Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-26
Finding Of Fort Sheridan Court-Mar-
tial in the Hammond Case,
TO Be PUNISHED BY A REPRIMAND
Court Shows Leniency on Account
of Officers Good Record.
FINDINGS EN- ROUTE HERE

CHICAGO. November 26.-The Tribune
today prints the following: The finding OF
the court-martial is that the accused is
guilty as charged in the specifications ana
recommends that he be reprimanded by
the reviewing authority. The findings add.
The court is thus lenient in view of the
good character Of the accused, as shown I'm
the evidence"
The foregoing is. according to the state-
ment of a man who knows. the exact YER.
dict OF the court-martial which has lust
competed Its labors in the case OF CAPTAIN
Leonard A. Lowering Of Fort Sheridan.
charged with brutal treatment of Private
Charles Hammond.
Court Debated One Hour.
1t took the court-martial one hour IN
reach its decision. The first ballot resulted
in seven members of the court-martial vot-
ing Guilty" and five Not guilty" The
usual court-martial is composed of thirteen
members, but Major Randolph, who had
been detailed to attend, was unable to do
SO, and SO the twelve men sat as a tury
to decide the fate of Captain Lowering.
mere was vigorous effort made to have
those parts of the specifications charging
Captain Lowering with cruelty and brutali-
ty stricken out, but IL was finally decided
to consider the charges as they were set
forth in the specifications, and the decision
was reached without making the changes
A majority Is conclusive in court-martial
findings, and, after the verdict of guilty
was established the only thing to be con-
sidered was the measure of punishment.
Omcers had made UP their minds that
Hammond's career as a soldier was not
creditable, and this weighed strongly in
bringing them TO an agreement as to the
punishment to be meted out to Lowering.
Loverfng's Honorable Record.
The evidence showed that Captain Lover
ing had been connected with the United
States military service for twenty-five
years and that this record had been a good
one. number of officers came out plain
iy and said they would not vote for a find
ing of guilty if Captain Lowering was to
be given a humiliatirg punishment II was
argued that Hammond's record placed by
the side of Captain Coverings was of such
a character as to unavoidably gain some
sympathy from the court for the officer
Lieutenant Colonel Hunter Judge adyo-
cafe OF the court, will have his record
completed today and this, with the finding,
Will be forwarded to Washington tonight.
II will probably be placed in the hands OF
the President on Monday, and after its in
spection by General Alger and General
Miles tho finding will be given out officially.
The public announcement will probably be
made by Thursday of next week.
The Record Not Received.
The record of the court-martial In the
case of Capt. Lowering has not yet reached
the War Department. 1t appears that it
will not pass through the hands of Gen.
Brooke. az would be the case in the ordi-
nary routine, but the general being regard
ed somewhat in the light of an accuser of
Lowering, the papers will not come before
him at all, either for review or for trans
mission to Washington from Chicago The
jucge advocate of the court will, il is ex-
pected, forward the papers directly to
Judge Advocate General Lieber, at the War
Department, and the latter will submit
them with lis Endorsement to the COM
msnding general. Gen. Miles in turn will
send the case up to Secretary Alger and
eventually it may reach the White House.