The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-05

tor, Captain Ewing Doesn't kno" TIA
Difference Between a Toothache and
Sore Heel, and Captain Ewing Come
Back at Him with Allegations of a Lik
Cbaracter-They are Now in the Hand
Il Their Peers.
Xeavenworrh, Kan, Dec. A gen
.ral court martial trial of Captain c
B. Ewing, assistant surgeon in TIT
United States army, stationed at Jef1er
son Barracks, Mo-, began at Fort Lea
wentworth yesterday morning. Th'
trial of Captain Ewing is attracting
much attention in army circles owing
to the nature Of the charges against
him and the personal and professional
feeling that is back Of them.
The detail of the court is as follows
Lieutenant Colonel S. s. Sumner, Sixth
cavalry, president; Lieutenant Colonel
Llyod Weaton, Twentieth infantry, Ma
Tor Calvin Dewitt, surgeon; Major J. /.
Haskell, Twenty-fourth Infantry; Cap
tain J. B. Kerr, Sixth cavalry; Captain
William Stanton, Sixth cavalry; Cap
tain Alfred Reynolds, Twentieth infan-
try; Captain William Baird, Sixth cav
AIRY; Captain J. c. Dent, Twentieth in
fantry; Captain ]. A. Irons, Twentieth
infantry; Captain James S. Rogers,
Twentieth infantry, and Captain Henry
Boone, Twentieth infantry
The prosecution in the case IS being
conducted by John p. Rodman, Twen-
rieth infantry, who is judge advocate,
while United States District Attorney
w. T. Walker of Missouri, and General
Milton Moore of Kansas City, have
charge of Captain Ewing's defense.
There are three charges against Cap
tain Ewing The first is conduct to
the prejudice Of good order and military
discipline; the second, conduct unbe-
coming an officer and a gentleman: the
third, neglect of duty and violation Of
the SiNty-second article Of war. Each
of the charges are supported by two
specifications, but all of them can be
summoned up in the one growing out
of the trouble between Captain Ewing
and Major Robert II. White, post sur
geon, or the surgeon in charge, at JET
ferson Barracks. Mo.
The final trouble between these sur
geons grew out of an application by
CAPTAIN Ewing to be absent from the
post to attend lectures in st. Louis
after IL O'Clock noon, each day, which
application was endorsed by Surgeon
'"nhe circular referred to seems to
hevolve on the commanding officer Of
each organization ait the barracks the re
sponsibilfty for an efficient performance
Of his duties and expects that in each
prga nfzation, the subaltern officer, If
absent from the post shall have aScer-
tained from his immediate superior
Whether his presence for the time is
necessary. Captain Ewing has, there
fore, with my permission, gone freely
10 the city as the register books Shows.
The constant presence of the medical
officer with the command is necessary.
because the medical service is technical
and liable ITO emergency at any hour.
During the three years Of my service
here, i have personally performed ali |
duties that are official with the greater
paJ>t OF what are unofficial to any at
tenCiing surgeon. During the fifteen
months of Captain Ewing's service,
with me have tried to devolve the lat /
ter class of duty upon him, but have |
been defeated by his absence on leave |
for one-fourth of the time: by the I'M |
Willingness of officers of their families |
TO receive his personal care and by his |
OWN preference to be On town. His |
present request is in brief that the post |
commander shall exempt him one-haf |
of the time from performing the duties |
assigned him by me. A similar re
quest by lieutenant in regard to troop
commanders might be thought a trifie |
nnmilitary. 1 would request that the
special status asked for by him be
granted for the en- tire time, and that he
be required to report to me in writing
for monthly transmission to the medf-
cal director and the surgeon general
what professional use of his time has
been made"
Following the remarks of Maj. White
the post commander made among 9TH
FRS this endorsement on the application:
IF the assistant surgeon does not J
secure his share of absence. the same
as the post surgeon, he will report at |
This office for correction. The post sur
geon informs the commanding officer
that If Captain Ewing wishes to pursue
a course of study on application to that
effect he viii recommend its being al
lowed. and he. the post surgeon will as
sumo all the duties Of the post for that
time. The regular report to the sur
geon general being rendered by Cap
tain Ewing.
CAPTAIN EWING REPLIES.
All this was replied to by Captain
Ewing as follows: I'm order that the
second endorsement may be complied
WIFI rela i've 10 my temporary absence |
from post, I respectfully suggest that
the commanding officer direct that the
post surgeon notify me previous to his
departure. upon availing himself of
these temporary absences.
The first endorsement contains so
many false statements that shall not
attempt To answer them now. only 10
say that the post surgeon. Robert H.
White. has for the third time during
my term of service here, cast a stiC-
ma upon me both professionally and
This comes with very bad
grace from man who professionally
has no special claims to distinction as
a physician. much less as a surgeon.
and whose personal character is such |
that he has not hesitated TO repeatedly
faiSify his personal accounts"
All the specifications hinge on this
personal correspondence between these
Two men and led to the court-martial. |
At the session Of the court Yesterday
little was done besides organ
ling and the statement of the cause
by the attorneys
MAJOR WHITE TESTIFIFS
During the afternoon Major White |
who preferred the charges against Can
tain Ewing, took the stand. He was