The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-11-19
STRUNG UP A JUDGE.
REFUSED TO GIVE HIS NAME AND
WAS HUNG BY THE THUMBS.

REFUSED TO GIVE HIS NAME AND
WAS HUNG BY THE THUMBS.
| How q Young Lieutenant Carried Out
| Orders and Came Near Getting Into
| TroubIe-President Lincoln Stood by
the Soldier who Did His Duty.
81 was only 10 years Of age and held
q lieutenant's commission in the Fifth
| infantry when an event occurred which
gave me great deal Of unsought noto-
riety, said a department. official the
other night. "Not only was the notori-
ETY. unsought, but it was exceedingly
undesirable, he added, t'for it almost
made an old man Of me in single day.
It was an experience calculated to try
| the discipline and determination of any
young officer. ="
"What kind of an experience did you
have?''
II had merely routine duty to per-
form, but it was exciting. The regiment
was stationed at Santa Fe, and the de.
| partment was under martial law. The
war had just commenced, and people
were averse to obeying military orders,
but they learned obedience very soon.
It was ordered that no person should
enter the city Of Santa sFe nor depart
from it without registering his name
with the provost marshal. The order
was positive and was rigidly enforced.
One afternoon, when was officer OF
the day and, having attended to my
duties, was lying down, in my tent
reading book, an orderly reported that
there was man in the custody Of the
provost marshal who refused to give his
name. Putting aside my book, donned
my uniform and sash and proceeded to
the guardhouse.
''There, in the midst of as tough a
looking gang as one ever saw, stood a
we'll dressed, distinguished looking gen
tlenan. When asked him why he was
in custody, he informed me that he was
under arrest because he had refused to
give his name or to register with the
provost marshal. When l politely re-
quested him to go with me and regis
ter, he responded, You know me well
enough and do not need ask my name.
When l assured him that had never
seen him before and requested him to
comply with the order under which ]
was acting he refused Indignantly. to
do so.
81 then ordered the guards to take
him to the parade ground and tie him
to the flagstaff. Upon arriving there ]
again begged him to be reasonable and
give his name, but he obstinately re-
fused to do SO. Then / ordered the men
to tie him up by the thumbs. After
leaving him in that position for three
minutes he was let down, but again re-
mained obstinately silent He was
drawn up again, and after leaving him
in that painful position nearly ten min
utes he was let down, but scornfully
declined to answer my most polite re-
quest to give me his name. begged
him to relieve me of the necessity of
resorting to more force and to relieve
himself Of further humiliation and phys
ical pain, but he scorned me. There
was on the parade ground with that
gentleman, who was manifestly Of more
than ordinary ability and consequence
in the world, and in the presence of the
regimental staff, l, a young officer, q
mere STRIPPING, and yet the officer of
the day, was trying to compel him to
give his name in accordance with the
order of the commanding officer of the
department
He remained stolidly silent, and
then ordered the guards to buck and
gag him. 1t was painful scene, which
shall never forget. The soldiers did
their duty, bound him in an uncomfort-
able position and gagged him SO tightly
| that the blood ran from his mouth. That
was more than / had intended to be
done the first time, and it was more
| than | could bear to see, SO ordered
| his release.
AS he stood up, trembling with
pain, passion and humiliation, he said
1 am Joseph q. Knapp, chief justice OF
the supreme court Of the territory OF
New Mexico Immediately ordered
his release from custody, and he re.
turned to the Hotel Fonda, where he
had registered upon his arrival His
presence in Santa Fe was no secret, and
nearly everybody knew him. Therefore
he may have reasoned that knew him
and was merely making parade of my
authority needlessly in asking him his
name and compelling him to give it.
You may be very sure that regretted
the occurrence when I heard him an.
nounce his name, his title and his off.
cial standing, as, indeed, had sincere.
ly regretted the entire scene from the
first. -
| "Was anything done about it off.
cially?"
well, should say so! Colonel Carle.
ton, commanding the post, wrote re-.
port of the affair, which he character.
lied as brutal, and recommended pro.
ceedings against me, although he knew
that had only done my duty in the
pr"saises Il an obscure citizen had re-
fused to give his name, as Judge Knapp
had done, Colonel Carleton would have
commended my course. AS it was