Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-05-17

Is bicycle riding. Lieutenant Bamford,
Miss Ron,eyE's fiance, also was an enthu-
siastic bicyclist, Miss Romeyn herself never
having mastered the Mysteries of the wheel
and having no desire to do So The logical
result Of this state of affairs in the init
mate, almost family, relations Of garrison
life was that Mrs O'Brien and Lieuten-
ant Bamford frequently took bicycle rides
together.
These rides became frequent enough,
and were now and then prolonged enough,
to accomplish the not very difficult feat Of
starting garrison gossip. Captain Ro-
meyn heard this and felt called upon, in
view Of the engagement between Lieuten-
ant Bamford end his daughter, to call that
young officer to account. Calling him to
account consisted in telling him to get out
of his Captain Romeyn's) house and nev.
er enter 1t again.
Then Lieutenant O'Brien demanded an
explanation from Captain Romeyn, and
Captain Romeyn struck Lieutenant
O'Brien in the face by way of terse sum-
mary of all the explanation he had to give.
This occurred on the parade ground.
Hence tho charges made by Lieutenant
O'brien and the court martial of Captain
Komeyn.
In the course of the trial a great deal of
testimony was given by the officers of the
post and their wives upon the direct SUBJ
ject Of the bicycle rides of Mrs. O'Brien
and Lieutenant Bamford. Several of the
officers wives testified that they regarded
such rides as improper. Others, on the
other hand, expressed the opinion that they
cav nothing out of the way in them.
Lieutenant O'Brien himself testified
that he not only saw nothing improper in
his wife going on bicycle excursions with
Lieutenant Baniford, but that he heartily
approved it and had frequently urged her
to CO. He did not ride himself, and he
thought the exercise beneficial to his wife's
health, and was very glad to have her 60
with his brother officer for an escort.
The whole question, In a word, turns on
whether the bicycle rides warranted the
broken engagement with Miss Romeyn
and justified Captain Romeyn in the state
ments he had made, for which Lieutenant
O'Brien demanded an explanation, with
the consequent blow from Captain Ro-
meyn, the charges and the court martial
Some of the events in the trial were
very dramatic as we'll as painful, and the
feeling that has been aroused as a conse-
quense is SO bitter that grave consequences
seem almost Inevitable. Captain Romeyn
conducted his own defense and examined
all the witnesses both for and against him.
When he took the stand himself, he de-
nounced Lieutenant o Brien in the bitter.
est terms, characterizing him in way
that put him in most contemplate light.
Still more painful was the scene when
Miss Romeyn took the stand. 1t was q
bitter thing for the young girl to have
dragged from her all the humiliating de-
tails Of her engagement with Bamford-
her circumstances with him about his at
tentions to Mrs. O'Brien, the final break
ing OIL Of the engagement and the stormy
scene when her father ordered her fapce
from the house. All this was about a.
cruel an ordeal as a sentative, high spirit
ed girl such as Miss Romeyn is could have
70 endure IN . public courtroom, but her
admirable byalty to her father enabled her
- bear II m, and she told her unhappy
stosy with gentle. womanly dignity