Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-26
WOES OF COLONEL CROFTON
Army Life is Not Bed of Thornless Rose
to Hin.
DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS KEEP SILENCE
mmnndant of Fort sheridan I'm Dis
favor mt Washington because OF
the InefHcicncy of Discipline
mt His Post.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-Secretary La.
mont and the officers of the War department
who are in a position to know II any steps
have been taken in the case OF Colonel Crof-
ton OF the Fifteenth infantry, stationed al
Fort Sheridan, still refuse to discuss the
matter. 1t is, however. regarded here as
very improbable that the secretary himself
has addressed letter to the colonel inviting
him to apply for retirement If any move
ment has been made in this direction, II
probably has been through third party and
not directly in the shape Of communication
from the secretary. While under the law
Crofton may retire by virtue Of the fact that
he has served in the regular establishment
for more than thirty years, he cannot be
compelled to ask for retirement. IL he re-
fuses to accede to a request from the de-
partment 20 make such an application, then
the only manner in which Colonel Crofton
could be relieved from active service would
be to court martial him; and 1t can be stated
that at present there are no charges on file
at the War department. The secretary vi
war could, of course change his detail and
order him away from Fort Sheridan to any
duty consistent with Colonel Crofton's rank
December 49, next. Colonel Crofton will
have reached the age of 62 years, and then,
under the law, the president may retire him
without waiting for an application as was
done in the case Of General Carr. Otherwise
the officer could remain in active service
until December, 1898, when, having reached
the age Of "a years, his retirement would be
absolutely compulsory.
Colonel Crofton was born in ireland De-
cember IS, 1894, and was appointed in 1861
directly captain in the regular army. so
that he is neither volunteer officer nor a
West Pointer. His promotion was regular,
and his record Of service during the war
was creditable, he displaying conspicuous gal
lantry at Chattanooga and Shiloh.
His troubles began when he assumed COM
mand of Fort Sheridan, in 1891, and his
friends here assert, in his defense, that they
are due to the refractory composition Of his
regiment, the Fifteenth infantry. There were
complaints of the state of discipline OF the
command as evidenced in the frequent quar-
rels among the officers and men, eliminating
in the killing of Captain Hedburg. Ugly
stories have been afloat here as to the
grounds for these events, and there has been
talk of whisky and women, and other scan
ais, but il this has taken any official shape
1t must have been concealed in the evidence
taken in secret in the court martial pro-
ceedings against Lieutenant Pague, which
evidence is now in the archives of the War
department, and has been read by Secretary
Lamont, and 1t is said by the president him
self, as a basis for action in approving the
recommendation of the court martial, that
the lieutenant be dismissed from the army
for the attempt upon the life Of his superior
officer, Colonel Crofton. 1t Is known that
the War department has been much dissatis-
fed with the state of affairs at Fort Sheridan.
The movements incident to the great strike
last year were used to shift around some
of the more active disturbing elements. but
the result was not entirely satisfactory. and
it is assumed that the dissatisfaction Of the
department has been made known to the
commandant at the fort, and perhaps has
served as the basis Of the report Of request
that Colonel Crofton retire.
CHICAGO Jan. 25-A special to the Daily
News from Washington says: General Sell
bert, judge advocate general of the army,
who examined the record Of the Pague case,
says it contained no reflection upon Colonel
Crofton. Another, who works upon the
records in the War department, said today:
81 read every word of the record in the
Pague case. There is nothing in It upon
which to hang a rebuke to Colonel Crofton.
In view Of the sensational stories concern
ing Colonel Crofton's conduct, 1 was sur
prised to find the evidence showed nothing
damaging to Colonel Crofton personally, or
rejecting upon the discipline at Fort
Sheridan'