The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-07
TRIAL OF THE AnTILLERMEN.
The Case Against Private ThermOnd
Test.


Atlanta, Ca, April every little mat
ter of an interesting nature was devel-
oped by the court martial trying mem
bers of the Atlanta Artillery to-day. Cert
Thermond, the first man placed on trial
yesterday, was also in the dock to-day.
His case has been made the test case for
all the other privates. and the disposition
Of the charges against him win probably
mean the fate of the others. For this
reason both sides are doing their best at
the opening.
While the prvates and non commission
ed officers are the nominal defendants, the
inquiry in reality places Capt j. F.
Kempton in the attitude of the accused,
as the court decided to admit all testi-
mony tending to show the conditions that
led up to the filing of the petition asking
him TO resign, which is the main ground
of his charges against the men. Along
this line the formal charges against Capt
Kempton, which were outlined in these
dispatches last night, were introduced in
evidence to-day. In addition to the
charges of false muster profanity. OBJ
scenity and general lack of military dig
nifty, which were referred to last night
the men charge that Capt. Kempton last
summer marched them to political meet
ing held in the interest of Albert Howell
candidate for mayor, and caused them to
make demonstration in his favor. Kemp
ton being Howell partisan. and arguing
with the men that they should support
him en- masse.
It was proven by the testimony of wit
nesses that after Capt Kempton had been
presented the petition asking him to re-
sign he said he would let the matter drop
II the men who signed it would withdraw
their names. They did not do so then. but
lew days afterward a committee of the
battery presented him with a written com
munication saying they desired to with
draw all their names from the petition,
put ne refused, they say, &c take any no
tice of the Withdrawal though this was
before the charges were filed
One of the important witnesses exanin-
ed was d. r. Hatchett, a clerk in the Of
nee of the ad1utant general, who was al
the time of the trouble a private in the
battery. He gave a detailed account of
the reasons which caused the men to be
come dissatisfied with Can't, Kempton
only after he had failed to resign after
promising to do so. He said the signers
all knew that they ran the risk of a court
martial. but they preferred to run this
risk to preferring the charges and having
their captain court martialed. They were
actuated by a desire to save him from
humiliation and the service from the dis
grace, believing that he would retire upon
this kind of a formal demand and the
matter would end there. Hatchett show
ed that II was the Waterman al the capitol
who broke open the door of the armory
after it had been locked by Capt. Kemp
ton to prevent the men from getting their
uniforms. Although 1t was Private
Hatchett who was spokesman for the bat
terry in presenting the demand for the cap
tain's resignation, when his term of en-
listment expired three days later, Capt.
Kempton gave him his discharge without
question and thus he was not included in
the list of those who are court martialed
on his complaint