Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-22
STORIES OF THE WEST
A Government officials Interesting
Experiences in New Mexico.
HAVING HIS EYE TEETH CUT.
The Omesr OF the Day and His Distinguished
Prisensr-Rssorting TO ssvsre Trsatment-
He wosla Play Poker-Bin sksgss ON Top
Playing Billiards with an Expert
ct was ONLY NINETEEN YEARS OF

ssT WAS ONLY NINETEEN YEARS OF
l. sge and held lieutenant's commission
in the fifth infantry when an event occurred
which gave me great deal Of unsought noto-
riety," said department official at the Press
Club one evening this week. mot only was
the notoriety unsought, butt was exceedingly
undesirable" he added, "for it almost made
An old man Of me in . single day. 1t was an
experience calculated to try the discipline and
discrimination Of character Of any young
Officer
"what kind Of an experience did you
havs?''
II had merely routine duty TO perform, but
II was exciting. The regiment was stationed at
Santa Fe, N. NJ, and the department was under
martial law. The war had just commenced and
people were svsrss to obeying military orders,
but they learned obedience very soon. II was
ordered that no person should enter the city of
Santa Fe nor depart from it without register
ing his name with the provost marshal: the
One afternoon, when was officer OF the day,
and, after having attended to my duties, was
lying down in my tent reading a book, an or
derby reported that there was a man in the Gus
tody Of the provost marshal who refused to
give his name. Putting aside my book
donned my uniform and sash and proceeded to
the guard house.
DISTINGUISHED LOOKING STRANGER.
There, in the midst Of ~ tough looking
gang - one ever saw, stood . wel-dressed.
distinguished looking gentleman. When
asked him why he was in custody he informed
me that he was under arrest because he had re-
fused to give his name or to register with the
provost marshal. When politely requested
him to go with me and register be responded:
SV0V,I S~s ali n
ask my name When assured him that had
never seen him before and requested him to
comply with the order under which
was acting he refused Indignantly to do
60 I then ordered the guards to take
h him o.. to the parade ground and tie
again begged him to be reasonable and give
his name, but he obstinately refused to do So
Then I ordered the men to tie him up by the
thumbs. After leaving him in that position
remained obstinately silent He was drawn up
again, and after leaving him in that painful
position nearly ten minutes he was let down,
but scornfully declined to answer my
most polite request to give me his
name. I begged him to relieve me of the
necessity Of resorting to more force and to re-
Eeve himself Of further humiliation and physi-
cal pain, but he scorned me. There I was on
the parade ground with that gentleman, who
was manifestly Of more than ordinary ability
and consequence in the world; and in the
presence Of the regimental staff, I, young
officer, mere stripping. and yet the officer Of
the day, was trying to compel him to give his
name in accordance with the order Of the COM
manding officer Of the department..
HEROIC TREATMENT.
HE remained stolidly silent. and then or
dered the guards to buck and gag him. 1t was
painful scene, which shall never forget.
The soldiers did their duty, bound him in an
uncomfortable position and gagged him 30
tightly that the blood ran from his mouth.
to be done the frs. time, and it
was more than I could bear to see, 50 l
ordered his release. As he stood up,
trembling with pain, passion and hu-
initiation, he said: I am Joseph G.
Knapp. chief justice Of the supreme
Immediately ordered his release from custody
and he returned to the Hotel Fonda, where he
had registered upon his arrival. His presence
in Sants Fe was no secret and nearly every
body knew him. Therefore he may have rea-
soned that knew him and was merely making
parade Of my authority needlessly in asking
him for his name and compelling him to give
it. You may be very sure that regretted the
occurrence when / heard him announce his
name, his title and his official standing, as, in
deed, had sincerely regretted the entire scene
from the first"
did not your provost marshal know the
justice?''
mo. he did not; otherwise the Judge would
never have been taken to the guard house, and
1 should not have had that disasreeable duty to
what motives actuated him in his obstinate re-
fusal to give his name when such humiliation and
painful punishment resulted from that refusal.
1t has always been something Of a mystery to
me-"
''wh.: did you think when he finally gave
TREMENDOUS ROW.
"what did think? Why, I thought there
would be tremendous row about it and that
should be hauled over the Goals for having
done my duty. Ny soldiers Of the guard were
frightened well nigh to death when that dis
tinguished and dignifed man finally submitted
TO force and gave his name. Although they
had only been doing their duty, under my or
ders, they feared they knew not what"
WAS anything done about it officially?"
well, should say SO. Col. Carleton, COM
manding the post wrote report Of the affair.
which he characterized as brutal, and recon-
mended proceedings against me. although he
knew that l had only done my duty in the
premises. II an obscure citizen had refused to
give his name, as Judge Knapp had done, Col.
Carleton would have commended my course. As
IL was Judge Knapp and Col. Carleton were
bosom friends and had been for years; there
fore he was biased in the matter. The papers
WOA0 lhlu OtIOIe ITeslQelI Lincoln. who
had meantime been seen by some Of myfriends,
who told him the true story Of the affair, and
the President wrote upon the back OF Col Carle-
tons report: This young man has simply dono
his duty, and is released from arrest. A. Lin
coin"
IN DANGER OF coURr-MARr1AL
Had you really been under arrest in the
meantimeT'
Certainly I had been. That very evening
! was deprived Of my sword and placed under
arrest. Col. Carleton never asked an explsna-
ton from me. nor gave me an opportunity to
Ale any papers in the case. Therefore was
under arrest for O month. It took about
two weeks in those days for q report
to 20 from Santa Fe to Washington and
two weeks for the return OF an answer.
Had 1t not been for the presence Of friends in
Washington might have been put to con-
Inconvenience, but have no doubt
that an honest court-martial would have ac-
quilted me of any charges and specifications
which might have been made and would have
commended me for having done my duty; Just
q President Lincoln did"
did you ever meet with Judge Knapp after
wardY''
''Sevsral times, but We were never on speaking
terms. He was not only prominent Official, a
great jurist and q popular gentleman, but he
was also one OF the proprietofs OF the st. Louis
Republican, now called The Republic. His in
nusnes was very great, and he was determined
to exert 10 all TO get even with the young officer
who had thus Inundated him. But have
been informed that several years afterward he
FOL tai a. Sd ek O.. L..