The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-10
BITTER ROW IN THE GOTH.
DoWDNEY,s ELECTION As CAP
TAIN OF CO. ID PROTESTED.

TAIN or co. ID PROTESTED.
Lieut.. Kennedy Says His Defeat for the
Captnincy wns Compassed by Unfnir
Methods and Accuses Col. smith-A For
NAL Protest IL Sent co Headquarters
When Capt. William Desmond resigned from
Company u, Slxty.nlnth Regiment, seve raj
months ago. Lieut.. J. j. Kennedy OF the Twen.
ty-second Regiment was asked by many OF the
men TO be n candidate. lie agreed to run, and
nobody appeared ngainst him for some time.
Then Lieut.. D.. j. Dowdncy was put In the
field. Soon powerful influences among promi-
nent officers were set in motion for Dowdney.
and the contest between them became bitter.
II was learned by the Kennedy men that Chap
lain brady had Interested himself in behalf OF
Dowdney, and this action they resented. The
election was held Oh April g.. and when Col.
Smith announced tho vote DOwdney had 20
and Kennedy "a. Then the defeated faction
burst out with angry accusations. They
charged all sorts of Irregularities. tore tho
chevrons of their uniforms, and when some OF
tho two factions met on the side walk only the
presence of a policeman prevented IA fight. The
feeling has been growing steadily. and yester-
day Lieut.. Kennedy accused Col. Smith OF
breaking faith. Lieut.. Kennedy said:
"when the position was first rendered 10 me
thirty.eight men of the company pledged them.
selves In writing to support me out OF the sixty
six on the company roll. | saw Col. Smith Mt the
earliest moment and explained to him my pO-
sition, and he gave me to understand that he
would he pleased to have me as Captain OF the
company. Several times during the month of
January l saw Col. Smith, who repeatedly
promised he would help me In every possible
way. In the course OF our conversation | told
the Colonel ! was perfectly familiar with the
old methods of elections in the Sixty ninth. by
which the company had been recruited with
dummy men just for the purpose OF voting for
he would not allow any such practice In my
case. The Colonel assured me that he would
allow no change in the, Company's strength
after Capt. Desmond had been honorably dis
charged. Capt. Desmond was present ON this
o. casion. Then Col. Smith assured me, MS
well as he did ScrLcants johnson and Roches
that lie would order an election Immediately
after Capt. Desmond's discharge. but this he
did not do. as n number OF weeks were allowed
to elapse, and the election was not ordered to
be held until Agril 3.
"On Feb. ~. Lieut.. CLARK, who was In COM
mand OF the company, was reli sved by orders
OF Col. Smith for some alleged unmilitary, on
placed in command. This action at once looked
To me AS II deliberate attempt TO force Lieut..
advantage OF possession. | was convinced that
unfair methods we're nov being used. and at
me no particular satisfaction.
ION Feb. 90. contrary to The promise Of Col.
Smith made TO me when l Vas nrst a csndi,
six new men and take up two old members who
had beer, dropped from the rolls. This was
done In s,ite of the protest of several members
of tie company who had reason to believe that
the men were brought in merely for election
but got no satisfaction. On. Feb. % | again
saw Col. Smith. l appealed to him as an hon.
that that'H Il W Was im nSssRbleS" "''o 'D' H' e''''
ID Col. smith intimate that he'had dis
covered you were incompetent Lieut.. Ken
needy was asked.
no. he never questioned my competency,
and to this hour ! am at n loss to understand
thA rangnD for Iia nTra It front Hnn EEr-
ify all my statements and will make affidavit
to them. ! consider the action of Col. Smith
in a false position. I believed him to be IA man
of his word. otherwise | never would have been
myself in the eyes of my fellow Euarismen."
Quartermaster Sergeant Joseph F. Johnson
against the election Of Lieut.. Dowdney. The
protest says:
Of Lieut.. Dowdney' ms Captain OF Company u,
Sixty-ninth Regiment, which election was
held. at at TIE ! o! %Im9ry p on NJ the for ;a d rEs f St APE1i;
II On the ground that threats and. in
timidation were used by certain officers of the
regiment for the purpose OF compelling GER
tain enlisted men of the company to vote for
Lieut.. Dowdney. which intimidation was eff
fectual in procuring men To vote for him;
that certain men were threatened with, dis.
charge from their employment if they did not
vote for him. and that such threat caused
more than one man to change his opinion and
to vote for the successful candidate.
~ That promises of work were made to
enlisted men in this company for the purpose
of inducing them to vote for Lieut.. Dowdney. |
and that certain enlisted men, induced by such
promises. did 60 vote.
-. That n company officer who was sus-
pended by you did. to the scandal of the COM
pany. vote at the said election.
-. That an officer detached from the com
pany and detailed to the regimental stai active
1y eiectioneered for the said Lieut.. Dowdney,
and voted at the said election.
IS. That Lieut.. Dowdncy, az commander
of the company, enlisted several men, some OF
whom have been dropped from the rolls and
some of whom were unit for military duty. for
the sole purpose. as | am informed and believe, |
OF voting for him at the election.
70. That the friends of Lieut.. Kennedy
were not allowed to enlist a single recruit. al
though they repeatedly offer ID men for enlist
ment who were eligible for service in the Ma
tional Guard. and they were refused. Lieut..
Dowdney. in refusing to enlist these men. open |
would vote against him.
~. That / have abundant evidence to sub
~stantiate the charges that | have made, and
my object in res pectfully submitting my pro-
test is that |, and those with whom | have acted
in support OF Lieut.. Kennedy. believe that the
election does not represent the sentiment OF
the company. aud that. had not unfair and I'M
military methods been used in this matter. the
result would have been far different.
II submit, sir, that such methods should
not be allowed to prevail in the selection of so
pany. and l therefore ask YOU to forward my
protest against the result OF the aforesaid cleo
ton TO the Chief of the forces
of the State of New York, that the wrongs com
planned of may be righted. and that the above
election be set aside and Il new election or.