The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-26
COL. CROFTON'S CASE
REPORT THAT HE HAS BEEN ASKED
TO RETIRE NOT CONFIRMED.
His Troubles Alleged to BE Due to the
Refractory Composition Of His
Infantry Command.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-Secretary La
mont and the officers of the War Depart
ment who are in a position to know what.
if any, steps have been taken In the case
of Colonel Crofton of the Fifteenth Infant
ry, stationed at Fort Sheridan, still refuses
TO duscu5s the matter. 1t is, however, re-
garded here as very improbable that the
Secretary himself has addressed q letter TO
the Colonel inviting him to apply for retire
ment. If any movement has been made in
this direction it probably has been through
a third party, and not directly in the shape
of a communication from the Secretary.
While under the law Colonel Crofton may
retire by virtue of the fact that he has
served in the regular establishment for more
than thirty years, he cannot now be COM
PEELED to apply for retirement, and bis
action must be voluntary. If he refuses 10
accede to a request from the department
to 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 it can be stated that
at present there are no charges on file
at the War Department that would form
the basis for such a trial. The Secretary
of War, of course, could change his detail
and order him away from Fort Sheridan
to any duty consistent with Colonel Croft
toms rank. Dec. Is next. Colonel Crofton
will have reached the age Of sixty-two
years, and then, under the law, the Presi-
dent may retire him without waiting for
an application, as was done in the case OF
General Carr. Otherwise the officer would
remain in active service until December,
1885, when, having reached the age of sixty
four years, his retirement would be abso-
lutely compulsory.
=
is, 1884, and he was appointed in 1861 di-
rectly a captain in the regular army, so
that he is neither a volunteer officer nor
West Pointer His promotion was regular
and his record of service during the war
was creditable, he displaying conspicuous
gallantry at Chattanooga and Shiloh. His
troubles began when ne assumed command
at Fort Sheridan in 1891. and his friends
here assert in his defense that they are due
to the refractory composition of his regi-
ment, the Fifteenth Infantry. There were
complaints of the state of discipline of the
command, as evidenced in the frequent
quarrels among the officers and men,, cul-
minatihg in the killing Of Captain Hedburg
and the late attempt on the life of the COM
manding Colonel himself. Ugly stories have
been af1oat here as to the grounds FOR these
events and there has been talk of whisky
and women and other scandals, but If this
has taken any Official shape 1t must nave
been concealed in the evidence taken IN Sc
cret in the court-martial proceedings against
Lieutenant Pague, which evidence IS now
in the archives of the War Department.
1t has been read by Secretary Lamont. and,
it is said, by the President himself as a
basis for action in approving the recon-
mendation of the court-martial that the
lieutenant be dismissed from the army
for the attempt on the life of his superior
officer. Colonel Crofton. 1t is known that
the War Department has been much dis
satisfied 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, as ii was supposed, at the post,
but the result was not entirely satisfac-
tory and it is assumed that the dissatis-
faction of the department officials has been
fort and perhaps has served as the basis
for the report of a request that Colonel
Crofton retire.