Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-06-01
ChPThIN CLOSE
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
lCopyright, 1894, by J. B. Lippincott Col
XIV.

XIV.
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
embarrassing feature of garrison life.
the first lieutenant of Company G had
been laboring under the further disad-
vantage of 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
aud 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 publica-
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
Gouncement of his arrest. But this
was not all. Fer months the regiment
al commander mad been the recipient of
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
small portion of which had he ever rem
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
,'obbilg 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 a letter written to
C.ose telling him of these allegations
and calling for his version of the mat
+er. It did not come, and another let
ier-a "chaser'-was sent, demanding
Immediate reply, and nearly a week
elapsed before reply came. Close wrote
"a laboring hand, and for all official mat
ter employed the company clerk as
amanuensis. 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-
tories of everything of which their hus-
bands died possessed, and had RENTED
every cent he had realized from the
sales thereof Only one of them had
watch. If either had ever owned d.
almond studs, as was alleged, he, Close,
had never seen them, nor the hundreds
ct dollars alleged to be in their pos
nor the company fund for
which Stone was accountable. Inpoint
'of fact, he, Close, was, compelled to say
lhe did not believe the ladies knew what
their: husbands did OF did not have.
He was ready to make oath as to thea
truth of his story, and Hospital Stew
testify that the deceased officers had
hardly any effects to- speak Of could
dhey5 only be found. But thereby hung
/. tale of further trouble. Meigs him.
selfxhad died of the fever, and Griffin,
AFTER 'fitful career, had been found
guilty of all manner of9theft and dis.
honesty as to.hospital stores in his:
charge. and. was himself languish;ng,
in dishonorable discharge, a prisoner ut
Ship island. Here Close thought to end
it 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-ha1
welded strapping sergennts 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-th widows were
row backed by a priest and q pettifog-
ger, and, mindful Of the success achieved
by such proceeding when led by name.
{of their own nationality, were deter
nined 70 push things B When De-
5cember came, such was the accnmula-
ton Of charge and cifcation against.
the absent and friendless officer that
old Brax took the simplest way out Of
Il and applied Tor = court martial to:
try the case. III
The day AFTER hristmas. therefore
and bebore the official copy of the order:
was received at the barracks las, spdi1l W.
soften happened sinit those time until the
leak - discovered and dull plugged IS.