The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-07-14

''ha ~, uenanos OF thirty Peop,e.
cups and fipgers answered for
tong'. The ladies courteously refrained
from comment. The keen air had given
AL appetites that could endure even
single course OF boiled corned beef and
cabbage for dinner. As the meal neared
It's end one OF the voracious youths pres
| ent sked il there was dessert The assist
ant commissary consulted his log book
and allowed that there ought To be some.
Ine head waiter rushed to the assistant
comniissary aud whispered lew words
Ia his ear and the guests were informed
tnat the bread pudding had been way
lsit at Davisville.
Colonel Warfield. who is always ready
Tor any emergency. quickly arose aud
SAID: Il suspected AS much, but l under
stand that the pudding has been corralcd
aud roped down to the station floor SO
taht IL can't escape. We have just Sc
cure the services OF a low gear aud any
one tDat wants some of that pudding can
avail himself or herself of the opportun-
ity." None seemed anxious to ACCEPT the
ouer.
Tricks and Fun.
There were tricks by the score last
night Ono new private In the First
regiment was taken from his tent and
for some pretended disrespectful
language was covered with coating of
shoe blacking. Another recruit was
told that he was wanted at headuuarters
aud after presenting himself there and
waiting two hours for the order. in tbs
position which he WAS told to stand, dis
covered that he had been hoaxed. A
guard OF the colorea persuasion fell
asleep on his beat. lie was bound In
chair; when he awoke he discovered that
by means of sundry coils cf
rop, aud many har knots he and
the chair had been securely tied together.
A member OF the cavalry sufferei a sim
mar ex 'erience. Mo- infrequently the
young soldier who had gone to sle.p in
his tent would awake to find the stars
shining above him and the, it would
dawn upon him that his cot and all had
been carried into open air by his solicit
tous friends, who feared that he would
suhocate In the tent. A mock trial was
held by some members OF the First regi-
meat last evening. About 200 members
gathered to view the proceedings The
scene begg RS description. but it abounded
In witticisms aud bright savings that
provoked many a smile and bursts Of
applause.
That Tent Fire Again.
the fire In which Captain A. A. Bakers
the subject of the days conversation. 1t
will be remembered that the state loss
amounted to 81, while Captain Baker
cents. the value of the celluloid hair
brush, part of n box Of cigars, and the
cork stopper of his bay rum bottle. The
amount OF bis loss has caused Qravs sus-
picions at the aft headquarters that
the fire may have been or incendiaiy
orr lin. The insurance age IT'S Of
the city have consulted. regarding
md hafnra aHirraftper q
TREY wished the matter investigated.
Being nat tura.Iy suspicious they commu-
Dicated their fears to their locat agents at
the ground and ordered that Captain
Bakers record be examined to see II the
charge that he set fire tn the hair brush
for the sake of tle insurance could be
proved. They claimed that the very facS
that no less than thirty men were each,
separately aud individually. the first to
discover tie fire and To rive the
alarm. showed such u vaguenes in
the testimony at the autoDsy
of the hair brush as to warrant most
careful aud exacting search into the at
elaine an alibi, but, said the accnsers,
there were only nine other staff officers
present and that was not enongh TO re :
fute their ci8im of exclusive opportunity
for Capt. Baker. The last man seen in
the tent was the captain, and the fact
tHdt no OUucE WOuiu hoNC hoA duy inCtu-
live except he, was ample proof Of exclu-
sive opportunity.
The serious charges resting against him
were solemnly and officially communi-
Gated to Captain Is ,ker and he was told
that though rs a civilian and as assistant
Judge advocate general he might prefer
a clvilian's Investigation. nevertheless
the reputation of the headquarters and
in fact that OF the whole brigade was, so
to speak, at stake. It had therefore been
decided to court-martial him and try him
by rules of the sword rather than of the
pen. 1t WAS a trying moment for Captain
Baker. To be tried for arson for
grace only alleviated by the fact IL proven
guilty there would be no court costs to
pay. The courtmartial was promptly
held. There was a slight deviation from
the strict regulations. Captain Baker
was induced as assistant judge advoca to
general to charge himself as a captain in
head quarters of incendiary acts. He
did SO aud at first proved himself guilty
without doubt. Then as captain he re-
futed the charge by proving an alibi an /
further by satisfying the jury OF by
standers that the fire was un-
doubtedly due TO spontaneous com
bustion. This theory he further
that tho hairbrush was not new and By
constant wear for some years the bristles
had become somewhat loosened aud
doubtless their motion In the sockets
caused great friction against the cellu-
loid, which friction might cause the fire.
After few hours consultation he was
finally acquitted. He has notified the
insurance agents of that fact aud expects
a check for his 81 cents insurance sent
down by special train under heavy guard.
this evening.
After the fire he took up his abode In
morning when the major sappoared the
latter presented bill for REM al to Cap
tain Baker, and being refused. he served
n writ of ejectment upon the tenant, but
he was informed that being disabled and
having but one arm the tenant would
make the writ returnable on himself un.
less he vacated the premises immediately,
which he did.