St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-22
AbOMB BURSTED
In Army Circles By a Per-
emptory Order From Pres
ident Harrison
Directing tn e Remittal Of the
Sentence of Private Dell
P. Wild.
Excitement at Fort Smelling
When the Globe Delivered
the Order.
Wild Awakened From Sleep
to Hear News He Scarcely
Credited.
General Ruger Admits There
We're Two Wrongs in the
Sentence.
The Order CrusheS Lieut..
C%oo1o o-I IxPo~1~fiollxy
The Order Crushes Lieut.
Steele and Inferentially
ROaStS the General.

Justice has slipped her leaden heel.
What could not have been accomplished
by individuals In a lifetime has been
wrought within week by public senti-
ment created and backed by the public
press. A week ago to-day the GLOBE
first presented to the world the story of
the unjust trial, conviction and sentence
of Private Dell P. Wild, of Troop f,
Eighth cavalry, stationed at Fort IateS,
N. ID. 1t started rolling ball which
has since grown to mammoth proper.
tions, and now utterly crushes the tyr
annOus court which convicted Wild and
sets him at liberty. The GLOBES story
was copied and commented upon far
and wide, and no reputable and inf1uen-
tial newspaper in the country but has
editorially denounced the finding and
approval of such sentence. The storm
attracted the attention Of President
Harrison, and was yesterday made the
subject of conference between the ex-
ecutive and the secretary of war. 1t
resulted in the following
PRESIDENTIAL THUNDERBOLT.
The Associated Press last night
brought in this telegram from Wash
ington: The following order of the
secretary of war was to-day transmitted
by Adjt. Gen. Kelton to Gen. Ruger, at
st. Paul:
Feb21, ,1s9O-Gen. Thomas a. Ruger, Com
Of Ct Dor
Mimi: The following are the orders of the
secretary of war: By direction of the pres
ident the unexecuted portion of the SEN
tence In the case of Dell P. Wild, late private
Troop F, Eighth cavalry, is remitted, in
recognition of the fact that the punishment
adjudged was excessive in very marked
degree. The prisoner was ordered by the
second lieutenant of his troop NJ. T. Steele,
to assist him in placing canvas upon
shed. He refused to do SO upon the ground
that he did not enlist to do such
work. He was cursed and struck
by the officer, soon thereafter placed in
confinement and brought before court
martial, of which Lieut.. Steele was the judge
advocate, convicted of dsobedience OF Or
ders and sentenced to dishonorable dis
charge with forfeiture of all pav and allow
ance and confinement in the military prison
at Fort Smelling for one year. No action ap-
pears TO have been taken against Lieut.
Steele, whose breach of discipline was of an
aggravated nature. 1t is also grossly i'm
proper that Lieut. Steele should have been
detailed as Judge advocate of the court. The
president does not believe this case to be, nor
does he think it just to the army that it
should appear TO be, fair illustration Of the
administration of military justice.
REDFIELD PROCTOR,
Secretary of War.
j. C. KELToN. Adjutant General.
GEN. RUGER. INTERVIEWED.
Ten minutes after the receipt of the
telegram in st. Paul, GLOBE reporter
rang the bell at the residence of Gen.
Ruger. and was admitted to his pres
ence.
"Have you received the presidents
orders in the Dell Wild case, generalP'
whats that yOd say?"
The telegram was handed him and he