Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-25
OLD HICKORY'S NOSE.
WHY IT WAS PULLED 6Y LIEUT.. r..
3. RANDOLPH, OF THE U. s N.
Eason--sSsr Accidental Connection
with This Oatrage.
Winchester (va.) Tim -. J

Winchester (vs.) Tlmssl
Away back in the nos Commodore Pat
terson commanded the old man-ot-war
Constitution, the famous "ironsides" of
the war OF 1912 and 1914. and on board this
ship in the Spanish harbor OF Port Mahon
was enacted a tragedy that was but the
beginning of q romantic piece of United
States history. IL made q terrible CON-
motion at the time. but is entirely, new to
the present generation. When IN the
year 1900 Washington was occupied as the
capital Of the nation the site OF the
infant city was al forest ana creek
and almost uninhabitaOle. Nearly all
OF the officers of the government. sens-
tors members OF the House and the
civil employees boarded 40 the only hotel
in GEORGETOWN, kept by an lrishmaa
named O'Neill. who Is said 20 have been
near relative OF the then famous Paddy
O'NeIll, the body servant of General Jack
son. Among the attractions OF the hotel
were three beautiful daughters OF the
landlord The two eldest had married
highly-intolligent. educated gentlemen,
who during President Jackson's Admins
tratiou were heads Of bureau IN the war
and Navy Departments; Their defendants
yet are prominent IN Kentucky and Iennes-
see. The youngest daughter OF the house
was Miss Margaret. known a. Miss feRRy.
a famous beauty OF the true Milesian type,
ruddy. auburn haired, blue-eyed. and
trimming over with health and spirits. |
Prom her many admirers she finally mar /
Yied one Of the Undertakes. of the old VIZ /
gina family of thst name. He was
purser NOW paymaster) III the navy, and
shortly after thor marriage was ordcTe1 I
10 the Constitution, bound for the medl- /
torrancan. When the squadron had been /
absent about Year man was r. /
a.. Gsnf vel I IL
ship was at anchor IN the harbor OF Port /
Mahon. Island Of MinOrca. SO soon as |
the letters hsd been distributed Purser
Tmberlake retired 10 his cabin and In /
short time after hls messmates were STAR
tied by the report q pistol. llmbsriake
was found dead IN ms room wilma Dudct-
hole ID his forehead. lie was evidently |
insane and had destroyed himself. Tor no
reason could ever he assigned tor the deco.
ACTING PuEsEH.
In consequence of Iimberake's suicide
the ship was lett without a pUrser or pay |
master and an "actlng one had 10 be
made. Commodore Patterson chose to
appoint Lieutenant H. Il. Randolph 20
This position. Lieutenant Randolph WAS
a Young officer OF distinguished gal
lautry, for IN 1926 the Legislature
of Virginia had voted him IA sword for
ms gallant services IN the war OF 1872
and 1914. lie protested against tins APP
polntmeut: that he was an oihcer OF
the line knew navigation and gunnety,
but nothing Of Bookkeeping or the mys-
terry OF accounts" Commodore Iatter-
son. however, insisted that he was tho
only available officer and, IL Is SAID, gave
HIM these valuable and Characteristic IN
strucuOns:
Whenever you get voucher signed
and recelpted stick II in key when 1t
gets filed up put IN the bung: then seal IL
a,.I I ,fl aapH n n Navy Il4IaTt-
mcnt. Let them do the figuring for you.
The executive officer, the late Commo-
dore La Nallette. acting under the Commo-
dore's orders took charge Of ell the enects
20 be found IN Hmberlake's cabin. OF the
contents of tho paymasters IRON chest,
both papers aud specie, packed, and seal
ing them carefully, sent them 10 ms
widow Mrs. Poggy--in Georgetown. An
inventory had been ordered 10 be taken at
the time. but II WAS found TO be impractl-
cahio until arrival IN the Unitea states,
but bag Of specie had been found and
sent whether of gold or silver was not
known. The above was testified 10 by
Lieutenant la Naliette before the suOse-
queut court or inquiry.
ACCOUNTS SHORT.
The cruise lasted some eighteen months
longer. Upon arrival u the United states
Acting Pavmaster Randolph sent his
kegs TO the department, where they were
received with vlcieut protests by the
BureaucTats,' and att8r nearly ono wear
OF patient examination his accounts We're
declared TO be nearlf $4,000 short. Lieu
tenant Randolph. aroused by this iDputa-
tiUn Oh bis honor as al officer aud gentle
man. wrote. as was natural. u violent and
severe letter, demanding an immediate
court of inquiry. In 1t he declared the
accounting officers guilty of making al
ubiquitous report; OF falsely aud lnten-
Ia oil bTE frnras q M having (
asked of hun the slignts,t explanation,
ana challenging Their accuracy. lie
showed by an ltenized statement that the
government actually owed MN nearly
~ 900.
The Investigation by this court of in
quiry lasted three months, and alter
thorough examination Of all vouchers ana
both statements theY hOnOrablg acquitted
Inn, stating, however that he was guilty
of neglect. from ignorance only; that there
was no fraud or intent to commit fraud.
and concluding az their opinion that the
Commodore, the executive ohcer, ana
Lieutenant Randolph were oil and equally
10 blame for neglect, FROM ignorance, anu
that there was shortage of 81 ,OOD Tor
watch they were unable to account.
so soon as this report was known the
Clo5e newspaper, the government organ,
proclaimed aud denounced randolph as
defaulter," and GepeTh Eaton. the
Secretary Of War, laid the facts OF the case
before General Jackson, cjalUlng that the
decision reflected upon aiYs. nmoeriako,
the widow, the lady 70 whom he was en-
Gagged TO be married and WHOM he suhse-
quently married. President jackson hastily
ordered Randolph 10 DE court-martlaled
Tor irregularity in his accounts aud
defalcation. This court, after protract-
cd sitting, finally acquitted hin, prncl-
cipally ON the ground that be had never
received the specie 1t having been packed,
4 A -. lon fWr,l. Lob
now Mrs. Eaton. stating. though, that
there was no proof whatever that she had
received 1t.
DISMISSED RANDOLPH.
The President refused to approve of the
proceedings and findings of the court and
10y an abuse of his prerogatlye. the first
time such "a violent use had been made OF
1t. in long and severe letter written IN
April, 1888, in which he criticised the
court without mercy. he dismis, ed Ran
uolph from the navy. Up to this date
such was the Presidents prerogatiye. This
violent use of it, however, caused tho en-
actment of the present law, that SEN
tence of court martial or the approval OF
the Senate, iu connection with the Presi-
dents order, is necessary for dismissal"
This keen injustice and fearful dlshonor
to Randolph so affected his mind that
when by accident lie met the President
very shortly iatter ION board boat plying
between Washington and Alexandria no
assaulted him by attempting to pull his
nose. This turned the tide of public
opinion, formerly loud in Randolphs
favor. strongly against him. The circum-
stances were as follows:
THE PULLING INCIDENT.
The President was on board the boat
going TO Acquia Creek ON his way TO
Fredericksburg TO assist in laying the cor
ner-stone of the monument to be erected
10 Mary, the mother of Washington.
When the boat stopped at Alexandra
! ienfnnnnf Randolnh and SOMA friends