The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-30
Loyal Indiana Omcer Who Was Con-
victed of Carrying Unimportant
Letters for Prisoners of War.
FOREIGN GOLD PREFERRED
BIDDERS FOR BONDS WILL PLEASE
CARLISLE BY IMPORTING COIN.
House Committee Decides to Appro-
pirate Money for Seeds, Notwith-
standing Secretary Morton.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-The committee
on military affairs in the House has ordered
a favorable report on the bill to amend the
military record of Daniel s. Place, first
lieutenant of the Eighteenth Indiana Volun-
teers. Lieutenant Place won his commits
sion for meritorious conduct, having en-
listed as a private. While serving at FL
mira. duty at prison camp, he was
charged with conduct prejudicial to good
order and discipline" and conduct unbe-
coming an officer and gentleman" the spe-
cifications being that he did, contrary to or
ders, carry out and mail letters for prison
ers of war confined in the camp. He was
found guilty of the offense charged by a
court-martial, but as the letters were shown
to be OF purely social character and con-
tanned nothing of Importance the sentence
Of the court was out of all proportion to
the offense In that 1t sentenced him to be
cashiered from the service and forever pro-
hibited from holding any office OF trust or
emolument under the United States govern
ment; that his sword be broken by a nom
commissioned officer, his straps taken from
his shoulders and his buttons cut from his
coat in the presence of the troops Of the
command. The latter part of the sentence,
requiring his personal degradation in the
presence Of the troops of the command,
was disapproved by Brevet Brig.-gen. A. S.
Devier, commanding the military district
of New York. On March 10, 1865, the case
was reopened at the instance Of Senator
Henry s. Lane. of Indiana, and lengthy
report made and filed by the acting judge
acknowledgement of the army, in which,
among other things, he says: 'It is not
believed that he should be disfranchised,
and as he is represented to be a man Of
good character and undoubtedly loyal, the
interests of the service would justify a re-
moval Of all disability in order to enable
him to re-enter the service If the Governor
or the State sees proper to commission
him." On this report, by direction of the
President, the disability to re-enter the
service was removed. There remains there
fore, against Lieutenant Place nothing of
the original sentence save the dismissal
from the army, which, in view of his estab-
nshed loyalty before and after the Offense
charged, the trivial character of the offense
itself. viewed in the light of the facts sub
mitted to the Judge Advocate General on
the reopening of the case. his brave, eff
cient and faithful services a soldier. his
high character and standing as a citizen
during the thirty years that have passed
since the war, the committee believes, ought
to be removed.
Senator Gallinger has made favorable
report on the bill granting a pension of $25
a month to Mrs. Lue r. Brown of Green
castle. Mrs Brown is the widow of William
for service in the Sixth Indiana Cavalry
From 1884 until 1892 ne was United States
consul at San Juan del Norte, Nicaragua.
He returned home physical wreck, finally
dying last February at the Hampton Mill
tary Home: He left a widow and young
daughter, for whom the pension of IS a
month is inadequate. The bill will probably
become law, though the House may re-
duce the amount.