Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-07

harder to master the details of unaccus-
toned duties, and no man, probably,
ever encountered greater difficulties.
But such was his perseverance that he
became walking glossary of informa-
ton on army legal affairs. 1t was not
that lie ever mastered the niceties of
martial jurisprudence. but he knew the
inside history of every case that came
up for trial in the bulky records of the
bureau lie could quote the charges
and specifications preferred against any
and every officer. the findings of the
court, the names of the principal wit
nesses, Of the judge advocate and the
members, and little by little the SEN
iors In the Office had grown so to lean
upon his memory and his opinion that
he became an almost indispensable
feature.
And so when Peace once more spread
her wings over the troubled walls Of the
capitol, and the army was sent home,
and chosen few were retained from
the millions of volunteers to close up the
records and accounts of that vast estab-
hshment, the bureau announced that it
couldn't get along without Maj. Lawler,
and Lavler was shrewd enough to see
his way to a life position. With the
breyet of lieutenant colonel for faithful
and meritorious services during a war
IN which he had not once heard the
whistle of q bullet, he was presently an
nounced as transferred to the permanent
establishment and duly commissioned
nE = 10 &c q
army.
Il ans time his sole acquaintance with
the gent-em with whom his future lot
was to be cast was what he had derived
from the court martial proceedings
which for three years he had spent ten
to twelve hours day in reviewing; and
knowing them through that medium
alone, it became somewhat difficult for
him to estimate them through any other
when at LAST he was ordered to duty at
far western city as judge advocate of a
division. He had been so many years
within the shadow of the war depart
ment that army life in any other shane
looked to him as might Ii strange garnet
to an exiled cat. When he met an Of
ficer for the first time his mind reverted
to the records which he had reviewed:
this was not the man who led the as
sault on Bloody Angle at Spottsylvania.
who planted the first colors on the
heights Of Mission Ridge, who made the
perilous night ride to Crook after the
disaster OF the Little Horn. hut the Of
fcer who preferred the charges against
Col. Blank, or who was tried for dupli-
eating pay accounts at Nashville, or who
was the unwilling witness in the case of
old Barry at Fort Fetterman.
To his Iragmatical mind every soldier
was past or prospective igurant before
court martial. and long contemplation
of innumera counts in the shape of
specifications had so charged his mind
with distrust of his fellow men that.
whatsoever might be his rank or record.
no officer stood so high as to be above
suspicion, none so impregnable that.
Judlciously handled, court could not
down him Il consider it my bounden
duty he had once said, Ito convict an
officer if possibly can" And while in
his regard an acquittal might temporari-
ly and partially vindicate the party ac-
cused, it must forever blight the fair
fame of the Judge advocate who tried
the case
Some years of rubbing had so far mod
flied his original views as to teach him
that until charges were actually pre-
terred 1t AS not well to look upon any
OF his new associates as actually and alb
soiu:ely attainted: but once that formal
ity had been accomplished, prima facie
evidence OF guilt was firmly established.
and only with reluctance and inward. if
not active. rebellion could he bring him
self to accept verdict otherwise. Pro-
ceedings of courts which convicted he
SKINNED through with lenient eve:
there could be- no error there: but when.
as was his invariable custom, he glanced
at the findings before beginning the re-
view. and there discovered the unweI-
come words mot guilty" no vigilance
could exceed that with which he scruti-
nized every line of the record, hoping
anywhere to light upon a flaw Friends
IN the service at large he neither sought
nor made Secure in his position, abste-
mious. frugal and even niggardly, he had
no small vices on which to trip Life to
him was ona long contemplation of the
failings of his fellow men
And this was the gentleman who
being on some temporary investigation
within the lines of the department. had
received telegraphic orders to proceed at
once to Ryan and look into the matters
thus loudly heralded by the press
Standing no. upon the order of his go
ing. he had taken the first train and
reached the post at nightfall. eager to
begin 1t was a source of positive dis
comfort to him to find that he was ex-
pected by the post commander to dine at
Capt. Lanes; but his uneasiness was in
no wise due to the lack of proper ap-
parel. The colonel and the other officers
were in full Uniform as was army GUS
tom then, before merciful and level
headed general authorized the wearing
of civilian evening dress on such occa-
sions. But Col Lawler was quite at
ease in Il travelling suit OF rusty tweeds.
Morris had offered the colonel the use of
his own dress suit. and in fact had