Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-27
SIX CHARGES AGAINST WILSON
Mart Howe Files His Formal Indictment
Against the 0ommandant
GOES TO THE GRAND ISLAND HEARING
Governor Uoicomb viii Preaent the
List for Investipation nt the
Meeting of the Board
of Visitors.

LINCOLN. Feb. 26--(special) Mart
Howe. ex-adjutant of the Grand Island SOL
ders and Sailors home, today filed the
charges he has formulated against Colonel
John w. Wilson, c-mmandant of the home
with Governor Holcomb They are: l. In
competence and irritabllity. 2. Employing
incompetent engineers. iremen and COOKS
3. Conduct unbecomng man and COM
msndant and tending to bring reproach on the
home. 4. Removing the adjutant on false
charge. 5. Nepstism. 6. Neglect OF oili-
cial duty. In support Of his first charge
Howe specifies that Wilson has given in
mates unreasonably severe punishment Tor
minor infractions Of home discipline and has
caused some 10 perform labor beyond their
physical capacity His second charge is
backed UP by a long lst of specific allega-
tions, especially in the engine room and
kitchen. Howe asserts that neither engineer,
firemen or cooks ever had experience In
these lines before being employed at the
home. Charge is supported by allegations
of misconduct with women Charge brings
out the Longest of the list of specifications.
Complainant Howe setting forth that he was
unfairly discharged and that Commandant
Wilson used unfair means to secure a con-
firmation Of his action by the Board of Visit
ors. Specifications under charge alege
that the commandant has employed his
family and relatives to the exclusion OF
others. In support Of charge 1t Is alleged
that the commandant has been absent from
the home several days at time and failed
to satisfactorily account for his absence to
the adjutant on his return.
The hearing will be held at the home at
Grand Island on March 10.
Adjutant General Barry has written to each
member OF the Nebraska congressional del
Cpation Washington follows.
Dear Sir: l am in receipt of constant in
quires from the officers and men of the
Islation congress will enact for the. en-.
couragement and growth of the National
Guard. Please let me know what bills are
ures, If any. are likely to pass. and partic-
ulariy what became of the petition for
wardcd to the Nebraska delegation for au-
thorty to exchange our old rifles for those
of more recent model Respectfully,
p. BARRY. Adjutant General.
Prof W. A. Jones, the newly appointed
superintendent of the Nebraska Institution
for the Blind, was a caller at the capitol to-
day He succeeds Prof. Johnson resigned.
Prof. Jones said he should go to Nebraska
City tomorrow to take chirge of the school.
PLEADING FOR WALKERS LIFE.
The hearing on the petition for a COM
mutation of the death sentence of Walker
the condemned Dawson county murderer,
was held at the office of Governor Holcomb
today. Captain McNamera, the attorney who
defended Walker during the trial, appeared
to plead his case with the governor. He
read large number of petitions from citi
zens Of Dawson county for executive elem
ency. and followed these with quite num-
ber from Kentucky. Captain McNamera
said that these last were in the nature of
new light on Walkers case. While the Ne
braska petitioners were unanimous in the
opinion that Walker was hopelessly insane,
and was at the time of the murder and
trial. the Kentucky petitions were from par.
ties who had known Walker In his youth and
early manhood. They were all to the effect
that at that period the condemned man never
evinced the least symptom OF insanity. He
was regarded as quiet, sociable. even
tempered man, and one who gave every
promise of becoming most useful and ex-
emplary citizen. The Nebraska petitioners
held that the prisoner was always morose.
vindictive and positively dangerous. Captain
Mcnamara drew from this combination of
circumstances, which had not been developed
at the trial, the theory that great change
had come over Walker at about the time
he had emigrated to Nebraska. In this state
he had been known as Crazy Walker" The
fact that the two jurors, who had examined
into the alleged insanity Of the man, had
both reached the conclusion that Walkers
mental condition was in nowise different
from what it had been at the time of the
murder and the trial, did not, Captain Nc
Namara urged, dispel the conviction that
Walker had once been perfectly sane, but
had degenerated into insanity some time
previous to the killing Of Farmer Weaver.
County Attorney Gillian of Dawson county
appeared to protest against the Communication
OF tho sentence. DR.. Abbott, of the Lincoln
Hospital for the Insane, and Assistant Su-
perintendent Dr. c. e. Coffin, were also
present.
Governor Holcomb today issued the COM
mission of Dr. Victor Rosewater, as regent
OF the State university, to succeed H. d.
Estabrook, resigned.
Articles of incorporation were today filed
with the secretary of state of the Compton
Irrigation and Power company Of Compton,
Cherry county. The capital stock Is $1,000
and the incorporators are Thomas Dentler,
s. b. Bvns, George IL. Shek, Harry Denter
and John ii. Evans.
Governor Holcomb this morning granted
the request for requisition papers for w,
A. Merchant. the alleged cattle thief.
Attorneys representing creditors Ct the
John Fitzgerald estate entered objections In
the probate court this morning to the con-
firmation OF sale of the Fitzgerald judgment
recently obtained in the Fitzgerald & NAL
lory Construction company Missouri Pacific
Lansing's cticia term county judge, he
granted an order to Mrs. Fitzgerald, permit
ting her to dispose of some personal prop
erty, which property was not specified in the
order. She sold this judgment to the First
National bank The bank had claim ap-
proximating that amount against the estate.
Judge Cochran, the present county judge, has
given the objectors until Thursday after
neon to present their objections in writing.
EX-JUDGE LANSING'S ACCOUNTS.
E. p. Hovey, expert has been at work
on Judge Lansings books. has handed his