The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-22
LIEUT.. LANG'S TROUBLES
WEST POINTER AND SUBALTERN'S
DAUGHTER ARE ESTRANGED.
Another Chapter in the Story of the
Young Man Ostracised for Mar
ryinE Marie kenkIe.

NEW YORK, July 21.-Yet another chap
ter is to be added to the long story of the
troubles of Clarence e. Lang, of the Sec
ond United States Artillery. He and his
wife-the pretty young wife whom he mar
ried on his graduation day and who was
ostracized because her father was in the
ranks-are living apart. That his wife is
gene Lieutenant Lang himself admitted
when seen at Fort Schuyler, Westchester
county, where he is quartered. He said:
There has certainly been a little unpleas-
antness between myself and wife, but
trust nothing will be done that will make
this permanent. More than that 1 do not
care to say. 1 suppose no poor fellows do
nestle affairs have in the last two or three
years been given so much public notoriety.
l am tired OF it all. Ny wifes health has
been such that she has been unable to at
tend to her household and social duties, and
she has gone to the home of her parents. L
hope that when she is strong enough she
will return to me again."
Mrs Lang's father is attached to Fort
Warren, Mass. Lieutenant Lang, when a
West Point cadet from Ohio first met Marie
Kenkle. She was the daughter of William
Kenkle, who held the rank then of COM
missary sergeant. 1t is said that one day
it came to the ears of the superintendent al
West Point the cOmmandant of the post,
that Clarence Lang, the cadet, had SO FAR
degraded himself as to tall in love with the
daughter of subordinate. 1t IS known
that the superintendent sent for young
Lang, and, after asking him II he seri-
ously contemplated marrying the young
girl, advised him not to do So There is no
doubt that from this moment these young
people were Systematically prosecuted by
all the refined methods of military social
ethics.
Clarence Lang graduated June - 1894,
and on the same day he married the daugh-
ter Of the commissary sergeant Not one
of the young soldiers, classmates, superior
officers or instructors attended the little
chruch at Highland Falls, where the cere-
mony took place. Even the friend who had
arranged to act as best man backed out at
the last moment The young lieutenant
was sent to Fort Warren, Mass. From the
moment he took his beautiful young wife
there he and she We're ostracized. In
every petty way possible this young couple
was made to feel how absolutely inadmissi-
BILE an anomaly was the daughter of
sergeant as the wife of an officer in the
army of this great and democratic re-
public. Long stories appeared in the news
papers telling how all the officers of the
post had been invited to reception to Gen
eral Breckenridge except Lieutenant Lang.
and recording many instances of the sights
and social rebuns put on the young
couple Rumors reached the war authOri-
ties at Washington, and several official in
yestigations were, made, Lieutenant 3,ta Lang
bravely refused to tell of his trouble
In his comfortess quarters at Fort War
rem child was born 10 the young couple.
OF all the men and women at the post not
one called to congratulate or inquire after
the mother and the infant. Not che of his
brother officers mentioned the matter to the
proud young father. With his health
broken, he eventually obtained a leave of
absence, and in March, 1886, ne removed to
a little quiet cottage few miles from Fish
kill on the Hudson. Wearied and heart
sick of the service and the treatment he
and his wife had received, the lieutenant
applied for retirement but this was not
granted to him.
While in this little house at Glendale the
family of Lieutenant Lang was not free
from disturbance and molestatfon Num-
berless anonymous and threatening letters
We're received, and much notoriety arose
from the action OF a servant girl named
Eliza Sloane, who fired pistol shots from
the windows at alleged marauders and
providers. and had many arrested for play
ing pranks around the house for the pur-
pose of annoying it's inmates.