an
organization was the person alone re-
sponsible to Mott for his rent, and was
responsible for the use of the hall and
the management Of affairs therein; that
soon after the lease was executed, which
was on the first day of December, 1885.
w. @. Stone was appointed janitor and
continued as such janitor from that
time up to the present, except a short
interval during which time he was ab-
sent; that his duties were to collect all
moneys due for hall rent, and as such
he claimed to keep book from the 10Th
day of November, 1886. to April 3, 1889,
showing all moneys received by him as
Financial Secretary. During this time
some of the moneys were paid directly
to Colonel Russell, some to Captain
Biles and some to Captain McDonough.
He could not state how much had been
collected by Colonel Russell, nor how
much was collected by McDonough. The
books show that Mr.. Stone received from
tie rent of said hall from November 16,
1886, to May, 1889, total sum amount
ing to SIC, ,492. 35; that this money was
turned over to Colonel Russell that the
amount Colonel Russell received during
this period he does not know, but that
he received some portion of the money
collected for the use of the hall.
The total amount paid out for Mott
hall from November, 1886, to May, 1889,
thirty-three months, at 5000 per month,
amounts to $4,000. During that same
period of time, according to stones tesJi-
mony, he received and paid over to Col
onel Russell the moneys received for and
on account of said hall, amounting to the
sum of $40, 1926. Taxing the amount
of rent from the amount received from
said hall it leaves q net result of
| S., ,8o225. Or, in other words, it would
leave about $118 per month for extra
expenses, independent of any State
money received by him for or on account
of said military organization; that dur
| ing the same period he received from
| the State the sum of So 900, making a
grand total for that period of time. of
$14 ,000."
The final conclusion of the Court CT In.
quiry is as follows:
First-The court therefore finds that
the management of the finances of Com
panies A, @ and F was irregular and i'm
properly kept, and they are unable by
the most thorough investigation to find
out, satisfactorily to themselves, the
amount of moneys actually received and
actually disbursed and actually owing to
or by Colonel Russell, if any.
Second-That the finances of the Eagle
Corps we're kept in most reprehensible
manner, and in such q way that the
court are unable to determine or report
the amount of moneys actually received,
or the total amount of moneys which
we're actually disbursed by Colonel Rus
sell during the period covered by this re-
port with any degree of certainty. That
the manner of handling the finances dur
ing this time was such as would not be
tolerated for moment by any private
corporation, employer or person having
the employment of q subordinate se-
finances belonging to them.
Third That the moneys received from
Armory hall were used by Colonel Rus
sell in an arbitrary way and manner !;
that the Eagle Corps knew little or MOTH
ing regarding the amount received or
for what purpose disbursed. They had
as little knowledge as the outside world.
Colonel Russell conducted it as if he had
rented the building and that the moneys
we're his private funds, and disbursed
the same in like manner. The Court
disapprove of his conduct in regard to
this matter wholly, and there is no ex-
cuse or explanation given for such con-
duct, and especially after he had prom
ised the former Court of Inquiry that he
would adopt q set of books and had
adopted set of books for the disburse-
ment of this fund With the other funds
in accordance with law and in accord
ance with an honest intention, go that
any deficiency or irregularity could be
further find that Colonel Russell was
guilty of falsehood and deceit in stating
to the said board (ss was testified by
members of the said Court of Inquiry
that he would and had adopted set of
boOhcj oAu tAab uO AuOuCyo Wculu NO To-
ceived or disbursed except upon proper
vouchers, proper entry and an auditing
committees report upon the same.
Fourth-That as to the lease of Armory
hall, the court finds that it was wholly
owned by the Eagle Corps, or by the
companies belonging to the Eagle Corps,
for their benefit, and for no other pur-
pose. 1t was rented wholly for military
purposes; that Major Russell and the
parties renting the same acted as trus
tees and obtained the lease for said organ.
ization.
Fifth-That the failure to keep intelli.
gible books of record in transactions ol
such large amount, in which the position
OF the fiscal officer WAS one of trust, con-
stitutes reckless disregard OF all busi-
ness methods, impeaches the sense oi
responsibility of Colonel Russell, and
proves him to be either utterly inefficient
or absolutely dishonest.
Sixth-That these various acts ol
Colonel Russell have brought scandal
upon the military organization with
which he is connected, and have re
suited in serious decentralization and loss
of that respect and confidence necessary
for the maintenance of proper discip
line.
The court, after due deliberation and
consideration Of all the evidence taken ir
the case, feel that they are under obliga
ton to report to the commanding officer
recommending that Colonel w. II. 81
Russell be court -martialod.