The morning call., 1894-09-03
ON MANY CHARGES
Coming Trial of Major
Wham
BY A MILITARY COURT.
The Old Paynaster Speaks in
His Own Defense.
SAYS HE HAS BEEN PROSECUTED
tie Admits Being in Debt, but Says
lie Is Not Responsible
for 1t.
SAYS HE HAS BEEN PROSECUTED

PORTLAND, Sept. 2.-Major J.W. Wham,
paymaster of the United States army, who
is to be tried by military court at Van
c0uver barracks September II, said to-day
in reference to his trial:
II have much to tell the court of official
persecution commencing after L did eX-
cellently WELL as expressed by the Secre-
tary of War, in defense of my treasure box
against the assaults of at least twice the
number of my escort until every soldier
but one who remained with me was
wounded, and my old comrades of General
Grants old regiment had the temerity and
audacity to state my record in thirteen
battles and nearly five years. service dur
ing the rebellion and to ask my appoint
ment as paymaster-general. A soldier
with fighting record is made to feel very
lonesome in the Pay Department, which
is composed, particularly near the head of
the list. of men who. in the language of my
old comrades, did their fighting in safe
and comforta BILE Offices far removed from
the sound of battle
"Of course feel deeply humiliated by
this injustice, but | could not help it any
more than l could help the orders of my
trial on false charges soon after the rob-
berry In Arizona, ana of which l was ac-
quilted without the introduction of q
particle of testimony in my defense.
I'm my Judgment the result of the forth
coming trial will be exactly similar. The
second sick leave of absence ever obtained
by me in period of nearly thirty years
service was revoked after having been
granted by a board of officers convened to
determine whether it should be granted or
not, and l was ordered back 10 my sta
ton, there to be held for three months,
subject to a secret espionage to determine
my sanity, but DR.. Byrne, the medical
director. having, | presume, grown thor
ouehly indignant at the humiliating duty
thus unlawfully imposed on him, tried to
terminate the unlawful, cruel and unjust
action of the Assistant Secretary of War,
Grant, by at once reporting on my return
to my station that there was nothing what
ever the matter. Major Wham'S intel
lectY just think of it. A United States
soldier with a commendable record, both
Oh the battlefield and on discussing duty,
is without the shadow of legal right or
common justice deprived Of his sick leave
of absence and liberty by Assistant Secre-
tary of War Grant, to be held for three
months subject to secret espionage, with
ton as to his sanity, when every cent of
the millions intrusted to his care for his
disbursement had been satisfactorily &C.
coun ted for
IF necessary to determine this ques-
ton. why was it lot done in the usual legal
way. and the poor old afflicted soldier lett
to wonder from day to day at his anon
alous and unlawful statue? Was there a
fear that the demented soldier might parry
the blow thus shamefuly aimed from an
official covert?
''As to the charge that am In debt, I
will say yes; and 1 am just about as much
responsible for it as would be for the
accidental killing of my mother. it having
occurred through the unprecedented Ari-
IONA foods of 1891"
Major Wham was appointed paymaster
by President Grant. in whose regiment he
served. The charges against Major Wham
are many and cover long series of years.
1t is understood that the principal charge
against him is his failure to meet legal
Judgment against him for several thou
sand dollars, growing out of scheme for
the irrigation Of Arizona lands many years
aPO