Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-26
CAPT. LOWERING GUILTY
Penalty is That He Be Reprimanded by the
Reviewing Authority.
HAMMOND WAS A DlsOBEDlENT SOLDIER,
Or lowering Would Have Received IIcav-
Ter Observation-Disclosures May
Change the Sentence.

Chicago. Nov. 26.-The Tribune to-
day prints the following:
The finding of the court martial is
that the accused is guilty as charged
in the specifications and that he be
reprimanded by the reviewing author
ity. The court is thus lenient in view
OF the good character of the accused
as shown in the evidence"
The foregoing is, according to the
statement of man who knows, the
exact verdict of the court martial
which has just completed its labors in
the case of Captain Leonard Lowering
of Fort Sheridan, charged with brutal
treatment of Private Charles Ham
mond.
II took the court martial one hour to
reach It's decision. The first ballot re-
suited in seven members of the court
martial voting Guilty" and five Not
guilty"
The usual court martial is composed
Of thirteen members, Major RAN
doph who had been detailed to attend
the court, was unable to do so. and
twelve men sat as n jury to decide the
fate of Captain Lowering.
There was vigorous effort made to
have those parts of the specifications
charging Captain Lowering with
cruelty" and brutality" stricken out.
1t was finally decided to consider the
charges as they We're set forth in the
specifications and the decision was
reached without making the changes.
A majority is conclusive in court
martial findings, and so, after the fact
of guilt was established, the only thing
to be considered was the measure of
,sstl,V l. a l..
up their minds that Hammond's career
as a soldier was not consistent and
this weighed strongly in bringing them
to an agreement as to the punishment
to be meted out to Lowering.
The evidence showed that Captain
Lowering had been connected with the
United States military service for
twenty-five years and that his record
had been good one a number of the
officers came out plainly and said they
would not vote for a finding of guilty
If Captain Lowering was to be given a
humiliating punishment.
1t was agreed that Hammond's rec
ord, when placed by the side of Cap
tain Lovering's, was of such charac-
acter as unavoidably to gain sympa-
thy from the court for the officer.
The finding of the court martial is
secret, under solemn oath The
members of the court are sworn not
to divulge finding nor discuss 1t I'M
til it has reached the proper authori-
ty, which in this case is President Nc
kinney. The Lowering court martial
is the result of an order issued by the
President and he will be the review
ing officer in the case unless he sur
renders the responsibility to General
Alger.
Lieutenant Colonel Hunter, Judge
advocate of the court, will have his
record completed today and this. with
the finding will be forwarded to Wash
ington. 1t will probably be placed in
the hands of the President on Monday,
and after its inspection by Secretary
Alger and General Miles, the finding
may be made public. The public an
nouncement will probably be made by
Thursday of next week 1t is, of
course, known that the President may
change the sentence recommended by
the court martial.