Daily camera., 1897-01-29


adiutant 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. 1t did not come. and another let
ter-a "chaser"-was sent, demanding
immediate reply, and nearly week
elapsed before reply came. Close wrote
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 remitted
every cent he had realized from the
sales thereof. Only one of them had a
watch If either had ever owned di-
amond studs, as was alleged. he. Close,
had never seen them, nor the hundreds
Of dollars alleged to be in their pos
session, 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 a fitful career, had been found
guilty of ell manner of theft and dis
honesty as to hospital stores in his
charge, and was himself languishing,
in dishonorable discharge, prisoner t
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-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
row backed by priest and pettifog-
ger, and, mindful of the success achieved
hy such proceeding when led by a name
cf their own nationality, were deter
mined to push things" When De
cember came, such was the accumula-
ton of charge and specification against
the absent and friendless officer that
old Brax took the simplest way out of
it and applied for court-martial to
try the case.
The day after Christmas, therefore.
and before the official copy of the order
was received at the barracks tas, oddly,
often happened in those times, until the
leak was discovered and duly plugged),
the New Orleans evening papers con-
tanned the following interesting item:
"a general court-martial of unusual
importance is to be held at the bar
racks, the session to commence at ten
a. m. on the I'd ofJanuary, for the trial
of Brevet Capt. j. p. Close, of the
--teenth infantry, on charges serious
ly rejecting upon his character as an
officer and gentleman. The detail for
the court comprises officers of several
other regiments, as it is conceded that
the accused among his comrades in the
--teenth. Even the light battery has
been drawn upon in this instance, an
unusual circumstance, as officers of that
arm generally claim exemption from
such service in view of the peculiar and
engrossing nature of their battery du-
ties. Brevet Brig. Gen. Pike, Of the -th
80 Jafo 1o1
First Lieut. S. X. Waring, of the -th
artillery, as judge advocate of the court.
The latter officer will be remembered
rs the hero of a remarkable adven-
ture in connection with the recent
cause celebre, the Lascelles affair"
"Well, may be kissed to DEATH" ex-
claimed Capt. Lively, Of the Foot, as he
burst into the messroom that evening.
"Just listen to this, will you! Old
Close to be tried by court-martial-with
New Clothes for judge advocated"
New Clothes" be it understood, was
name under which Mr.. Waring was be-
ginning to be known, thanks to his un-
willingness to appear a second time in
any garment of the fashion of the day.
"By gad, if were the old man I'd OBJ
ject to the ]. A. on the ground of nat
ural antipathy!" said Mr.. Burton; and
among the men present, some of whom
had been the colonePs advisers in draw
ing up the charges, there were half u
score who seemed to think that poor
Close could hope for no fair play now.
1t was then that Maj. Kinsey, red-faced
and impetuous, burst in with the re-
buke that became classic in the an
nails of the old barracks:
Fair play be damned, and you fel-
lows, too! What fair play has the man
had at your hands? It's my belief that
he never would get it but for the fact
that Waring is detailed"
The sensation Kinsey's outbreak Gre
ated was mild compared with that
caused by Closes appearance before a
grave and dignified court in the week