Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-21

II an not djCdrc, Col Lgrlcr"
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 a long
| year ON which Col. Lawler had an
| 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 delnolish his own
eiaporately planned attack. 1t is the
not lntrequent result of such system
that the eZertions of the prosecution so
exhaust its representatives that the de-
Tense is left 30 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 q possible thing.
No one on the court could quite under
stand why Lawler had been detailed for
this duty. It was a most unusual thing
to call upon the officers of the DEPART
ment Of military justice itself 10 furnish
the prosecutor: rather was it their prov
NICE 10 remain 1t the Office Of the d.
VISION or department commander. and
III reviewing the records TO sit in iudg-
ment on the judges. But The Palladium,
true to henyOn's prophecy, was not slow
IN explaining the situation. 1t was n
case in which the whole people. with il
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 be daily reported by the press Col.
LAWYER saw opportunity for distinction
hitherto unequaled. He asked of his
general the detail as judge advocate of
the court. and the general, though sur
prlsed, saw no way to refuse.
So carefully had tie court been chosen
that OF Its entire array of thirteen men,
bers every man was personally n stranger
to the young soldier whose fate Law in
their hands. OF all his regiment not
another officer was at the post when the
court began to arrive, and the only
soldler-heayen save the mark,-was
Welsh, now assigned. much to their dis
gust, to Capt. Brodie's company OF the
Infantry for rations and quarters until
his evidence should be given: and Welsh
was the constant center Of group of
newspaper ina now billeted at Central
City. and resenting it not a little that
they were not invited to put up at the
fort
But as matters stood the fort was al
ready taxed to its utmost capacitv: the
only quarters in which there was room
for the arriving gentlemen We're those of
the absent cavalry officers Mrs. Morris
had two spare rooms, and promptly in
vited Coils. Grace and Maitland. old
friends of her husband. to be her guests.
Kenyon took III three of the seniors.
Mrs. Wharton happened to know Capt.
Chase, who was one Of the detail. and
scandalized Mrs. Brodie by borrowing
the Lane barouche. meeting him at the
depot and driving him straight TO her
roof.
Mind you" said that Young matron,
every man on this court shan't 20 TO
Its first session without knowing some
thing Of Frank Hearn's real character.
only wish | had room for more
Mrs. Lane had no spare bedroom, but
babe her regimental friends who had to
I'LL them up with members of the court.
Georgia and will board the whole array
If you will only let US" she declared
III set lunch for the court at noon, and
dine the entire party at every day they
are here if some one viii only agree to
take Col. Lawler
Nobody wanted Lawler, and so he
was one of the three relegated to the
gloomy precincts of old Kenyon's quar-
tiers and compelled to rough it at bach
elor mess. 1t was arranged that eight
members of the court should be quarter
ed among the cavalry homesteads and
otherwise be entertained at the Lanes
OF such are the expedients to which gar
risons are subject.
1t was not until Monday aft moon
that the court began its session Two
cii ers had telegraphed that they could
not reach the post until the arrival of tho
noon train: but all that morning and
most Of Sunday the judge advocate had
been busting about the garrison, full of
appearances aul enthusiasm Recogniz-
ing the interest felt in the ca5e by an
tUillE Hcl5ubOftiDOu. SsHi 5tOdlOiSiy
active in providing for the needs of the
press, LAWYER had caused the quarters of
c troop to be cleared Of all the iron
hunks. Arm racks and lockers were
shifted away; long table mad been
brought uD from the mess room under
meath and set in the middle of the big
room, the Presidents chair at the head,