New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-13
iRMY NOTES or INTEREST.

Few cases in the Army have attracted much At
tention or given rise to much and so wide dis
cussion in Army circles that OF Lieutenant
James A. Nancy, 18th Infantry. and the result OF
the court-martial ordered for May p to try him
upon charges not yet made public by the Presi-
dent Is awaited with intense interest. In some
Washington dispatches i has been said that not
sonai attention TO the organization OF court
martial for the trial Of an ocer OF Ine espan,, v
Mr. Cleveland have given personal. though indi-
rect. attention to more than one case.
The story of the shooting of Captain Hedberg by
Lieutenant Nancy October last has been tod
many times, and Lieutenant Nancy was recently
acquitted Of the charge against him by the civil
court 1t would. therefore. be in violation of law
twice to place his life in jeopardy by trial for mur-
der White the charges upon which he Is to be
tried have not been made pubic II is the opinion
tnat they w De 6ased upon tne o !e 81 into
the facts, and this may be stated 70 pc me OUT
saulting and shooting his superior officer; and also
of the 6lst Article for conduct unbecoming an ohi
an officer The latter is based upon the presumption
or belief that conspiracy had been entered into by
certain officers Of the regiment to be-rd OF the
presence Of Captain iceberg.
This affair of Lieutenant Nancy and the report
OF Colonel Burton revealing an unsavory record
of the discipline and morals OF the regiment have
led to the question what is TO be done with
the 18TH Infantry. 1t is rumored that when the
court-mar,ial is finished Colonel Crofton Will be
requested to apply for his retirement. He cannot
do this under tne forty years service law for he
Is a graduate OF the Military Academy, ana
did not enter the service till 1861 when he was
appointed a captain in the 18th Infantry He was
born in Ireland sixty years ago and Will no, reaca
brevetted twice for galantry az Shiloh and Cnicka
manga. There is one proposition 10 assign an tne
captains to other regiments and replace them with
others another proposition is to break Up the rsg
ment and send its companies to various posts Ihere
with the prevailing opinion that the regiment cannot
longer remain in its present demorailzed condi'ioh
The recert comforting Of brevet ranks upon Of
fcers for distinguished service in connection with
Indian campaigns has been followed by much con-
fusion is shown by numerous letters OF inquiry
TO newspaper editors who are supposed TO be Army
encyclopedias as well as everything else. Some ask
what benefit the brevet rank is TO those who al
ready hold the actual rank of that conferred by
brevet also why the President did not include the
of all the officers Of gallant conduct In action
additional si Of 9csrs s being Ell PREPARED ID
being transmitted the Senate, as to include all
those who have been found praiseworthy.
The class Of cadets abou, to be graduated at
West Point have learned that there already
thirtyeight vacancies for the nifty men VINO expect
to be graduated and It is probable that several
others will find second lieutenances waiting for
them to ill OF these vacancies there Is one N esen
Of the five regiments of artillery; TWO eacn IN lne
I'd ana TfS on s"e each 81 in the M 6 h h
9th 10Th lith 18th 18th 10th. 22d ga and 2oIh, two
n n the !" li tn Regiments res All Hose fSs
whom no places can be found AT once VIII receive
places as additional second heutenants.
The committee OF arrangements Tor commence
n1ent week" at West Point has issued circular fuli
of information for those who desire to be present,
one OF the principal points OF which Is that two OF
the vacant divisions Of the cadet barracks are TO De
fitted up with a number OF beds where graduates
can have Sleeping accommodations from June TIL
June y In case hotel Is oVercrowGed Inc cos
ing exercises OF the graduating class VIII take pace
on the morning OF June Y. and at 2SO p. m the
annual meeting Of the Association OF Graduates VIII
Will serve a supper in the officers mess dining room
ing the cost of which will be 81 p for each. The
graduating hop VIII take place on the evening OF
June II.
The mystery" concerning the discontlnuance OF
the test of the ten-inch Woodbridge wire gun at
Sandy Hook some time ago has been cleared up by
a report just made public by the Ordnance De-
nartn,ent The gun, at the twenty first round, was
track! so badly to be unservceabie. the fria,S
were simply TO test some OF the brown prismatic
powder the charge being 30 pounds. and the press
IRE 90 OgJ pounds the square inch, or more than
10 OO hounds less pressure than that used With the
Krown sagmental wire gun the inner tube or wnicn
cracked at the 2leth round. The latter Is so ar
ranged that IL be taken out and replaced but
that of the former is fundamental part OF the gun.