The San Francisco call., 1896-09-29
But Scandals Tcnoue Yet Wags
Over Fl S Marriage to a
Soldiers Daughter.
AN ALLEGED HUMILIATION
Sergeant KenkIer, the Officers ther.
in-Law, Ordered for Duty at
the SIM Post.

WASHINGTON. D. c. Sept. 2S.-A great
deal has been published in the papers of
laie concerning the alleged ostracism of
Lieutenant Lang, Second Artillery, be-
ause OF his marriage to the daughter
of Sergeant Kenkler. The
latest report is that his father-in-law has
been ordered to duty at the same post as
the officer, with the view of humiliating
him. There is said to be an unwritten
social rule in the army, which forbids
social intercourse between the families of
officers and the families of enlisted men,
which alleged rule, it is said, would pre-
vent Mrs Lang from visiting or receiving
visits fr' m her own tather or mother, not
withstanding they were all at the same
post.
An emphatic denial of these reports is
made ny the officials of the War Depart
ment, where the reports of alleged ostra-
cism are regarded as wholly imaginary.
Lieutenant Lang is also on record as hay-
ing expressed regret that the i'm mpression
prevailed anywhere that he had been the
victim of social ostracism. He has a high
strung nervous temperament and has suf-
fered for years with nervous disorder, on
account OF which he has endeayored to be
placed on the retired list. He is now at
Glrnham, near Fishkill, on a six months
leave of absence on account of sickness.
In an interview on the subject, Lieutenant
Ian said:
81 have never told any one that had
been sighted on account of my marriage.
Even ii ielt that there was a disposition
to ostracize me it would be unbecoming
in me as an officer to say such d thing
II felt myself aggrieved there are several
ways IN which as an officer of the army
cou state my grievance.
''The report that 1 want to be retired
from the army on account of social ostra-
cism is without foundation. My sole
reason for desiring to be retired is on
account OF Ill health. l have done much
hard work and l am not in condition
physically TO attend to the exacting duties
of an army officer. If / am sufficiently
improved in health after the expiration of
the SIX months leave of absence which
have obtained 1 shall gladly go back to
the service.
THE constant allusion to my case has
done me much harm. have seen things
attributed to me in cerIaiu newspapers
which l have never uttered. There Is no
-NNSS-i WY nave
been so widely discussed. 1t is not so re.
marka BILE thing for an officer to marry
the daughter of a soldier. could men,
tion half dozen cases within my personal
knowledge. Even if social ostracism had
followed my marriage l would be the last
man to complain of it. l would willingly
accept it as a matter of course. have
never before talked for publication on
this NATTER
In Fishkill, where the lieutenant is well
known, the i'm preston is tha, the stories
of the lieutenant's social ostracism have
little foundation. Mrs. Lang is spoken of
in the highest terms. man who had
been at West Point with the lieutenant at
the time of his marriage to Miss Kenkler
said that the social ostracism existed
mainly in the mind of the lieutenant him
self. He said that some persons did speak
siightingly to the lieutenant, but that any
feeling they may have had against him
began long before his marriage.