The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-09
STEVENS OUT OF IT.
Withdrew Last Night From
All Participation In the
Plume Inquiry.
COURTS DECISION OFFENDED Him.
Under the Rulings Did Not Believe
He Could Establish What
BE Desired.

The Military Court of Inquiry, to inquire
into General Plume's actions in the matter
of the reorganization of the First Brigade,
held an adjourned meeting last night IN tne
board room of Fourth Regiment on Newark
avenue. There were present General BIRD
W. Spencer, General Heppenheimer, General
Meaney and Colonel Van Cleef, recorder
members of the Court of Inquiry; General
Plume, accompanied by his counsel, Lawyer
Coult of Newark: Colonel Stevens of Hobo
ken, and his counsel, Captain Hill; Colonel
Abernethy, Colonel Bernard, Adjutant Gen
erai Stryker and many other military gem
tlemen.
When it came to the consideration OF
statement No. Z, which charged that General
Plume withheld the designations of certain
line officers to further a ssdieksr" he had en-
tered into, matters began to warm up
Counsellor Coult asked to have it stricken
out. d~enouncing the accusation as indefinite,
vague. innnaterial s~candalous and imperti-
nant. The Judges retired to consider the
matter, and, upon returning, announced
they would consider only such matters as re-
lated to the question or the reorganization
of the brigade. This surprised Colonel
Stevens, who, after a hasty consultation
with his lawyer, asked to be allowed to re-
tire from the case. OF course, no one could
stop him from so doing. This, it is thought,
breaks tie backbone of the prosecution;
Colonel Bernard, however, has determined
to push matters, and his allegations Will be
the source Of inquiry at the next hearing, to
be held Tuesday evening in Jersey City.
LAST NIGHTS HEARING,
F.1e --% srt lAtolNOl- xu1nn
the hearing began. Captain Hill TOOK the
field first. and, after a little skirmishing. was
able to proceed with his attack. he first de-
sired to answer the evidence OF General
PLANE submitted at the last nearing in an
swer to statement No. l, which questioned
the validity of General Orders No. z. Hill
commended that all orders issued must state
the source of authority. No z showed no
authority and was N its face illegal. No
man was bound to obey it, he commended.
''Orders pertaining to change of organization
must be written. and the Governor, in exer-
cising that power. had right to issue written
orders. He could not delegate that duty or
give verbal orders or consent. Order NO.
was not like the reorganization com
plained of here The assertion
ffat the State Military Board
adopted the new tactics he disputed on the
facs of the papers. The law of New Jersey
organizes the State Military Board, and the
law says that such body shall prepare the
rules for the government of the militia,
same shall be approved by the Commander
in-Chief, and upon his orders shall be pro
mulgated by the Adjutant General: This
not having been done, Hill contended they
were not binding on the militia.
He said the regulations prescribed a GER
tain standard, and the May inspection OF the
regiments showed all to be up to the stan
dard required. In conclusion he charged
fbo< Gaoorol Plume arroCafad mowers NOT
conferred on him..
For the sake of e~Xpediting matters. Cap
tain Hill said his contentious as to Statement
Ne. L would answer as to Statement No 2,
which was in reference to General Orders
No. 8, and which the c~omplainants also con-
tended were Illegal.
PLUME's ANSWER.
General Plume's answer to No. 2 was quite
emphatic. He said the State Military Board
adopted the new tactics, the C~ommander-in-
Chief approved them and the State Military
Board decided it was his lPlume's) duty to
~promulgate the tactics, which he did There
was a sliding scale in the tactics. To secure
uniformity, it was necessary for some one
TO designate how battalions should be organ
lied, and the Commander-in-Chief ordered
him to do it. He found hat a -reorganiza-
ton of the Second Brigade was necessary.
In the first plan submitted, which provided
for twelve company regiments, with three
pdlIdllCiS. tlS MllUdIE DOd40 COuSuAcLOQ IL,
recommended it, the Commander-in-Chief
approved of it and gave Plume orders to re-
organize in accordance with the plan.
General Plume here referred at great
length to q petition to the Governor of Col
onel Bernard of the Fifth Regiment, where
in Bernard asked for a review of Plume's
actions. Plume made. answer in detail to
the Governor, and his action was endorsed
and recommendations carried out.
ADJUTANT-GENERAL STRIKER TEsTIFIES.
Adjutant-General Stryker was next sworn
as a witness. In answer to questions Of Cap
tain Hill he said the Governor had ordered
the reorganization of the brigade. A letter
dated May Is told of the form of issuing
orders.
"VVas there ever issued out of the Adju-
tant's office any paper purporting to be an
order relating TO this matter, other than this
~letterF' inquired Captain Hill of the wit
ness.
Don't remember. Do not know of any
except telegram read tonight he replied.
Hill then called attention to Order No. Z,
paragraph 9, and asked when were orders
issued placing officers on the retired list.
February, 1856" was the answer.
why during the interim between Order
No. Z and that retiring the officers, was not
an order issued retiring the officers
Coult objected, saying that adjutant's or
ders were not the subject of inquiry, neither
could they seek his motive for acting as they
did.
Hill said he did not want to ask leading
questions, but he wanted. to know if it was
not understood in his (Stryker's Office
He was abruptly interrupted by General
Meaney, who shouted
stop, and don't again attempt to state
such matters without the consent of the
Court"
Meaney looked as if he was going to chew
up Hill, but the latter took things in a cool
what looked like a hot passage at arms
Coult's objection to the question was sus-
UINTe End THE efMucD