The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-12
Against Colonel Young
Being Prepared
BY COLONEL w. M. GRAHAM.
lnsu bOrdination VIII Be the
Principal Point.
FELLOW OFFICERS OPINIONS.
it Is thought the Troubles at the
Preside Will Never Be Brought
to Trial.
FELLOW OFFICERS OPINION

H..
outcome Of which every army officer in
the city was engaged in discussing yester-
day.
Lieutenant Colonel Samuel B. NJ. Young.
one of the most popular officers that has
ever made his headquarters at the post,
and who, during the Civil War, gained the
distinction of being considered one of the
bravest officers in the service, is confined
to his quarters under arrest. while in the
hands of Colonel William M. Graham.
commander of the post, rest charges
against himself, preferred by Lieutenant
Colonel Young, awaiting transmission to
General Ruger, head of the department Of
California.
The trouble which has brought about
this climax it is said began some years
ago, when, in September, 1887. Colonel
Graham was transferred from his post in
Virginia and took charge of the Presidio.
According to the stories told by a great
majority of the officers and men now on
duty at the post and some who have retired
to private life, ever since his taking charge
Colonel Grahams conduct to subordinate
| officers and men under his command has
been that of a Martinez. In October last
| Lieutenant Colonel Young was transferred
to the post and soon began to feel the tenn
per of the commanding officers rule. Mat
| ters continued on In this way until on
Wednesday of last week Lieutenant
| Colonel Young, feeling himself grievously
| lnsulted by the lndignlties that had been
| heaped upon him by his superior officer,
| drew up, under sections 81 and 81 of the
| Articles of War, charges against Colonel
Graham. which, under the military code,
calls for trial of the officer on the charges
| preferred.
| The charges made by Lieutenant
| Colonel Young are under two heads, viz.
| Conduct uD becoming an officer and gen.
tleman" and conduct to the prejudice Of
| COON order and military discipline" Un-
| der the head of the first general charge is
! cited the manner Of the C mmaDding Off
| Ger TO the subordinate officers, supple
mented with accounts of indignities unbe-
coming their positions. Under the second
! head is cited treatment melted out to men
and officers that would tend to result detri-
mentally to the best interests of the
| service.
The military code provides that when
charges are made by any officer they must
| be transmitted to the head Of the depart
ment through the charging officers next
superior officer. This being the case
Lieutenant = Colonel YOung's charges
| against Colonel Graham must be handed
to the commanding officer himself This
| was done on Wednesday last, and matters
were thus brought to crisis.
| be outdone. BroodiDg over the charges for
two days, on Saturday morning he or
dered that LleuteDant-C Colonel Young be
| placed under arrest This he was at lib
erty to do without preferring charges for
| a maximum limit of eight days after the
arrest has been made. At the expiration
| of this time a copy of the charges must be
| handed to the offending officer and, within
! twenty days he must he called for trial
| Colonel Graham apparently is about to
take the full limit of the filing time.
| From an officer at the pest yesterday
| who is in reasonably close communication
with Colonel Graham ii was learned that
a long list of charges against Lieutenant
| Colonel Young is now in the course of
| pre- parati0n, the principal point oil which
| will be insu bOrdinaiion. The charges Will
| recite that ever since Lieutenant-Coo
! Young's attachment to the post his con-
| duct 10 the cOmmandant has been antag-
onistic aud to the detrmeDt of the welfare
| of the service. Besides this the informa-
ton was also given by the officer that in
| connection with these charges an addi-
tional one of having been the means of
| causing an adverse feeling among the
| efficers of the pest against Colonel Ora
| ham will be added.
That long list of charges will be pre-
| ferred against aforementioned Young
| by his superior officer almost every officer
at the Preside was ready to concede OF
| all who were seen, however, not one eX-
| pressed the slightest idea that any one of
them would ever be sustained should the
| case ever come up for trial, which all ex-
pressed grave doubts regarding. Indigna-
| tion at the arrest of Lleutenant-C Colonel
| Young was apparent in every quarter of
| the post among officers and men alike
| and each had a laudatio for the courage
OF the officer In preferring charges against
| Colonel Graham. which many. during his
term as chief of the post, had desired, but
! lacked the grit to do.
Lieutenant Colonel Young was in his
| quarters, which he is compelled to inhabit
| yesterday afternoon. When asked for a
statement regarding the charges he said
II am sorry, but as you are aware am
| under arrest. and that fOrbiCs me making
any statement whatsoever. A military ar
rest. you know, is a matter of honor, and
while | am so situated will not leave my
| quarters, n OF even so far as the walk, or
speak on the subject that has occasioned
this, my first. public indignity in over
| thirty years of service. | cannot even
| give you any information regarding who
has any knowledge of the charges.
| LAS yet do not knew why | am humil-
| lated in this way. No charges have been
| preferred against me up to this time that
| | am aware of, and l am as MUCK in the
! dark as regards my offense as any person
outside the post can possibly be. l am
| sorry. but military etiquette prevents me
| from speaking OF my charges against
Colonel Graham which 1 handed him sew
eraI days ago."
At Colonel Graham's quarters admission
was refused without any reason being
assigned. A knock at the door was an
swered by a maid, who, IN reply to a
request to see the commander, said he
was engaged at lunch and begged to be
excused. A second call, fifteen minutes
| later, was productive of a response that
1 he had gone out and would not return un-
Til evening and that there was no use wait
ing as no would not see any one.
An accurate expression of the feeling in
the case by large majority of the officers
and men at the post is given in an inter-
view with one officer not far in rank from
those in the controversy. That officer
| sums the trouble up in this way: at is
| grand climax that had to come sooner or
later. If Colonel Young had not taken It
up some one else would have. The COM
| handing officer at. this post since assum-
Ing his charge has been little deSpoI.