Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-03-15

'S~P
Had him hauled of by ttcO stdllcdrt In
fG9Lt7yTaer.
The court had finished its laborS and
gone. The correspondents had gone,
but presumably only To renewed laborS.
The various journals throughout the
northwest that had so confidently pre-
dicted the summary dismissal of the
offending lieutenant were now in some
what difficult position. They had started
in 10 prove the officer BLACKBOARD and
the private martyr: the result was eX-
actly the opposite, and the problem was
now how to get out of the pickle. TO
the average man, soldier or civilian, the
consciousness of having publicly
wronged fellow being would have
proved a source Of distress so deep that
nothing short of retraction as public and
apology as far reaching as the affront
would satisfy the defender. But in its
Jovelike attitude as censor of the morals
and manners of the people. the press has
no such QualmS of conscience.
As one eminent journalist expressed
it, "Of course we are sorry we are mis-
led somewhat, but we can't take back
what has been Said-that Injuries the
paper" And of course between injur-
ing the paper and injuring the man it is
the man who must suffer. Another
gifted editor, in whose eyes no benefit
was quite TO be compared with free adj
vertiSing, expressed himself as conSid-
erng that That young fellow really
ought to feel very much obliged to us;
nine-tenthS of the people might never
have heard OF him at all if it hadn't
been for this" And he spoke in all
seriousness.
OF course the correspondents them
selves had long since seen the inevitable
results, and had duly prepared their re-
Spectiye papers for the crash. Some of
these journals promptly dropped the
matter nj once aud for all as no longer
worthy of attentions; others transferred
their assaults from the array Of lieuten-
ants TO the array of courts martial.
Others STILL too deeply committed to
eXtricate themselves, threw open their
columns TO any damaging story affecting
the army which their correspondents
could fabricate; and those papers which
made any reference to the facts elected
before the court did so in the smallest
type, but head lined the item in Sarcas
tic or explosive big capitals.
The Palladium, or rather its editorial
head, when explaining matters TO a knot
OF men at the club, quietly justified the
course of his paper by saying: I'VE did
not send Mr.. Abrams there at all. He
had gone to Central City on some per-
sonal business of his own, to look into
some property, and while there this Mr..
Schonberg, a wealthy, prominent, and,
as we supposed, reputable business man,
told him about the offensive manners of
the officers to the people, and offered to
prove that they would be insulted and
ostracised if they ventured to visit the
garrison; and Abrams got warmed up
and telegraphed 10 the managing editor
that he was 'on to a good thing, and so
we wired him to go ahead But
iunior member of the editorial staff
frankly admitted that he, in common
with other journalists, had for sixteen
years been "laying for chance as he
expressed it, TO get in good whack at
the Young West Pointer, and here they
thought they had it.
Meantime the record had gone to de-
partment headquarters for the action OF
the general commanding, and LAWYER
went with it to fight the case TO the last.
There was not soul at Ryan that did
not know that, though the lips of the
court were sealed, the finding had been
mot guilty. on every possible Specilica-
ton. All LAWYER could hope to do now
was TO persuade the general TO pick the
proceedings to pieces and raSp the court
in his review of the case: but even this
nroyed futile. The general, it seemed,
would do nothing Of the kind; 1t was
even limited that he raSped LAWYER Tor
the very one-Sided investigation that he
made at the outset.
For two days following the adjourn
mept of the court Fort Ryan was fairly
in a ferment. Schonberg, terrified by
the ieerS of his townspeOple into the be-
lief That he was to be prosecuted for
neriurv. had slid away on night train
-"gone to purchase goods IN st. Louis,
said his unhappy spouse. Welsh, the
MARTYR. had eSSayed to desert the same
night. and. as a cat plays with monse,
old Kenyon had let him go until the IN
tent was made plain by his boarding the
eastward bound train in civilian dress,
and then had had him hauled oil by two
stolwart infantrymen and, incidentally,
nv the nape of his neck, and once more
Walsh was remanded 10 his familiar
baTnt-tbe guard house at Ryan. This
time still more serious charge was
hanging over his head-that OF assault
in, y non-commiSsioned officer in dis
cbarce Of his duty, for Corp. Brent had
recognized him as his assailant the In
stanf he heard his voice. So had an
otber witness. 1t was Georgia Marshall
Who tprned TO Kenyon the moment
welsh had finished his testimony aid
said: II have heard that man speak De-
fore" and who unhesitatingly declared
after Goss appeared though by slghtshe
conld identify neither man, by voice
Che knew that the one who had assault
ID the corDoral OF the guard that night
80 not Co.'S hut Welsh. Then Welsh
himself broke down. -,
Sncb was the feeling against him
among the men, such were the threats
which he could not but hear as he lay
in his barred cell, that he begged TO De
ai,owed 10 see the commanding oihcer:
He ue was in fear for his life-poor devil
and indeed nothing but the discipline
50 derided by the newspapers saved MN