Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1897-09-24
ChPThlN CLOSE
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
Copyright, 1894, by J. B. Lippincott Col


Those were the days which but fore
Swallowed the lettre de cachet episodes
of the winter of 1901. Never an Or
namental, never social, and often an
embarra ssing feature of garrison life,
the first lieutenant of Company had
been laboring under the further disad-
vantage of a six months absence from
the post of the regimental colors. There
were many to speak against and none
to speak for him. His singular habits
and characteristics, the rumors in cir
culation with regard to his saving
propensities when on bureau duty, and
the queer yarns in circulation as to
his disposition of the property OF the
officers who had died on his hands dur
ing the fever epidemic, had all received
additional impetus from the publlca-
ton in northern papers of the Parmelec
side of the Tugaloo stories. and Closes
name was on the regimental market
at low quotation, even before the an
nouncement of his arrest. But this
was not all. Fer months the regiment
al commander had been the recipientof
frequent letters from two despairing
widows, relicts of the late Capt. Stone
and Lieut.. Tighe, which letters claimed
that their husbands had died possessed
of certain items of personal property
watches, jewelry, money. martial
equipments, etc.-of which Capt. Close
had assumed charge and for only very
snail portion of which had he ever rer-
dered account. They, with other la
dies of the regiment, had been sent
north when it became apparent that an
epidemic was probable; they had never
met Capt. Close, but were confident.
from the unsatisfactory nature of his
replies, and from all they could learn
about him from the letters they re-
ceive% from the regiment, that he was
robbiAg the widow and the orphan,
and they appealed to the colonel for re-
dress.
Now, old Braxton knew almost as lit
tie of Close as did they. He asked his
adjutant and one or two captains what
they thought; he had letter written to
Close telling him of these allegations
and calling for his version of the mat
ter. It did not come, and another let
ter-a "chaser''-was sent, demanding
Immediate reply, and nearly a week
elapsed before reply came. Close wrote
laboring hand, and for all official mat
ter employed the company clerk as
smanuensis. This being personal, he
spent hours in copying his reply. He
said he was tired of answering the let
tiers of Mesdames Stone and Tighe on
this subject. He had sent them inven
of = nf inh boi h1,S
bands died possessed, and had RENTED
every cent he had realized from the
sales theqeo Only one of them had
watch. II either had ever owned d.
aslond studs, as was alleged, he, Close,
had never seen them, nor the hundreds
Of dollars alleged to be in their pos
ression, nor the company fund for
which Stone was accountable. In point
Of fact, he, Close, was compelled to say
he did not believe the ladies knew what
their husbands did or did not have.
He was ready to make oath as to the
truth of his story. and Hospital Stew
ard Griffin and DR.. Meigs could also
testify that the deceased officers had
hardly any effects to speak of-could
they only be found. But thereby hung
tale of further trouble. Meigs him
self had died of the fever, and Griffin,
after fitful career, had been found
guilty of all manner of theft and dis.
honesty as to hospital stores in his
charge, and was himself languish;ng,
in dishonorable discharge, a prisoner at
Ship island. Here Close thought to end
il all, but the widows-sisters they
were, who were born in the laundress'
quarters of old Fort Fillmore and had
followed the drum all over Texas and
New Mexico before the war-had
welded strapping sergeants and seen
their spouses raised to the shoulder
straps in the depleted state of the reg
ular army during the four years of vol
unteer supremacy-the widows were
now backed by priest and a pettifog-
ger, and, mindful of the success achieved
Ivy such proceeding when led by name
of their own nationality. were deter
mined to push things" When De-
cember came, such was the accumula-
lion of charge and specification against
he absent and friendless officer that
I'D Brax took the simplest way out OF
{ and applied for a court-martial to !
~ the case.
The day after Christmas. therefore.
nd before the official copy of the order
vss received at the barracks (as, oddly,
9ten happened in those times, until the
ak was discovered and duly plugged).