The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-24
AN ATTACK ON THE PRECEDENT.
Colonel Compton Says Humane Army
Ru1es Cause Insu bordfnatIon.

Colonel Compton Says Humane Army
Rules Cause Insubordfnstion.
WALLA WALLA. May o3.-The court Of
inquiry into the lynching of sGainbler
Hunt by soldiers, SO far as the taking of
testimony is concerned, closed today The
court will arrive at its conclusions Mon
day and forward its report to the war de-
partment. Corporal Arnold was exam
ined today. He is one of the men who
arc in the guardhouse and accused of hav-
ing given arms for the lynelling. No
information could be obtained from him.
The soldiers say the reason they lynched
Hunt was because they heard that Prose-
cutting Attorney Blanford would not con-
Wet the prisoner because the gamblers had
contributed to the campaign fund at his
election.
Colonel Compton was again put on the
stand. He read the following statement:
wish to make clear the reason which gov
erncd me after notifying Captain Smith the Sec
ond time on the evening of the oath of April TO
see that his troop was in readiness to act at
once II called on during the night, in conclud-
ing to place his troop on the edge of the town at
the reservation gate at 10 o'clock, instead of
earlier in the evening. 1t was because the only
information had was most vague and indefinite,
and conveyed in such manner that no reason
able man would from IL have been impressed
with alarm. 1t was thought knew the men OF
this command, and 1t was not possible to believe
the soldiers could so far forget themselves 80 to
make an attack on the Jail, and 1t was beyond
human probability that even Ii were such an
attack thought of II would be made early in the
evening, ut an hour when the city of Waila
Walla would be alive with its citizens and at
time when an alarm would have capsed an as
sembly of its people in very few minutes.
knew the jail was perfectly secure
against almost any attack, IL only ably de-
Tended. Simply keeping the doors closed would
have rendered it safe against this mob had their
efforts continued for hours or days. The sheriff,
the custodian of this Jail. was supposed to be
man OF couraRe, and could any reasonable. sup
position lead one To tho belief hat the dcsfxs
would be opened to persons supposed to be bent
upon vengeance upon a simple demand from
the outside? notification of an attack would
have enabled Captain smith with his troop to
respond from the reservation gate within five
or six minutes, aud, had he been In the garri-
son, within ten or twelve. l would further
state that as inquiries progress concerning this
matter It is shown that nearly all OF the partici-
pants are young men from - to 26 years of age
ana OF no previous service TO the present enlist
ment.
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 new code OF military ethics has
been produced. This code has had the tendency
to separate the soldier from his officer to very
wide degree. This new mode OF government
has produced results more and more apparent
every day we live. The old, unwavering loyalty
OF the soldier for his officer is fast disap
Discipline Is becoming irksome, restrictions be-
ing considered as an affection, and proper re-
proof has in some instances been deemed an
insult and aroused anger