Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-05
COMMANDER M'CALLA.
Even Bets That the Court of Inquiry Will
Whitewash Him.

Interest in the McCalla case continues to be
strong in naval circles. Bets are being offered
as to the outcome of the investigation by the
court Of inquiry that was ordered yesterday,
but it would seem that there is no actual bet
ting being done. Said an officer this morning:
''The thing is going to be a white wash-there
are bets abroad Of even money that they will
whitewash him, with no takers.
THE INQUIRY To COVER THE ENTIRE VOYAGE
The "precept" or letter Of instructions to
the court is to the effect that the investigation
shall cover the entire voyage Of the Enterprise,
from the time she sailed from New York until
her return home the other day. There are no
specific charges or directions as to any certain
matters to look into, except that the court is to
determine whether OF not Commander Nc
Gala was in any way cruel or unnecessa-
rily harsh in his conduct toward his
crew, Or went beyond the laws in
his treatment of prisoners. Thus
matter of opinion with the court as to the re-
sponsibility or liability of the commander, and
this fact may have a bearing upon the attitude
OF the members in their final findings.
THE MAIN TOPIC FOR GOSSIP
in the case today was the Bermuda letter
printed in the New York Times of yesterday
preferring additional charges against Capt.
McCalla with reference to his actions while the
Enterprise was coaling there on her return
trip. The letter states that McCalla and three
other ofhcers-Mulligan, Mudd and the sur
geon-had several dinners on shore. at which
they grew very convivial and finally INDUCED
in
SOME PECULIAR PLEAsANTRIEs
with the inhabitants of Hamilton, the port
where they were stopping. This was on the
ed Of February, and the story goes that the
four officers, bursting with patriotic enthu-
siasm, painted the town red" 1t is said that
at supper in which three civilians partici-
pated the champagne flowed SO freely that the
following incident resulted:
1.-The birthday of the father of his country
was at first the topic of conversation and the
commander, waxing at once eloquent and pa
triotic, rose in his place and removing his silk
hat stood IL in the center Of the table, saying:
That hat, gentlemen, represents George Wash
ington. Anybody who touches that hat touches
George, and I'll fight him. What? Nobody
wants to touch George. Then we'll open an
other bottle Another member of the party
laid his hat down by the commanders. saying.
That is Georges BROTHER another was added
to represent Georges other BROTHER and soon
all seven hats were on the table, representing
the entire Washington family. Each hat Of
course received q baptism in due form. From
Washingtons birthday the conversation
changed gradually and gracefully to naval mat
again to his feet, to the great delight of the
spectators who had gathered in the bar room"
A Hamilton policeman made an Intellectual
effort to stop the row the quartet were max
ing as they made their way back to the ship,
and only increased the disturbance.
COMMANDER M'cALLAs ACCOUNT OF THE LITTLE
DINNER.
1t is understood that Capt McCalla says that
there is just enough Of truth in the yarn to
al ttar ahono %
He says that the 22d being the birthday
of the surgeon Of the ship as we'll as
that Of the immortal George, some of
the officers, including himself, had a
''little dinner" in the hotel and had
Jolly time, but there were none of the features
accredited to the affair in the Times letter.
Great surprise and general incredulity was ex-
pressed among officers at this story, as the
understanding is and always has been that
Capt McCalla is not . drinking man.