The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-28
CAPTAIN ARMIES ARRESTED
Confined in Washington Bar
racks as a Military
Prisoner.
While Acting Secretary Of War Gen.
eral Schofield Issued the War
rant for the officer.

NEW YORK, N. Y, Sept. 2s.-A Wash
ington special says: Captain George A.
Armes, NJ. S. A, retired, better known as
"Maior" Armes, was arrested at his home,
Armsleigh Park, on the Chevy Chase road,
at o'clock this evening by Lieutenant Al
bert S. Cummings. adjutant of the Fourth
Artillery, and file of soldiers, and is to-
night confined in the Washington bar
racks.
The order for his arrest was signed by
Assistant Adjutant- General Vincent, "by
order of the acting Secretary of War"
Lieutenant-General John M. Schofeld
was yesterday the acting Secretary of
War. Merely as commanding officer of
the army, he would not have had author
ity to order the arrest. There has been a
personal quarrel of twenty-five years stand
ing between General Schofield and Major
Armes. General Schofield retires on Sun
day, the 29th, and yesterday was the last
but one on which he could exercise any
authority whatever over Major Armes.
Smarting under injustice which he pro-
fesses to believe General Schofield had
done him, Major Armes visited the War
Department yesterday, unaware of the
fact that General Schofield was acting
Secretary of War, and requested an inter
view with General Schofield, which was
refused. He then sent letter to General
Schofeld, complaining of unjust treat
ment.
Armes was sitting in his parlor after
dinner, when Lieutenant Cummings, ac-
companied by Second Lieutenant Gordon
Heiner, appeared in the doorway with
file of soldiers and read the order of arrest.
Armes attempted to resist arrest, but
finally requested few minutes to prepare
himself and then accompanied the officers
to the arsenal in an ambulance, which had
been provided. After his arrest Captain
Armes said to reporter:
81 have no official knowledge of the rea-
son for my arrest, though might naturally
presume that it was in consequence of
letter which l sent to General Schofeld
yesterday calling his attention to the fact
that he has treated me for many years with
great Injustice. In 1869, when l was sta
toned at Camp Supply, Indian Territory,
preferred charges against G. W. Graham
for stealing Government horses.
THE commanding officer of the post,
Lieutenant Colonel A. d. Nelson, took
sides with Graham. / preferred charges
then against Nelson. Nelson appealed to
Schofield, who was then in command of
the Department of Missouri. was court
martialed on charges signed by Graham
and finally dismissed from the service.
Congress Investigated the charges
against me and made report favorable to
my reinstatement Schofield fought me
y olt nd 0f
Belknap joined forces against me. l
settled with Belknap by proving that he
sold post-traderships. Belknap got out of
the War Department in disgrace. 1 was
restored to the service in 1876 and was
retired in 1883. In 1889 pulled Governor
Beavers nose in the Riggs House because
he grossly insulted me, and Schofeld had
me court-martialed for that.
81 was sentenced to five years imprison-
ment in the city of Washington within a
ffty-mile limit. / served two years and
the sentence was remitted. OF course I
want to get out of this as quickly as pos
sible, and 1 will consult my lawyer as soon
as l can"
Lieutenant-GeneralS Schofeld when seen
last night said:
Captain Armes has been endeavoring to
secure brevet to which he thought him
self entitled for his participation in cer-
tain Indian fight good many years ago.
Captain Ames' case came before me and
gave it very careful consideration, but I
could find nothing in his record that would
warrant my recommending the comforting
OF this distinction upon him. Captain
Ames pleaded SO urgently that 1 acceded
to the request and reconsidered the matter
at great length.
In fact did more for Captain Armes
than l have done for any other officer, and
have searched all over the country for evil
dence which would warrant me in making
favorable recommendation. 1t was with
out avail, however, and 1 have recon-
mended to the Secretary or War that the
brevet rank of lieutenar t-colonel, which
was desired by Captain Armes, be not con-
ferred upon him.
captain Armes presented himself at the
War Department yesterday afternoon, Just
before was leaving, and sent in his card.
l sent out word that did not care to see
him. He tried 10 force his way into the
Office, and failing at that he left a letter
for me which was abusive and threatening.
The letter was of such character in fact
that it was absolutely necessary that disci-
pline should be enforced.