The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-04
PLUME'S SURPRISE
His Reply to Col. Stevens
Charges Before the Court
of Inquiry.
LAST NIGHTS HEARING
The First Statement Considered
By Both Parties to tho
Contest.
NIGHTS HEARING

The Court Of Inquiry which was appointed
to investigate the reorganization of the First
Brigade Of the National Guard met last
evening at the Fourth Regiment Headquar-
tiers on Newark avenue and spent three hours
in rehearsing the particulars Of the reorgan-
ization. The military law was observed to
the letter n a new feature in the shape Of
a military guard was added. The entrance
to the armory was guarded by Private Alte-
mus of Company B, who found his position a
sinecure, inasmuch as it was merely an orna-
mental one. He could not prevent anyone
who so desired, from entering the armory
and the only military duty he performed
was to salute. the officers who passed him
on their way to the session of the court. AT
| the door Of the board room where the court
| held its session, Private Lou P. Shannon
was on guard. He had instructions to allow
no one to enter the room unless he be an of
! icer of the National Guard. Private Shan
| non was not we'll posted and knew but few
of the officers, but he performed his duty in
a satisfactory manner, nevertheless.
The rear entrance to the room
per of Company B, Private Douglass.
First Lieutenant A, La Rue Christie was the
officer of the guard ~. 1t was first an
nounced that the trial would be secret and
| that reporters would not be admitted. The
| reporters, who were present. however, sent
| a written request for admission to the trial
to General Bird w. Spencer, the president
of the court, and after a short deliberatlon
upon the adyisability Of admitting the
scribes, the court resolved to grant the re-
quest.
THOSE PRESENT.
The members of the court present were:-
Generals Spencer, Meaney, -Heppenheimer
and Colonel Van Cleef, recorder. Colonel
John Owens did not put in an appearance.
| The officers Of the disbanded regiments were
represented by the following gentlemen:-
| Colonel Stevens and Colonel Erlenkoetter
| of the old Second Regiment of Hoboken, and
| Colonel Bernard and Captain Hill of the old
Fifth Regiment. Among those who wit
| messed the proceedings were Colonel Aber-
nethy, Major Smith of the Fourth Regiment,
| Colonel Campbell of the Third Regiment and
| Colonel Muzzy of the Second Regiment.
Major-General Plume and his counsel,
| City Attorney Coult Of Newark, were on
hand early. The General had with him a
large valise, full Of letters and documents,
| and Counsellor, Coult was armed with a
treatise on military law.
President Spencer called the court to
order, after which he read the order calling
for an investigation of the charges made
against General Plume by the officers of the
disbanded regiments. The members of the
| court were then sworn i'll, and the business
of the session was then taken up.
The charges, which were prepared by Col.
| Stevens, were read. At the meeting of the
court last week the Colonel promised to
have the charges typewriter, and have
copies sent to General Plume and the court.
The Colonel kept his promise, and when the
session was opened those interested knew
the exact lines On which the fight would be
made. The charges were the same as those
presented to the Military Committee Of the
Legislature.
Counsellor Coult opened the argument and
said that he was willing to take the charges
| one by one and dispose Of them i'll that mani
ner. He said that the charges did not come
under the rules of the order which the Court
of Inquiry received and wanted to have the
last clause, which charged the General with
inconsc stency stricken out, but the court
overruled his objections.
1--WE ara prepared to meet" said Mr.. Coult,
"any specific charge that may be, in fact all
charges pertaining to the Reorganization of
the First Brigade
The challenge was promptly accepted by
| Captain j.. +. Hill. Colonel Stevens counsel.
! Captain Hill was connected with the dis
banded Fifth Regiment as Judge Advocate,
and his knowledge of military law gave him
a decided advantage over Counsellor Coult.
NJ II. HILLS OPENING ARGUMENT.
General Plume said MI. Hill in opening
| his argument, exercised or attempted to
exercise authority he did not possess. Sec
ton seven of these charges contains facts re-
| garding the reorganization which prove this.
1t is alleged that General Plume improperly
| withheld or caused to be withheld resigna-
tions of certain officers, SO that the chances
OF O friend of his being promoted to a higher
Office might not be endangered. Now this
| ought to be investigated. If 1t is untrue the
| General will be vindicated, and if it is true
we viii have proven that the Office Of Major
\ General has not been conducted as it should
have been. In the same section the General
is also charged with withholding the report
OF the election of Major-elect Ed. jackson
and with informing his officers that Major
elect Jackson's commission would not be
issued. Ii this did take place there certain
ly should be an Investigation. Ii General
Plume has been guilty of disccurtesy he
should be censured, dn section thirteen Of
the charges we have one Of the gravest
charges. Here the General is charged with
conducting his Office and withholding the
result of an election in order to elect a
gentleman whom he desired to sec promoted.
It is very important that this should be in
vestigated. That General Plume should use
his position in the National Guard and in
society to further the interest of a candidate
for military honOrs is a very grave charge"
Counsellor Coult then requested that the
charges be taken up in regular order SO as to
save time. The request was granted and
the Court announced that it was ready to go
on with the trial.
WITNESSES NAMED.
The accusers and General Plume were then
asked to name their witnesses. General
Plume named Adjutant General Stryker,
Quartermaster General Donneiiy, Brigadier
General F. +. Wanser, Colonies Hugh H.
Abernethy, E. a.: Campbell, Marvin Dodd
and Parker. Colonel Stevens also named
Adjutant General Stryker so as to produce
the letter of Colonel Parker, of May q, 1893,
to Captain F. d, Jackson, and the record in
the case of Lieutenant i, A. O,Sullivan, both
of which will figure prominently in the testi-
mony. In addition to General Stryker,
Colonel Stevens named Captain Fl. w.
Sagendorf, Colonel Charles Erlenkoetter,
Colonel e. FL. Snyder, Captain Henry Spiel
man and Lieutenant w. j. 0'Toole. Colonel
Bernard named Captain William Ashley,
Captain Robert L. Smith, Lieutenant Colonel
Jenkinson and Captains james J. Dooner and
Charles Z. Hill.
General Spencer then requested the wit
nesses present to retire from the room, and
told Captain, Hill that he would have to
leave too, as Captain Bernard named him as
a witness.
Counsellor Hill refused to go. BE said
that the State law gave Colonel Stevens q
right to have counsel present, and that it
would be Unconstitutional to debar him
from the proceedings of the court.
~ will let Counsellor Coult decide whether
/ shall stay or not said he.
"If / was named as a witness ! should re-
fuse to be Asorn, " replied Counsellor Coult,
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