Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-06
IN DEATHS
Homnncc Of the Army Related by
Lieutenant Colonel Claus.

Homnncc of the Army Related by
Lieutenant Colonel Claus.
From \ private soldier IN a reglmental
band on duty on the plains TO q position u
distinction at the head Of the law department
OF one Of the great branches of the United
states army Is a remarkable step, yet II
marks the career OF Lieutenant Colonel John
A. Claus, who has Just retired from Ave
years service as professor Of law at West
Point, and relieves Major Groesbeck as judge
advocate OF the Department Of the Missouri.
Colonel Claus has been admitted to the bar
on the United States supreme court. relates
the Chicago Tribune, and is considered one
Of the best lawyers In the government
service.
a German law student, young Claus fol-
lowed mercantile pursuits when he first came
to America, but the unexplored west offered
great temptation, and he enlisted as a private
In the regular army in 1857. At the time Of
the war he was qrartermaster sergeant and
by gallant service earned a first lieutenantcy,
and served as n~djutant general during the
reconstruction period following the close Of
the war. Western and frontier duty for
several years found him engaged in legal
work much of the time, and many important
military cases were tried by him. Appointed
by President Cleveland April 1, 1885. as
I SN1oN Will oih Va lldJuls lie
served as assistant to the judge advocate gen
eral OF the army in the War department.
In 1890 he was assigned as professor of law
at West Point. and in February, 1899. pro-
NOTED to the rank Of lieutenant colonel.
lie Is a member of the Century club OF New
York and is a man of character and agree
able personality.
A remarkable and tragic story OF the
army is related by Colonel Claus, the
authenticity Of which he can vouch from
I nnrSnn9l familiaritV With th. fact. n~l -
quaintance with the principal actor. The
plot of a stirring novel or melodrama lies in
the marvellous chain Of events.
Before the war a company of infantry was
stationed on sawiniil duty in the mountains
or California under the mman of Second
Lieutenant Martin, who later became a
colonel, and died in Chicago while serving
as judge advocate of the Department OF the
Missouri. There was a pronounced spirit OF
dissension between the sergeant of the com
pany and a private named Corrigan. There
was no attempt mad. to conceal the dislike
each had for the other and there were fire.
quent disturbances, more or less serious.
Matters reached a climax one night when
the men were in their quarters and the lights
were out. A sCufle ensued between the
sergeant and Corrigan. but no one paid any
attention until the sergeant suddenly cried
"Corrigan has killed me-" and all was still.
Lights were hurrledly struck and the
sergeant was found dead. a knife belonging
PN'Nh'hb III hHo ClltSl dDONe the
heart, while Corrigan himself stood by COW
cred with blood. He seemed dazed and I'M
able to comprehend the situation. but as
soon as he was placed under arrest denied
any knowledge OF the stabbing. He protested
MS innocence, but the evidence was so plain
that he was speedily convicted of murder
by the and the finding for
warded to Washington for approval.
me war broke out and the company Joined
its regiment and entered the campaign as a
| DAFT oil the Armvn f tho Dpfnn,an Tla ,o...
martial finding had been pushed aside in the
tremendous press of business, and Corrigan
stu remained with his company. Strange
as IL was, Private Corrigan shouldered his
inUsket and fought bravely at every engage
ment, to return to the guard house as a con-
demned murderer whenever the company was
IN camp For over a year this went on and
Corrigan was regarded by officers and men as
one OF the best soldiers in the regiment. Bur
all this time the dread suspense was there,
and more than Corrigan felt It..
Just before Meade succeeded Hooker in the
ommand OF the army the government took
action on the court-martial. Corrlgan was
part Of Lieutenant Claus IN attached
to Meade's division. Lieutenant Claus was
called to headquarters and informed that the
president had approved the finding Of the
court-martial and the sentence of death must
be carried out. 1t was then Wednesday, and
Corrigan was to be executed Friday. The
oficer knew Corrigan we'll and determined to
break the news gently. Returning to camp
he sent for the condemned man and at
tempted to approach the subject gradually.
But Corrigan anticipated him, and learning
the truth beseeched the officer to plead for
MIN, declaring earnestly and religiously that
he was innocent Of the crime. He was
piteous in his suppiicatiOns, and n was de-
termined to intercede in his behalf. With
out hoping for ultimate proof of the mans
innocence, there were many who believed
that some strange injustice was being done
and officers Of high rank signed a dispatch
| requesting n stay Of pyaputiOp This yroc
granted by President Lincoln and was fol-
lowed not long after by a pardon. Corrigan
served through the war and was honorably
discharged.
But the strange case did not end there.
Three years ago Colonel Claus was walking
along Broadway, New York, when he was ac-
costed by a man whose face was familiar.
1t was Corrigan. He said that he had sought
the opportunity for some time Of proving to
the friends who had saved him that he was
innocent Of the murder Of the company
sergeant. A paper was produced, proving to
be a d~eathbed confession, attested by a
priest, In which the statement was made that
removed the last shadow of doubt from Cor
rigan. The dying man said he also hated
the sergeant, and the night Of the scufie and
murder saw an opportunity for revenge.
Corrigan had left his knife on a bench near
the door. In a moment he secured II, and
sneaking behind the sergeant, reached over
his shoulder and delivered the death blow.
Everything was so plain at the time that
Corrigan was permitted to bear the guilt and
penalty. Corrigan is now a prosperous bust
ness man in New York. The War depart
ment records bear out the truth Of this
story.
BlisterinE II Corpse.
One Of the so-called "unfaillng tests of
DEATH" which has been introduced into
France, Germany and Holland during the
past few years, is known among the under
takers as 1.-The blistering precaution," and
consists Of producing a blister on the hands