The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-03-06
THE MONITORIAL COURT.
Me said Commander Graham Spoke onen-
siveiy of Admiral Porter-Ihe Counsei
and Judge Advocate Have Tilt.


proceeding was the reading of tho record
the previous day
The Judge advocate. Lieutenant i@uc"
heimer. next introduced and asked TO Do ~
on the record O letter from the surgeon Oh VI
hayward in reference to the cond'l'o" =
Mate Kuhl. an important witness "ho - f"'
sicsy disabled. .ha chin.
Mr.. james ID. Prentiss. formerly wy vn ~
writer on the monitors ana tne o 1917 Tor Tho
was next called as "a witness OOupoo' - -
accused objected to the lntronuo"on ~ 70 49,
as witness The objection was presence -
lie shame of a lengthy document solHo -
which read as follows: .,..,5,ct;on "A
The accused objects % the ln'rouuo'.CJL -,
the witness. j. ID. Prentiss, on 'n' s'0~'-N'
incompetency and incIedi0ihty. on, va
s.Tna proposed witness has, az Gun oe
croven EXPRESSED his intense hatred anu VIZ
ulent hostility TO the accuseu. ~ go
threatening letters 10 the commanoin,s oliiSoi
tha accused. attempted 70 cause damaging
''"hi,cstions TO be made; has used every
efTort 10 ruin and blast his character; o.,
,.Tbe report made by him to the honora0ie
sacrotarv of the Navy shows on us face the
mark OF conspiracy: -, 49,,
.'Ue must either have sent or Deeh ihstIu-
mental in sending anonymous letters He
Lss .bIuahed for the conduct of Commander
Graham but no blush appears wnep he Is
o,uiltv Of this assasslns wOTk-hls slhD-
Sino in the back by means Of anonymous let
ters combinations, threatening and abusive
letters. tale bearing and all such low. uas-
tardly work. ,,,t ..;o5
under article 8, paragrah z, articles Tor the
government OF the navy but BEN. clYihah
be must 90 free for the present.
The evidence already before this court
has proven the falsity OF Jour OF the char9e9
made. thus showing that he wlllfuily mis-
Al ina I'll Zoo n
received as facts malicious and false state
ments of others made for the purpose oflnyury
10 the commanding Othcer.
Again. he is "A party TO the record and any
testimony given should DO received WIN
great caution"
The Judge advocate argued that the court
should not permit the paper TO be recorded
but that the accused could make objection
to the witness il general way
PREYrIss on THE STAND.
The court was al this point cleared and the
matter deiberated.
When the court was again openedit was de-
cided 10 place on the records simply that the
accused objected to the witness
Prentss was then sworn and stated IN sub
stance as follows: Il was in the naval service
one year on board the monitor under com
rnand of Commander Graham: honOrably dis
CHARGED January29 1872 On February II.
1891. the witness then stated that Commander
Graham. IN speaking OF the death OF Admiral
David d. Porter used very offensive language
in reference TO the Admiral and that Porter
would certainly 90 10 hell. Commander
Graham also said that he supposed he would
have 10 put on the badge OF mourning for
Porter. but he hated to do so. 1 heard the
commander say that he received an anony-
nous letter on April 5th concerning the wear
ing of the Grape in respect to Admiral Porter.
and he put IL on the 9TH and wore II until the
goth Commander Graham once said to me
that Marshall Hayden. the laymaster yeO-
man, had sent the letter. and afterwards he
said the machinist had done 80. In Septem-
Der 1891 Fife drew up charges against the
commander accusing him OF using abusive
language unbeeoming superior officer and a
gentleman. These charges were never sent
% the department. for Commander Graham
sent for Woman Fife, but / did not hear the
commander apologize. although II IS said that
he did. lheard the captain curse the cOXswaln
of the steam launch. lie gave me
as ships writer an order TO disrate
the cOxswain. Subsequently the cOxswan
met Commander Graham and asked permits
sion TO lay his case before the Secretary of the
Navy. stating that he could not stand such
treatment as he had received. The com
mander, after asking several men on board
whether OF not he had cursed Oliver. the cox
swain, returned to the latter and apoiogized
for having done 80. telling HIM To 60 back TO
his former duties on the launch. 1t seems.
as the charges, formally drawn up, were pre-
scented 10 the Commander by Mate Fuller the
next day 10 be forwarded to the Navy Depart
ment
The court at this juncture took a recess for
half an hour. and lunch was served.
AFTER RECESS.
After lunch Prentiss again appeared before
the court and stated in substance as follows:
In reference 10 the charges Oliver asked
az laft 10 70
Department, Prentss began to say that to
the best of his knowledge and belief the
charges were true.
Colonel Stern Immediately arose and OBJ
jected u Prentiss' testimony III reference TO
the charges The objection was Overruied and
the exceptions taken were placed on the re-
cord.
Continuing, the witness said: Oliver re-
ceived such treatment from Commander Ora
ham that the charges were forwarded and the
charges give iull statement of what took
place and WIZ the commander used the Of
,fensiye language to Oliver. | do not know
of my own knowledge whether the charges
were forwarded. Yes: Commander Graham
signed an ageement
In answer 10 u question by the Judge advo-
cate the witness began to state what was the
agreement Colonel Stern Tor the accused OBJ
iected. and argued that the best evidence was
the written agreement and not what Prentiss
knew about 1t. The court oyerruled the OBJ
lection, and exceptions were noted on the
record.
Continuing, the witness said. Commander
Graham agreed with Oliver that he Graham
would be on his good behavior towards the
crew if Oliver did not prosecute and also
leave his present command on February 9.
1892. | personally saw the agreement and
Commander Graham signature fixed to 1t.
am positively certain that 1t was his signature.
in my capacity as ships writer | Com
mander Graham's signature daily. Woman
Fife wrote the agreement and after it was
signed it was placed in the hands OF leoman
Fife
At this point the judge advocate requested
permission of the court TO Introduce and
offered to record IL memorandum Of sugges-
tions with view To the identification of the
handwriting of the same.
The accuser objected 20 the same and the
court was closed for deliberations.
NOT SUSTAINED.
The court was again opened and the Judge
advocate for the court stated To the accused
that the objection was not sustained
continuing, the witness WAS handed the paper
in question and was asked il he recognized
the handwriting. Yes. sir" he replied 1T is
Commander Graham's writing"
Mate kuhl. Machinist Walsh, and Yeonlnn
Palmer were also present when Commander
Graham spoke Of Admiral Porter. do not
know when the order about the death OF
Admiral Porte. was received. but IL was read
the 18th of February. 1891. at muster. The
financial dealings between Commander Ora