The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-04
closed. He could no longer press the ground
wish his toes. This dead weight hung heavy

closed. He could no longer press the ground
wish his toes. This dead weight hung heavy
on the Irvine.
Minute after minute passed, and his
pulse beats were constantly increasing. At
last one surgeon said, One hundred and
twenty beats. Let him down. lanes had
hung for nineteen minutes"
1t ID further alleged that the action of the
lieutenant colonel, whether it was an arbi-
tIary command or = judicial act or not, was
nevertheless approved by the colonel Of the
regiment, Col. Hawkins, and further 3D.
proved by the division general, Con.
snowden, most probably before the execu-
ton thereof; for, beyond this, it ia alleged,
thai IN addition to the punishment first
proposed. the general added 1.-THE shaving
OF his head and beard and drumming out
of the service" which additions also we're
carried out with very little delay. The cir
cumstanoes taken altogether are unusual,
The questions that have been pressed
ape me every day are: what is done in
the regular army under similar conditional"
what was done in time of war;" What
mas been the course pursued in time OF
p%eaoe!" What are the punishments now
given since the issuance of the last govern
mental punishment codo?'
10 state the whole case az il appears to
me: The civil authority had exhausted its r.
sources in its attempts at the preservation
OF order; an actual collision involving
bloodshsd had taken place between tho par
ties at issue; and the civil functionar,es had
acknowledged their inability to COPE with
the difficulties; so that the governor was
called upon in his military capacity to take
charge. lie sent his troops, and martial
law was proclaimed. Within the district
which that PROCLAMATION covered, the leader
OF the party which represented the capital
ISIS was set upon and assaulted BY a man
whose purpose was to murder him: he anc-
ceeded III vounding his victim several times
with the pistol and the knife. A colder
OF the national guard. that guard
Wnlch represented the military author
ny OF tho state, sympathizinR with
!he murderous .assai!ant, with the spir-
1t OF nlutiny in his heart, called 70,
three cheers for the criminal; and when d.
,eoted by his commanding officer to retract
No dlsobeyed extensively, and persisted in
ms in~subordinate conduct by an open dec
!aration that he would not do it., Now.
Just mere let mo say, in the regular army
ior The forty years ! have been il servica
hardly II week has passed in which snms
euch conduct has not had place and met its
punishment.
IN lime OF war a mutiny was often 40 and
den, SO unexrscted thas it had to be mt
Gown IKE a rot, or like the %bepiuninos Of
mot by the promptest action. But I think
IN every case officers of high mman an
deapored to distribute the responsibility ~
putting the offender US quickly "A rossihIs
before a court martial.
one case comes to my recollection in
which, after tho proclamation of M. Tin.
coin. = young officer undertook to create a
disturbance In his regiment by openly cnIs-
ing the commanding general and the pres.
ident; and swearing that hs would not
serve In an abolition army. Gen. T. v
Sumner. the then grand division com.
manuer, ordered thut the young man be
court-maitialed; tho corps commanded
under sumner, ordered the court an in.
Htruoted; tho young man was tried. con.
victed and oashiered.
with reference to the shaving of thu hesd
there are very few cases on record of late
years In which it has been done. There ia
one aggravated case, tried at Fort Abraham
Lincoln. DIT, in 1877; SerRt. FranQis Day-
ton. Co. "L' Seventh cavalry. was found
guilty under two charges; first desertion.
second, conduct to the prejudice of good or.
der and military discipline. The second
charge was sustained by a specifcation which
showed that SeEgt. Francis Dayton while
on guard connived mt the escape of n COM
nissary sergeant, Herbert Inmsnn, who was
charged will . penal offence against the
United States. He allowed this oriminsl to
escape from the guard in such a way that
there could hardly be q mo 9 aggravated
military offence. The court sentenced Day