The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-10
FORT AGAIN IN A FERMENT.
LIEUT.. O'BRIEN NOW THE CENTRAL
FIGURE IN A SCANDAL.

The Soldier Said to Have Left His
Regiment on the March and Gone
on Spree For a WeelS--RumOred
That He Has rendered His Rcsig-
nation From the Army, But That
Col. Cook May Insist on a Court
martial - His Career During the
Chinn-Japan War Recalled.
Atlanta Ca, Nov. 9.--Fort Mcpherson
is about to have another sensation, though
hardly as salacious in detail as the Ro-
meyn court martial last summer The
principal in the present episode is Lieut.
NJ. ]. O'Brien, who was one of the star
performers in the court martial, he prose-
cutting the charges against Capt. Romeyn
for slandering his wife.
1t is understood that Lieut.. O'Brlen has
rendered his resignation to Col. Cook, COM
mandant of the fort, for the purpose Of
escaping trial by court martial himself
1t is said that the colonel has declined
to forward to the department headquar,
ters the lieutenant's request for leave to
withdraw from the army. The colonel's
refusal is alleged to be based upon an in
vestgaton which he is making. Lieut..
O'Brien Is now under arrest at Fort Nc
Pherson and is confined to his quarters.
1t is said that charges have not been
preferred against him yet, but there is said
to be every indication that there will be
another court martial at the post.
Lieut. O'Brien's trouble has arisen from
his alleged misconduct while the regiment
was returning from Chickamauga parK.
He was the engineering officer, and made
a reconnaissance before the march was be-
gun. The information embodied in his
notes is said to have been thorough and
exhaustive. When the regiment left
Chickamauga on Friday, Oct. %, to begin
the homeward march. Lieut.. O'Brien was
by some mishap, left behind. 1t was re-
ported subsequently that he had leave 20
go. The regiment, after a few days
marching, went to the Nashville exposl-
ton and returned to Atlanta from that
place by rail. Lieut.. OBrien failed to
rejoin his command at Nashville and was
not at the post when the regiment re-
turned. 1t was not until the latter part Of
last week that he arrived at Fort Nc
Pherson.
1t is alleged that the lieutenant had
been on a protracted spree, The route
which Lieut.. OBrien took on leaving
I Chiekamauga is not known, but his horse,
which was hired from ]. F. Talbert, an
Atlanta livery stable Keeper, was located
at Dalton, and was brought back to this
city yesterday. Talbert has put in bill
for 1873 for the time the horse was away,
and it is likely that the quartermaster
will have to pay it. For some time 1t was
feared that the horse was lost, but 1t was
finally found in good condition at a stable
in Dalton, and was recovered without
trouble.
Lieut. O'Brien is one of the few honor
graduates of West Point that are in the
infantry. Although he might have gone
into the engineering corps or have been
cavalryman, he selected the infantry,
because he considered the foot soldier the
mainstay of the army. AS military at
tache of the American legation in Japan,
Lieut.. o. Brien was an interested observer
of the China-Japanese war, and wrote
many valuable articles for the use of the
United States army. The report that ne
planned the capture of Port Arthur for
the japanese has always been vigorously
denied by the friends of the lieutenant,
although it has been rumored in some
quarters that this was the real reason
for his recall.