The morning times., 1896-05-31
DISTRICT SOLDIER BOYS
One Weeks News and Gossip
Around Local Armories.

The Tralles-Gibson affair has been settled,
and the court OF inquiry dissolved. The
report was made to Gen. Ordway, last
week, and was at once looked into by
him. The findings of the court have been
made public in the following order from
the Headquarters OF the District of Co
lumbia Militia:
The court of Inquiry, instituted in spe-
cial orders No. II March %, 1896, Head
quarters District OF Columbia Militia, To
investigate certain statements alleged to
have been made by First. Lieut.. George e.
Trales, Company A, Third Battalion, as
TO the methods of First Lieut.. Frank b.
Gibson, inspector of rifle practice, Third
Battalion, in keeping the records OF rifle
practice, which brought about the pre-
ferring of certain. charges by the sild First
Lieut.. Gibson, againsJ the said First Lieut..
Tralles, having considered the evidence in
the case, has reported its findings and
opinion as hereinafter stated:
THE court of inquiry having summarized
the evidence brought before IL, llnds tiiat
Lieut.. Tralles did make certain statements
refIccting on Lieut.. Gibsons methods OF
keeping records OF rifle practice, but that
they were made without foundation, and
later Lieut.. Tralles disciaimed in writing
any intention to accuse Lieut.. Gibson of dis
honesty, and the latter requested with
drawal OF the charges preferred. After
thorough and painstakDg Investigation it
has arrived at the opinion that it Is not
necessary or desirable TO order court
martial in the case.
THE Following are ire ordersof the COM
manding general in tie case;
headquarters District of Columbia Militia,
Washington, ID. c., May 22 1896.
THE proceedings and opinion Of the court
OF inquiry in the foregoing case of First
Lieut.. George +. Tralles, Company A, Third
Battalion, are approved. No further pro-
ceedings are called for.
ALBERT ORDWAY Brigadier General, d.
c., Militia.
''The court of inquiry instituted in special
orders No. ], March 90, 1896, headquar-
ters District of Columbia Militia, is dis,
solved"
/ .e trouble in the National Rifles, eX-
--r+'-"i- ornonncnf in this cGlur7n SC"or@t
weeks ago, seem to be in a fair way
towar! ltlemcnt understanding re-
Forts published in other papers To the
contrary. The article published in The
! Times called the attention of the men to
what was going on and caused a pause
Sober, second thuught brought with it
the fact that something must be done Il nd
the way out Of the difficulty now seems
clear
AT the meeting of the company, held
| during the week. number OF TIE members
of the Rifles who enlisted III Company
h, Second Battalion. signed the application
for their discharge papers. About seven
teen Will go out Of the squad. This was
understood when they were mustered in.
| The neil were promised at that time fha
whenever they desired To leave the Va
| tiOnaI Guard they would lie permitted To
| do So The discharges Will undoubtedly
| be granted
But tue Rifles will still exist, as the Y
have for years in the past. 1t will lie
an organization just as much as the Wash
ington Light Infantry Corps. 1t Will
! have it's distinctive uniform and viii
! appear as the National Rifles whenever
| il sees fit In no sense uf the word will
! 1t be a purely social organization. 1t
will be the Rifles Just as much as it ever
was. ---sr-
Company B, the organization In the Ma
tional Guard, is now expected to take a
boom 1t is down to thorough basis now.
| The men who remain are anxious to lie
! guardSmen and will do all they can TO
! further the interests Of Company B. Yet
atthe same time they Ioseno intercstin the
! Rifles. Recruiting will be in order at
! once and it IS expected that the maximum
! will soon be reached. Heretofore there has
| been fear that new men coming in " oud
! share in the drmcry property. but with this
/ fear removed there VIII be no difficulty in
| securing good men. Al the meeting the
! other night committee was appointed to
! draft a constitution for Company B.
The corporation meeting of the Rifles
/ will bc held the evening of June 6. At this
/ gathering the Cutninlttee appointed at the
/ last meeting Will report on the advisahility
! ofiSsuug stock certificates. When this mat
/ ter is settled the clouds will have all rolled
away.
ENGINEER CORPS MEETING.
The regular meeting OF the Engineer
| Corps was held Thursday eve ming instead
| OF last night. Yesterday being Decoration
! Day Ma ior Thompss,n thought it better to
| hold the meeting earlier in the week. A
! large percentage OF the membership OF the
corps was present, and the meeting was a
most pleasant one. Major Thompson, who
| expects To he absent from the city for
! several months. took up part of the time in
! giving Instructions for duty at camp. He
told the corps what he would expect to
hear of them on his return frt IN field duty
| for the Geolc gicat Survey.
The meeting partook scme what of the
nature of IA joliliCatil n. The trophy won
! by Company A at Savannah was on eXhibi-
| ton, ana everybody took Il look at it.
| Several of the members OF the team which
! wentto Savannah related their experiences.
aud they were enjoyed. Lieut.. Graham
explained i'll detail how the men were
| treated by the GcorgiauS. and could net
find terms in which to adequately express
| his qualification at the hospitality Of the
! SOuthernerS. Every visitor was expected
| to be at the armory every evening to be