Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-10-23
STRUNG UP A JUDGE.
aEFusEp TO GIVE HIS NAME AND
WAS HUNG BY THE THUMBS

orders and Came Noar Getting Into
TroubIo--President Lincoln stood by
il the soldier Who Did His Duty.
"I was only 10 years of age and held
. lieutenant's commission in the Fifth
Infantry when an event occurred which
Rave mo great deal Of unsought noto-
xfety," said department official the
other night. "Not only was the notori-
ETY. unsought, but it was exceedingly
undesirable, ~ he added, ''for it almost
made an old man of mo in single day.
II was an experience calculated to try
She discipline and determination of any
young officer. "
''What kind of an experience did you
have?"
''I had merely routine duty to per-
form, but it was exciting. The regiment
was stationed at Santa Fe, and the de-
partment was under martial law. The
war had just commenced, and people
were averse to obeying military orders,
but they learned obedience very soon.
II Nub OlutlCo bLup III DS1SOlA SiiOuto
enter tho city of Santa Fe nor depart
from it without registering his name
with the provost marshal. The order
was positive and was rigidly enforced.
One afternoon, when l was officer of
Cha day and, having attended TO my
dntics, was lying down in my tent
reading a book, an orderly reported that
tharo was man in the custody of the
provost marshal who refused to give his
name Putting aside my book, donned
my uniform and sash and proceeded to
The guardhorse.
''There, in the midst of as tough u
looking gang as one ever saw, stood q
we'll dressed, distinguished looking gem
tIenlan. When asked him why he was
In custody, he informed me that he was
under arrest because he had refused to
give his name or to register with the
provost marshal. When l politely re-
euested him to 90 with me and regis
ter, he responded, You know me well
enough and do not need ask my name
When 1 assured him that had never
seen him before and requested him to
comply with the order under which
was acting, he refused Indignantly to
do So
''I then ordered the guards to take
him to the parade ground and tie him
TO the Flagstaff. Upon arriving there
again begged him to be reasonable and
give his name, but he obstinately re-
fnsed to do SO. Then ordered the men
to tic him up by the thumbs. After
leaving him i'll that position for three
minutes he was let down, but again re-
manned obstinately silent. He was
drawn up again, and after leaving him
IN that painful position nearly ten min
utes he was let down, but scornfully
declined to answer my most polite re-
quest to give me his name. l begged
him to relieve me of the necessity of
1esorting to more force and to relieve
himself of further humiliation and phys
icaI pain, but he scorned me. There I
vas ON the parade ground with that
gentleman, who was manifestly of more
than ordinary ability and consequence
In the world, and in the presence of the
yegimental staff, 1, young officer, a
mere STRIPPING, and yet the officer of
the day, was trying to compel him to
give his name in accordance with the
order of the commanding officer Of the
department
''Iic remained stolidly silent, and
then 1 ordered the guards to buck and
gag him. 1t was painful scene which
j shall never forget. The soldiers did
their duty, bound him in an uncomfort-
able position and gagged him SO tightly
that the blood ran from his mouth. That
was more than l had intended to be
done the first time, and it was more
than could bear to see, SO ordered
his release.
''As he stood up, trembling with
pain, passion and humiliation, he said
Il am Joseph G. Knapp, chief justice of
the supreme court of the territory OF
New Mexico. l Immediately ordered
his release from custody, and he re,
turned to the Hotel Fonda, where he
had registered upon his arrival. His
presence in Santa Fe was no secret, and
nearly everybody knew him. Therefore
be may have reasoned that knew him
and was merely making g parade of my
authority needlessly in asking him his
nasne and compelling him to give it
You may be very sure that I regretted
the occurrence when l heard him an
nounce his name, his title and his Off
cial standing, as, indeed, had sincere
ly regretted the entire scene from tin
first"
''Was anything done about it Off
oia1ly7"
swell, 1 should saysol Colonel earle
ton, commanding the post, wrote a re
port of the affair, which he character
lied as brutal, and recommended pro
eeedings against me, although he knew
that had only done my duty in thu
promises. If an obscure citizen had re
fused to give his name, as Judge KNAPP
had done, Colonel Carleton would hay,
commended my course. AS it was
Judge Knapp and Colonel Carleton
were bosom friends and had been fo