Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1895-10-14
THE KIRKMAN TRIAL.
In Progress at Fort Riley-SOme In
side Facts-Pers0nnel of the
Trial Court.

The k1rkman cOurt-martlal convened
at Fort Riley on Thursday last and the
accused officer is again tried on the same
charges upon which he was arraigned at
Fort Leavenworth. Now that the facts
concerning the allegations against Capt.
Klrkman have been disclosed through the
evidence given during his trial, it is but
just to that officer that the public should
be made acquainted with the real facts in
the case, especially as several reports
have appeared in newspapers purporting
to give the evidence before the court.
The Kansas City Times says: The
Times representative, by permission of
the attorneys for the accused, has been
enabled to examine sduplicate OF the rec
ord setting forth the proceedings of the
Fort Leavenworth court. From this rec
ord it appears that Capt. Kirkman is
charged with entering the bedroom of
Mrs. Littell while she was visiting her
father, Capt. Gregory Barrett, 10th in
fantry, at Fort Reno, Okla. The testi-
mony discloses the fact that there was
but one witness who could testify to the
actual presence of some intruder in Capt.
Barrett's quarters on the night in ques.
tion. This witness was Mrs. Littell her
self, who testified that she was awakened
by someone who fed from the room when
she called for her father. She further
testified that she recognized this individ-
ual TO be Capt. Kirkman. Mrs. Littells
mother and sister were awakened by her
outcries and hastened to her room, but
saw no one, though they state that the
window was open.
Capt. Kirkman denied this in toto on
the witness stand, testifying that he did
not leave his room on that night, and
there was other testimony to support this
statement, and other testimony was In
troduced to show that some great mis-
take had been made in charging Captain
Kirkman with this offense.
Several reports have been published to
the effect that Capt. Klrkman was caught
by Capt. Barrett; that fight ensued, and
that Capt. Kirkman was thrown out of
the window, whereas the testimony shows
that Capt. Barrett was not awakened at
the time of the alleged event and was not
informed concerning it for several days
thereafter. Capt. Barrett testified to this
himself. 1t is to be regretted, in view of
the doubtful nature of the testimony, that
this matter was ever made public and
brought TO the attention of the military
authorities. Gen. Merritt is to be COM
mended for his desire to keep the pro-
ceedings from becoming public prop
erty.
II has been the purpose of the Times
all along to refrain from the publication
of any matter bearing directly upon the
facts in this case, satisfied that neither the
army nor the public could in any way be
benefited by their publication. This final
ly became necessary because of the many
misstatements sent abroad liable to cause
the army and public to form an opinion
unjust to all the parties cor cerned.
The following officers comPose the de-
tail of the court convened to Thursday
at Fort Riley for the trial of Capt. Joel 7.
Kirkman, 10th infantry: Col. Abraham z.
Arnold. 1st cavalry; Lieut.. Coils, James ".
Powell, jr., 18th Infantry, and Samuel M.
Whiteside, Sd cavalry; Majors Wallace F.
Randolph, Sd artillery; william A. Rafferty,,
I'd cavalry; Alexander 8. B. Keyes, 3D.
cavalry; and Henry 8. Turrill, surgeon;
Capt. John B. johnson, Sd cavalry; Will
lam p. Tose, I'd artillery; Colon Augur,
I'd cavalry; Frederick K. Ward, 1st cav
airy; Thomas T. Knox, 1st cavalry; and
Robert P. P. Wainwright, 1st cavalry;
Major Enoch H. Crowder, Judge advocate,
| Judge advocate OF the court.
All of the officers except Col, Whitside,
Major Keyes and Capt. johnson are sta
toned at Fort Riley, these three belong
ing to the garrison at Jefferson Barracks.
Major Crowder, OF course, is not men,
Der of the court. His station is Omaha,
Neb.
The attorneys for the accused are Sci.
win Douglas, Of Oklahma City, who was
also counsel for the defense in the cele-
brated Styles case, and Lieutenant D. h,
Boughton, Sd cavalry. This officer grad.
uated from the military academy in 1881,
| is an honored graduate of the infantry and
cavalry school, class of 1887; has since
4 been a professor and instructor of law al
i the military academy aud was admitted
to the bar 10 the state Of New York with
authority to prctice before the highest
courts Of that state.
Say, Why don't you try De Wits Little
Early Riserst These little pills curt
headache, indigestion and constipation
i They're small but do the work. Nswton'i
drug store.