Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-20

Robinson te9tlneQ 10 rreu cOmluB W
him and getting little vial Of chloro-
form on a forged request from Sergeant
Graham. Corporal Watts had positive
ly identified a $40 bill which was in
the trumpeter's possession when he was
searched, at his own request, when first
accused of the crime, as one stolen from
him at the Niobrara. He had had some
experience, be said, and had made a
record of the members, and this record
in a little notebook was exhibited to
the court.
Not once had the defense interposed
or asked a question. 1t was evidently
the policy of Fred's advisers to let the
prosecution go as far as 1t chose, and
now came the announcement Of the
name that was most intimately connect
ed with the case, and Sergeant Dawson
in his complete uniform strolled into
court, removed the gauntlet from his
right hand, and holding it aloft looked
the judge advocate squarely in the face
and swore to tell the truth, the whole
truth and nothing but the truth. Then
be sat down and glanced quickly around
him, but his eyes did not seem to see
Fred Waller, nor did they rest for an
instant on Captain Charlton, who, tug
ging at his mustache, looked steadily
at the face of his left guide. Then be-
gan the slow, painful, cumbrous method
by which the law of the land requires
military courts to extract their evidence,
every question and answer being re-
duced to writing. Sergeant Dawson
gave, as required, his full rank, troop,
regiment and station, but hesitated as
to the latter point.
II was left hehind at Red Cloud
when the troop came away Sunday a
week ago, sir, along with Private Dono-
van, and we were kept there until got
orders to come here with the hospital
steward. I just got in this morning, and
I'm told the troop is back at the Platte
GRO sing." But the matter of station
was Of no particular consequence, and
the examination proceeded. Yes, he
knew the prisoner, Trumpeter Fred Wal
Ter, Troop B, and had known him sew
eral years before he had enlisted. Told
to tell in his own way what he knew Of
the circumstances that led to the charges
against Waller, the witness cleared his
throat and began.
1t was the night they camped at the
Niobrara, giving the date, that the prls-
oner seemed restless. All the men e1-
pected the Indians to make an attempt
to run off the horses, and all were wake
full, but he had most occasion to notice
Waller, who didn't seem able to sleep.
That night passed without alarm of
any kind, but the next night it was very
dark, the moon went down at II, and
the horses got to stamping and snorting.
Witness was sergeant of the guard and
all night long had to be moving about
among his sentries and the herd. About
midnight he had come in to the fire,
where Sergeant Graham was sleeping,
to clean out his pipe, that had clogged.
His leather wallet, with his money and
some papers, was inside the canvas
scouting jacket that the captain allowed
him and others of the men to wear, and
he took the jacket off few minutes
while he walked over to the stream and
soused his head and face in the cold wa
ter, a thing he always tried to do when
he felt sleepy. While there be thought
he heard call from the sentry up the
stream, and he ran thither, and it was
Just then that the horses began making
such fuss. He kept around among the
sentries, trying to find out the cause.
and did not 60 back to the fire until it
was all quiet, after 3 o'clock, and then
he slipped into his jacket and overcoat
and hurried back to where Donovan was
on post below the bivouac. There was
some noise they could not understand
far out on the prairie in that direction.
He never missed his money and the
wallet until day break, when it was dis
covered that Waller had gone. He never
heard him steal away during the night
and was simply amazed when told Of
his desertion.
The lieutenant had been disposed to
blame him at first for letting the trump
eter get away with his horse, but no
man could have been more vigilant
than he was. "The captain had never
blamed him. he was sure from the
captains manner when he spoke to
him about it at Red Cloud, and Daw-
son looked confidently now at his COM
mander, but that gentleman never
changed muscle of his face.
AS was customary, the judge advo-
cate inquired if the prisoner had any
questions to ask. and the spectators were
amazed when he calmly answered,
"No." Big beads of sweat were trio
king down the sergeant's face by this
time, but he could not control the look
Of wonderment that flashed for one in
slant into his eyes at this refusal of q
valued privilege.
"Has the court any questions?" asked
the Judge advocate, and to the still
greater wonderment Of spectators and
witness no member of the court ap-
peared to care to inquire further. When
Sergeant Dawson left the courtroom
and walked away toward the barracks,
he knew that all eyes were upon him,
and just as soon as be could throw aside
his saber, helmet and full dress he lost
no time in getting to the traders store
and swallowing half tumbler Of raw
whisky. He thought the ordeal over
and that he was free. It was with a
sensation Of something like premonition
that as be came forth be saw at the
barracks the orderly Of the court mar
tial, who had been sent to warn him
that be would be called by the defense
OF q o,c1ork