The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-29
Just as you al

A general court martial was in session
at Ryan, and for three days had been
sitting in judgment on Lieut.. Hearn. 1t
was the first occasion in many long
year on which Col. Lawler had ap-
peared in the role of judge advocate,
that complex and contradictory position
wherein the so called legal adviser of
the court, having prosecuted in the name
of the government to the extent of his
ability, proceeds to demolish his own
deliberately planned attack 1t is the
not infrequent result of such system
that the exertions of the prosecution so
exhaust its representatives that the de-
Tense is left to its own devices, and in
the case of Col. Lawler, as has been said,
he had always held that when an officer
was under trial the moral obligation of
the government was to find him guilty,
if possible thing.
/ No one on the court could quite under
stand why Lawler had been detailed for
this duty. 1t was a most unusual thing
to call upon the officers of the depart
ment of military justice itself to furnish
the prosecutor; rather was it their prov
ince to remain at the Office of the di-
vision or department commander, and
in reviewing the records to sit in judg.
ment on the judges. But The Palladium,
true to Kenyon's prophecy, was not slow
in explaining the situation. 1t was a
case in which the whole people, with it.
self as their representative, had de.
manded the trial of the officer who dared
maltreat the man. No ordinary occa,
sion was this, but one to attract wide
attention throughout the entire nation
and DO daily reported by the press. Col
Lawler saw opportunity for distinction
hitherto unequaled. He asked of his
general the detail as judge advocate OF
the court, and the general, though sur
prised, saw no way to refuse.
So carefully had the court been chosen
that of its entire array of thirteen mem
bers every man was personally stranger
to the young soldier whose fate lay il
their hands. Of all his regiment MOI
another officer was at the post when the
court began to arrive, and the only
soldier-heaven save the markl-wa.
Welsh, now assigned, much to their dis
gust, to Capt. Brodie's company Of thu
infantry for rations and quarters unit
his evidence should be given; and Welsh
was the constant center of group Of
newspaper men now billeted at Contra
City, and resenting it not little tha
they were not invited to put up at tn,
fort.
But as matters stood the fort was al
ready taxed to its utmost capacity; thu
only quarters in which there was room
for the arriving gentlemen were those O
the absent cavalry officers. Mrs. Morris
had two spare rooms, and promptly in
vited Coils. Grace and Maitland, oil
friends of her husband, to be her guests
Kenyon took in three of the seniors
Mrs. Wharton happened to know Capt
Chase, who was one of the detail, ant
scandalized Mrs. Brodie by borrowing
the Lane barouche, meeting him at tn,
depot and driving him straight to he
roof
mind you," said that young matron
"evNry man on this court shan't go t,
its first session without knowing some
thing of Frank Hearn's real character.
only wish 1 had room for more"
Mrs. Lane had no spare bedroom, bu