Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-30
G AY G AP T AIN
Charges Preferred Against a Revenue
Marine Officer.
He is Said to Have Made His Ship the
Scene of Some Lively FrOlickinG
While on the Potomac.

There is a scandal in the revenue marine
service. involving an officer of high rank.
and preparations are being made at the
Treasury Department to investigate it. The
officer in question is Capt. John c. Mitchell,
commanding the revenue steamer Crawford,
operating on this station between Baltimore,
Norfolk and Washington. Charges of a
serious nature have been prepared against
him by another officer of the ship. General
ly he is accused of conduct unbecoming an
officer and a gentleman and conduct pre-
judicial to military discipline. The specii-
cations enumerate several acts of moral de-
linquency. including drunkenness on duty
and the use of his cabin for improper pur-
poses.
His most serious transgression il alleged
to have occurred while the Crawford was
anchored in the Potomac near this city and
seems to have been the result of "A too close
association with Russian ar;stocracy, as
his alleged fall from grace followed shortly
after the employment of the Crawford I'M
der his command in transporting the Rus
sian grand duke to Mount Vernon soon af-
ter the naval review. 1t is alleged that he
has been intoxicated frequently since that
event, and that one night not long aEo he
went ashore and spent the night in general
jollification In bad company, and that he
returned to the ship early in The morning
considerably the worse for wear. but what
a.
accompanied by two octoroon girls Of I'M
doubtedly bad reputation.
The officer of the deck demonstrated
against such a palpable violation of the
regulations. but the captain was obdurate
and would not listen to reason. His COM
panions were his guests and should be
treated accordingly. The captain is said to
have escorted them to his cabin with all the
grace and dignity at his command, some
what marred by the unsteadiness of his
gait and his generally dilapidated appear
ance. The other officers of the Ship il is
stated, were naturally scandalized at the
conduct of their commander in entertaining
these women, but naturally hesitated in
bringing the matter to the attention of his
superiors.
Reported to Headquarters.
1t was too serious an offense to be ignored
altogether however, and one of the officers
finally reported the circumstances to the
Treasury Department. His letter was re-
ceived by Capt. Shepard, chief of the reve-
nue. marine division and by him was sub
mitted to Assistant Secretary Hamlin, who
has supervision of that branch of the
service. 1t was decided to investigate
the matter at once and Capt. Shepard was
instructed to convene a board of officers for
that purpose. The officials of the Treasury
Department refuse to give any informa ton
in regard to the case and the facts given
above had to be obtained from other
sources.
The Crawford is now at Baltimore and
Capt. Mitchell is still in command. He will
be undoubtedly relieved, however, in a few
days and suspended from active service
until the contemplated investigation shall
have been concluded and the further ac-
ton OF the department determined upon.
The investigation.
The investigation will be held in this
city beginning next Tuesday, but the detail
of the board is not yet complete. Capt.
Mitchell is native of Maine but was ap-
pointed to the service from Massachusetts
in November 1868. He reached his present
grade in November 1879 and has been in
command of the Crawford since September
1891. He stands No. is in the list of thirty
six captains.