The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-24
WALLA WALLA
INQUIRY ENDED.
Fort COmmandant Compton
Makes a Statement.
4 Hearing Given the ReCaptnred COnViCtS at
San Quentin YeSterday-SuppOSed
Napa hurdGrerS Caught.
Special to THE MORNING CALI

WALLA WALLA. May 23.-The court OF
inquiry into the lynching of Hunt by the
soldiers. so far as taking testimony was con-
cerned, closed to-day. The court will arrive
at its conclusions Monday, and forward its
report to the War Department. Corporal
Arnold was examined to-day. He is one of
the men who is now in the guard-house,
and is accused of having giving arms for the
lynching. No information could be obtained
from him. The soldiers say the reason they
lynched Hunt was because they heard that
Prosecuting Attorney Blanford would not
convict the prisoner because the gamblers
had contributed to the campaign fund at his
election. Colonel Compton, Commandant at
Fort Walla Walla was again put on the
stand. He read the following statement:
II wish to make clear the reason which
governed me after notifying Captain Smith
the second time on the evening of April oath
to see that his troop was in readiness to act
at once if called on during the night In
concluding to place his troops on the edge of
the town at the reservation gate at 10 o'clock
instead of earlier in the evening. it was be-
cause the only information | had was most
vague and indefinite, and conveyed in such
manner that no reasonable man would
have been impressed with alarm. 1t was
thought that knew the men of this COM
mand and it was not possible to believe the
soldiers of this garrison could so far forget
themselves as to make an attack on the Jail
1t was beyond human probability that
even if such an attack was thought of it
would be made early in the evening, at an
hour when the city of Walla Wala would
be alive with its citizens and at time when
the alarm would have caused an assembly Of
its people within very few minutes. L
knew the Jail was perfectly secure against
almost any attack if ably defended. Simply
keeping the doors closed would have rem
dered 1t safe against this mob had their ef-
forts continued for hours or days. The
Sheriff, the custodian of this jail. was
supposed to be a man Of courage,
and could any reasonable SuppOsitlon
lead one to believe that the doors
would be opened to persons supposed
to be bent upon vengeance upon a simple
demand from the outside? A notification
of an attack would have enabled Captain
Smith, with his troop in readiness, to re-
spOnd from the reservation gate within five
or six minutes. and had he been in the gar
riSOn, within ten or twelve. would fur
ther state that, as the inquiries progress
concerning this matter, they show that
nearly all the participants are young men,
from % to 26 years OF age. and OF no pre-
vious service to the present enlistment. |
have known the army for thirty years,
and the system upon which its former
workings were based seem to be changing
within the last four years A new code of
military ethics has been produced. This
code has had tendency to separate the
soldier from his officer to a very wide de-
gree. This new mode of government has
produced results more and more apparent
every day. The old unwavering loyalty Of
the soldier for his officer is fast disappear
ing, discipline is becoming irksome, re-
straint is being considered an afflicticn and
proper reproOf has in some instances been
deemed an insult and aroused anger"