Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-18

|
| this case for yOu"'
overtake lie, and as in this case the
lie had weeks start, these expo
nents of the ethics of American journal
| ism had reason to feel moderately we'll
satisfied. 1t would be prudent. how
| ever, to let the matter skinner" now:
and there were other reasons, too; so
| Mr.. Abrams was recalled from his mis-
sion to Central City and set to work at
| the foundations of the character of a
| gentleman just spoken of in connection
| with the coming municipal elections
| He had hitherto borne an unimpeach-
| able name in the community. but his
friends had committed the grievous of
Tense of speaking of him for mayor be-
fore The Palladium had been consulted,
and 1T therefore became The Palladium's
duty to pull his props from under him.
Contenting himself for the time being
with the announcement that the mill
tary authorities at division and army
headquarters had expressed their deep
sense of obligation to The Palladium for
having brought to light the scandalous
condition of affairs at Fort Ryan. and
that 1T had received their assurances that
as result of its efforts Lieut.. Hearn
would be brought to trial by court mar
tial, this public spirited journal wisely
turned its attention elsewhere Other
| papers, of course, kept up the hue and
| cry, but The Pioneers columns having
| warned them that their martyr was
| after ali only scamp, and their victim
| young officer with capital military rec
ord whom the court might after all ac-
| quit, 1t became necessary to prepare the
| public mind for such bouleversement
| by pitching into military courts in gen
| eral as Star Chamber" affairs, organ
| lied only to convict privates and white
| wash officers, one journal going so far
as to announce that a court martial for
Lieut.. Hearn meant simply that body
| of men. each and every one of whom
was in the daily habit of violating every
rule of decency and humanity, was TO
sit in Judgment on his case and declare
him innocent"
All this, of course, came duly marked
and with pencil comment to Mr.. Hearn
from scores of anonymous senders as he
sat dazed and dishea-tened in his cheer
less room; but this was not all. Nearly
two weeks had elapsed now since the
first assault, and the home letters. for
which he had looked with mingled fear
and longing, had begun to come The
first he opened was from his mother
She had received the marked copies oe
The Palladium of the first three or four
days, sent no one knew by whom, and
they were quickly followed by others.
What was it Thackeray wrote? There
are stories to mans disadvantage that
the women who are fondest of him are
always the most eager to believe
A devoted woman and mother was
Mrs. Hearn, but her sole knowledge of
army life was derived from what she
had seen around their nearly ruined
home in southern city about the close
of the war. Franks boyhool was spent
in straitened circumstances, brt little by
little his fathers toll and pluck had re-
stored their fallen fortunes, and,
stanch soldier himself, he could not
wonder that the young fellows heart
should be wrapped up in the hope of
commission. Poor Mrs Hearn. she had
looked for something far different, and
even her prifle at Franks winning
cadetship at Vest Point by competitive