Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-30

accused pleaded guilty, that ended H.
PROTEST AGAINST PERSECUTION
The Judge-Adyocate then read Speclh
cation No /. 10 the charge in which MI
Folkes pleaded guilty. Mr.. Lecky tner
put a direct question to the accused: do
you offer that as substitute TO your
statement
Mr.. Folkes replied: mo. sir; / Offer
that as a mitigating circumstance, and
protest against being prosecuted
There was considerable applause al
this statement and confusion reigned ioi
! few moments.
AT the suggestion of Mr.. Morrisette. all
who were not members OF the camp were
requested to take seats In the southern
| end OF the hall When order was restored
| and the members OF the camp were
| left I'm possession Of the portion of the
| hall set apart for them at the begin
ming of the proceedings, Mr. Guigon
| raised a point OF order He said the pro-
cesdlngs were not being properly con-
| Quoted, and that unless they were every
| thing would be gotten in tangle. Il
regretted" said he. ito hear from the
| lips of the gentleman who Is on trial a
protest that he should not be prosecuted.
/ will say TO him that though l have
urged his conviction on a previous occa-
that / will be second to no man in seeing
that he. or any other man. shall not be
prosecuted In this camp. But II is abso-
lutely necessary that we should first de-
termine the guilt or innocence OF the ac-
cused on these specifications. l say the
wrong course of procedure has been
had. Mr.. Folkes has pleaded guilty
to four out OF the six spe-
cifcations The committee has found
him not guilty OF two. Now let us take
these specifications one after the other,
and let him do as he would have TO do
in any court. When he pleads guilty"
the court-martial has nothing to do
When he pleads mot guilty" the court
martial must determine whether he is
guilty or not. Then Mr.. Folkes can be
heard. and any one heard as to the
merits of the case. But let us first de-
termine, by his pleading. whether he is
guilty or not"
2 MR.. FOLKES SPEAKS AGAIN.
The second specification was then read.
to which Mr. Folkes pleaded mot
guilty" The others following this were
next read, Mr.. Folkes pleading guilty
TO the third. fourth, and sixth, and mot
guilty to the fifth.
Mr.. Folkes then addressed the camp
again. He said: Now, with reference
to my statement you notice l plead
guilty to the charges which have been
preferred against me. and | read a
statement Offering these circumstances,
and l hope the camp, in rendering their
verdict, will temper their justice with
mercy. That statement IL is not neces-
sary for me TO read again. | have sub
mitted IT, and / hope the comrades will
give 1t that consideration which they
think proper. The four charges which
the jury ind against me, and have
brought in against me, 1 have pleaded
guilty 10, and offer my statement, show
ing that although / did wrong, / offer
which l hope Will lead
my comrades to be as lenient in their
punishment as possible"
THE DEBATE LIMITED.
The Judge-Advocate stated that he
thought the comrades were at liberty to
discuss the different specifications. Mr..
Stuart offered a resolution providing that
the speeches be limited to ten minutes
A substitute for this was adopted, limit
ing them TO five minutes. Mr.. Montague
moved that all the findings" which
stated that Mr.. Folkes was mot guilty" !
be gotten rid of at once. He moved that |
the courts report on those two findings |
be adopted.
cifcations in which Mr. Folkes admitted |
his guilt be excepted. and that the two
in which the committee found the ac-
cused mot guilty be the only ones con
sdered. This was adopted.
Mr.. Lecky said the third specification |
was the meat Of the whole thing. He
reviewed the testimony, citing in a good
many cases the exact language used. He
held up the enormity of the crime Of at
for the sake of $50, TO keep
from the children Of the Southland a his
-ory giving the true record Of the war
He stated the work Of the committee APP
ponted TO select such history, and men
toned that Mr.. Folkes. by the acceptance
Of $50, was there to Offset their vote.
NO PROOF OF BRIBERY.
Mr.. Gardner said he had heard and
'ead the evidence carefully, and in his
opinion there was not one word in the
testimony which showed conclusively that
dr. Folkes received from the American
Book Company or any company the
um Of $50 to defeat the resolutions.
1lr. Montague took the same view of the
natter. The evidence would not have
,een sufficient for conviction on the
,harge in question in court Of law, and
lie was, therefore, in favor of adopting
ne report OF the committee on that |
harge The vote was then taken, and
esulted in the adoption Of the commit
ee's report on this charge by ballot OF
1 TO H.
TIE COMMITTEE NOT SUSTAINED. |
Specification No. was then read. anC |
aused considerable debate. This specin-
alton is IN relation to the resolutions
which 1t is charged Mr. Folkes gave Mr
Werner, the Times reporter Mr. Lecky
gain went over the testimony on this
barge. Mr.. Gardiner stated that MI
lahood admitted on the stand that he
vas a party to the arrangement. Mr.
tuart asked that Mr., Mahoods testi-
lony be read. which was done Nj
tuart then went on to say that ne
bought from the evidence OF one who
'as more reliable than Mr.. Folkes-
amely. Mr.. Werner-that this programme
'as not carried out, and that
nat released Mr.. Mahood entirely. {
Mr.. Cook declared that It was Mr. {
lahood's duty to hold those resolutions p
lr. Guigon then read a portion OF the /,
lahood testimony. and showed that fl :
las simply a case Of the commander OF ,
camp instructing the secretary what 10 !
o, and that the latter was compelled TO .
hey orders from his superior.
The vote was then taken, and the body
efused TO sustain the committee in this ,
by a vote OF Il 10 II, thereby
Mr.. Folkes's guilt as to thai /,
narge. =
VERDICT OF THE COURT. I
When the last count had been passed h
pom, the verdict of the court came VI o
Or consideration, and Mr.. w. A. Jacob '