The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-31
! DIsMISSAL:IS RECOMMENDED
Believed Tiiat Friends Will Save
5. ..:.. :...: s: the Naval OFFICER.
IT'S !: S: 4 MOST REMARKABLE CASE
He +. Wrote a Telegram. Signing
!" secretary Herbert's Name, and
= 81. Sent ii to. the commandant.


:: fns,. ~ me beard has. been forwarded to
! Washington: " $500.
JYtsn Is sal from. the service is the recon-
mend alton made by those officers whotried
=. the surgeon: ~:
*<-. cOfcouTse this Recommendation has not
F. been made public. as it must receive the
Endorsement of:the- Secretary OF the Navy
befoTe,.it can become effective, but THE
: :: CAIEis able to give the result Of this re-
naIkable trial. as it alone was able to tell
ID the issue: Of NoYem Der % Of its incep-
-. This court-martial stands unique in the
= history.o of similar trials. and the fact that
nearly everybody at the Navy-yard be-
lieves. the recommendation will not be
carried ont adds interest to it. For tho Of
fcer against whom the charges have been
proven has powerful friends at Washing
ton, and naval men say that they will con-
vince Secretary Herbert that 1t would be
wisdom to impose lighter sentence.
Richard Ashbridge. passed assistant sur
geon, u. S. n, is one of the most popular
of the younger officers now serving on this
coast. He is a Pennsylvania ian and at one
time cut quite figure in Philadelphia So
ciety. Handsome. we'll educated and a
e brilliant conversationalist he was more
than elcome at any gathering. He en-
tered the navy in 1876 under the brightest
Of auspices. having friends at court" and
those in the service know what point
this is in a mans favor. At his exami5a-
lions he showed remarkable perit and
was regarded as an exceptionally good
physician and surgeon. Indeed splendid
career seemed to be in store for him. a
year ago last October he came TO Mare
Island and since has become a social fav-
orte in this city and Vallejo.
But there was one weak spot and that,
as it now appears. led to his undong. He
was too fond of wine and careless Of its
use. 49,.
Early in November Ashhridge was APP
pointed a mem Der of tho examining board
at Mare Island, and few weeks afterward
be saw fit TO differ with the commandant
of tie yard regarding he order of examin-
ing officers who CAME up to pass for pro-
: motion. DR.. Ashbridge stated that the
physical examination should take place
-. frst,. while Captain Howison, the COM
: mandant, ordered that the candidate
SHOULD be tested as to me n tai requirements
=: befole the. surgeons passed upon him.
:*Instead of yielding his point the surgeon
:: persisted that he was correct. and was
:: abruptly ordered to obey his snperi.sr
tlncer aud Say 40 more about IT.
=. The morning after this difference of
:opfnion had occurred the cOmmanjant
noticed a telegram upon his desk and on
=: 0pening 1t was surprised 20 find it dis
" patch: from Secretary of the Navy Herbert
= ordering him 20 have candidates for pro-
=: motion undergo physical examinations
. before the mental ones. Captain Howison
: pf,rrfh cb n
. III stem to- junior officers statement with
:, out. hearing the other side, and. wondered
still more that such hasty decision had
:. been given. He examined the telegram
. closely. 1t seemed all right. The usual
check marks were upon it and it bore the
time of receival at the Vallejo Office of the
Western Union Telegraph Company. But
no. one around headquarters could tell how
the message had come.
= So Captain Howison dispatched an aid
toVa1lejo, who shortly returned with The in
Formation that no such message had passed
through the telegraph office. Then mss
sage was sent to Secretary Herbert, and
upon the receipt OF an answer the COM
nlandant: FORMULATED charges against the
: surgeon, in the specifications of which he
:: set forth that the message purporting to
come from the Secretary Of the Navy was
- either written or concocted by Richard
- Ashbridge, and for no other purpose than
:. to carry a point" which was in dispute
: with his superior officer. Confront ed with
the message fIom the Secretary the sur
geon at stdenied his completely in the
r. Spurious telegram, and upon these facts
: charges were based.
There We're three counts In the
-presentinent made by Captain Howl
: son.. namely: r First, conduct preju-
<.:diciaI: to: : good Order and discip-
p: .llnei sec6nd.s falsehood :: third. scandal
:: :Gus:conduct,- tending TO the. destruction of
: GOOD morals. The third charge involved
= the more specific accusation Of inebrleIy.
::-As. several" members of the coart ap-.
pointed to try the surgeon were also
:: detailed as members of the Olympia's trial
= board, the hearing Of the testimony did
not begin until after the new cruiser re-
turned the last time from Santa Barbara,
and it is only day or two since the find
ings were made in the case, and the boards
recommendation is, in fact, now in the
mails Ell route for Washington
- Many expected that Ash bridge would
=. advance the plea of temporary insanity,
:: but he did not. Indeed his sole defense
: consisted in the sentence. 81 was intoxi-
: Gated"
:. *At the court-martial it was proven that
- TIE surgeon had written the telegram
:: which. purported coming from the Secre-
..tary Of the Navy and that he sent it to the
cOmmandant. Several witnesses also tes-
tilted to seeing him intoxicated on different
g. occasions.
Strange to say" remarked a member of
the court yesterday, "Ashbridge did not
go on the stand in his own defense
without being sworn he simply made
statement pleading ignorance of the whole
afiair and alleging drunkenness as his sole
excuse This fact told heavily against
.. him."
d. IL now remains TO be seen whether the
secretary VIII indorse the findings of the
Doard or whether the pulp which Ash
bridge has will save his being dismissed
from the service.
Noted Guest.