The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-26

Tho Case Private 4. B. Bette Tried by the
General Coort-Nartiaiand Case oil III
,ato ). \. Hartman Partly Heard


a.. ..'..., tt,.. al lnU I.c. mental Ar
tof. tsst s.,utlg .l 900 eioth ioi 'he
tllt,os. of tp4n. iuc cases GA itNa.ea
itar,fo..li ana a. IS. Belts. OF COM
paLy e.. o.. iae Nnat i.esimthe lNi"n.iS'
against WHOM charges had Lctn pfei,ireu
bv e.nftn Ge0lAc A. SndtAcliofo, me
Conmanacf ol ue company
yhc court had Occu enlarged yesterday
~ 40 ADDING OF three members thious"
SPECIAL oraCr no. IL Dur o" '"o o'".'
L..d IA .ygeaItd tuat Captain W. = T.
nIsvo ~ aisquulincd 20 sit on the court
..oause lac had failed 10 apply Tor an
examination within thirty days after ne
had been elected Captain OF Company -
az the Blues Battalion. and that he tnere-
fore 40 tAls time did not hold any COM
mission in the Virginia Volunteers.
Thc ease Of Private a. B. Belts was
first tried and ihe court agreed on hnu-
INKS which will be forwarded 20 inc
tommandcr-iu-Chiei. In the case OF fil-
waite Hartman, who, like Private Be's.
pleaded not guilty. Captain Shackelford
was heard ms the FIRST witness and the
court then took an adjournment untA THIS
evening 40 = o'clock.
THE COURT ENLARGED.
The court was promptly called 10 order
by Major w. j.. S.mCns and the roll was
called by Judge Advocate Frank NJ. Woon,
which showed the following officers Of the
court 90 DE present.
Major W T. Simons, First Battalion
Artillery. Major j.. n. Christian, OF the
stan Of the First Brigade. Captain NJ. X.
Mills. Company j.. First Regiment, In
faniry. Captain George p. Shackelford,
Company G. First Regiment. Infantry;
Captain vs.. S. i. Mayo. Company b.
Blues Battalion. Captain T. j. Euker
Troop a. Cavalry; Lieutenant r. a. VII
lams. Battery a. First Battalion. Artii-
lcr1 Judge Advocate Frank NJ. Woon
Tho only absentee was Captain A. L.
I.auicr. Of the staff Of the First Brigade.
A. soon as the court was opened Judge
Advocate Woon read special order No.
~ which was issued on that day and
reads as follows.
"M8ior r.. a.. sutton. quartcrmastcr of
the First Brigade Captain y. Gray Bos-
sioux. Company a. First Regiment. and
First Lieutenant S. S. Cheatwood. Com
pany a. Fourth Battalion. Virginia Vol
unfeers. are detailed as members of the
general court martial appointed by spe-
cial order No 20. September 18th, 1891
from their hehdQrarters."
Tho only absentee of tho members APP
pointed under that order was Major SUIT
ton
Tho judge Advocate stated that no
would first take up the case Of a. 3. Belts
~ Company C. But before doing so ne
read "a lettot from Captain Lanier VINO
asked 90 Doe cxcuser from attendance on
account Of some important legal business.
Major T. r. Christian was then asked
by the Judge Advocate. whether he desir.
ed 10 make "a statement 10 be entered
on the record as TO the reason why he was
absent during the first two sessions Of the
court.
AZ ..- r,t-t.tf,,, etoto1 o., ,o.r,l,- fbof ho
had been excused from attending the first
session by the president Of the court and
that at the second session ne was also eX-
cused bv Major Simmons as well as the
Adiutant General. inasmuch as he had TO
20 out of the state.
Before going into the Belts case. Judge
Advocate Woon challenged Captain
snackclford as "a member Of the court,
inasmuch as De was an important Wit
ness i'm the case.
40 COMMISSIONED OFFICER.
Judge Advocate Woon also challenged
Captain w. s. II. Mayo as a. member Of
the court saying that the latter was not
at present "a commissioned officer. He
had been elected Captain Of Company b
Of the Blues Battalion on August 9TH, but
failed 10 make an application for his eX-
animation within the thirty days prescrib-
cd by the regulations. Had he done so,
ne would have had sixty days from his
election. within which time he could have
passed his examination. Had he failed I'm
the latter. another thirty days would have
been granted him 20 try again.
Tho Judge Advocate then stated I'm eX-
PLANTATION that he only took this action be-
cause he wanted 10 avoid the raising Of
The question as TO the legality Of the
court. n a. convention should be secured.
The president then ordered the court 10
De clos .d. but Captain Mills moved that
the Judge Advocate ana Captain Mayo he
asked 90 remain. This motion being in
conflict with the regulations il had to be
denied
The court then considered the points
raised ty the Judge Advocate and enter
tanned both challenges.
THE CHARGES.
At the reopening OF the court the
charges ana specifications were read
which vo. ass follows
Charge J. Absence. without leave IN
violation of the 32d article of war
Specification: That Private A. Il. Belts.
COMPANY g. First Infantry. Virginia Vol
unteers. did absent himself from his
Company without leave from his COM
mauding officer on the following dates:
January 4th 2Jih. February Sth. 10Th;
March 1et. 18th 22d: April 9TH 18th, 10Th
lIiN. May vNf Illlt IfNNf june -l0tf -'titf
July 18th. August 9Th 18th 23d, 3Oth;
September 18th. 9th. October 4th All
the above dates being I'm the year 1897 and
being the dates ON which regular Com
panv drills were held. Also that the said
Private A. b. Belts did likewise absent
himself from his Company ON May 2lst.
cith June Eth, nth. being dates upon
which battalion drills were held in
which his Company was ordered 20 parti-
cipate and that he also absonted himself
on June iith. which was the date of
rcgmcntal drill This at Richmond Va.
SO the dates specified
Charg, % Absence from parade I'm Vio-
iation Of the $3.50 article of the war.
specification That Private a. y. Belts
Company g.. First Infantry Virginia
Volunteers. not being prevented by sick
ness or other necessity did foll 90 repair
az the time fixed 20 the place appointed
hy his commanding officer for annual i'm
spection. This at Richmond. Va. on the
10Th DAY Of Sentcmber. 1897
THE FIRST WITNESS.
Capt Geo. T. Shackeford was tho first
witness called and stated that be was
twenty-cight years old am insurance
agent by profession. and captain of Com
many c. The accused was "a private IN
his company and was 20 his own SHACK
eIford's) knowledge absent at the dates
mentioned in the specifications Of the
two charges. with the exception of March
22d and August 9th. when witness was
himself Ivory man on the roll