The record-union., 1896-10-27
NAVAL BATTALION TROUBLE.
Ex-Commandef C. A. Douglass Under a
Cloud.
His Accounts Said to be in q Very
Much Tangled Con.
ditiOn.

The affairs Of Lieutenant G. A. Doug
lass, ex-Commander of the FIRST Dlvls-
ion Naval Battalion, are under investi-
cation by a board of officers recently
appointed for that purpose, says the
San Francisco Bulletin" and accord
ing to the statements of one of the in
vestigators, Douglass will be called up
o., for an explanation. The invest1ga-
ton now under way has developed,
among other things, that Douglass
cash books are missing. Until these
are found the main facts desired to be
brought out will never be known.
Douglass commanded the First Di-
vison of the Naval Battalion since its
organization, three years ago, until re-
Gently, when he found it convenient to
resign Under the State law he re-
ceived $1O0 a month, with an additional
$3.50 a year, which annual sum of
81 $50 was to be devoted to the equip
ment Of the division. Douglass was
compelled to file reports of his disburse-
ments at Sacramento every quarter
and every report was supposed to be
clear index of his operations as Gus
the State.
lHC ICPOItS VI Lie AlioPSOtOlo, AiiddO
from time to time, showed that Doug
lass administration was defective in
many respects. 1t was found that the
First Division was poorly equipped,
and that there were discrepancies in
the accounts. None Of the inspectors
was ever privileged to see Douglass
cash books, which he kept locked up
Even the Secretary who formulated the
reports did not see them, but he was
furnished the necessary data by Doug
lass in person.
When rumors Of Douglass manage
ment or rather mismanagementr reached
Lieutenant-C Commander Turner, he at
tempted in vain to secure an eXplana-
tion from the Commander Of the First
Division. Turner became disguSted and
at once sent in his resignation to Ma
jor- General James. When Douglass
heard Of this he forwarded his resigna-
ton also. His resignation was promptly
accepted, while that of Commander
Turner was placed on file without ac-
ton.
General James then appointed an in
vestigating board to examine Doug
lass books. This board consists of
Major Charles l.. Tilden of the First
Infantry, Captain D. A. Smith of the
Fifth Infantry and Lieutenant j. G..
Underhill, Ordnance Officer Of the Ma
val Battalion. The committee has held
two meetings, but it's operations had
scarcely commenced when the absence
tof Douglass cash books was discovered.
Attempts were made to find them, with
| the result that information was re-
ceived to the effect that they We're still
| in Douglass possession
1t appears that Douglass cannot now
be found. He was last heard from at
| Santa Cruz some weeks ago. He then
announced that he would attend the
meetings of the Investigating Commit
| tee and aid the inquiry as far as he
was able He hoped to be able to dis
prove the ugly charges that had been
made against him by envious and ma
| licious enemies.
Douglass has not entered an appear
ance, however, and the committee,
doubling the sincerity of his promise,
| has sent to Sacramento for copies of
| his reports The committee has found
| that his accounts are in a sadly tan
gled state, and they do not believe any
satisfactorily. In the meantime the af-
fairs Of the First Division are in an
| unsettled state, and the report Of the
investigating board is looked forward
to with genuine interest. How far 1t
will incriminate Douglass remains to
be seen