Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-06-17


ular army during the four years of vol
unteer supreEiucv-the widows were
row backed by n priest ard pettifog-
ger. and, mindful Of the success achieved
by such proceeding when led by name
OF their own nationality, were deter
mined 10 push thirrs." When De-
ceInber came. such was the accumula-
ton 81 CHARGE and specification against
the a},solt au1 frieudless officer that
old Drax tack the simplest war ont Of
{, g"d :"'i'"i for a coUrtmartial 10
.ry tla ca-..
'Th~ .'ev ,,ft.- "0--'~.r.as Therefore
and before the official copy of the order
was received at the barracks (as, oddly,
often happened in those times. until the
leak was discovered and duly plugged,
the New Orleans evening papers con-
tained the following interesting item:
~ genera! court-martial of unusual
importance is TO be held at the bar
racks, the session TO commence at ten
a. M. on the "a OF January, 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 II Is conceded that
there is widespread prejudice against
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
engrossiug nature of their battery du-
ties Brevet Brig. Gen. Pike, of the --th
cavalry, Is detailed as president, and
First Lieut. s. X. Waring, Of the -th
artillery, as Judge advocate OF the court.
The latter officer will be remembered
as the hero of remarkable adven-
ture In connection with the recent
cause celebre, the Lascelles affair"
We'll, may be kissed TO DEATH" ex-
claimed Capt. Lively, of the Foot, as he
burst into the messroom that evening.
"Just listen TO this, viii youi Old
Close to be tried by court-martlal--with
New Clothes for Judge advocated
"New Clothes" be II understood, was
q name under which Mr.. Waring was be-
ginning TO be known, thanks to his un-
willingness to appear second time In
any garment of the fashion of the day.
"By gad, II We're the old man I'd OBJ
ject TO the j. A. on the ground of nat
ural antipathy," said Mr.. Burton; and
among the men present, some of whom
had been the colonels advisers IN draw
ing up the charges, there were half
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 u 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 ere
ated was mild compared with that
caused by Closes appearance before a
grave and dignifled court In the week
that followed. On the principle Of N
clean sweep" IL had been determined
TO arraign him on charges covering the
allegations as to his official misconduct
In failing or refusing TO support the
federal authorities during the late dis
turbances. might as well get rid OF
him for good and all" said old Brslx.
And so the array of charges was long
and portentous. SO was the bill for
transportation and per diem of civilian
witnesses the government afterwards
had to pay. SO was BraNton's face
when, the evidence for the prosecution
exhausted without proving much Of
anything, the testimony for the defense
began to be unfolded. II transpired
that Mr.. Waring had gone up 10 head
quarters on the evening of the 1st of
January and formally asked the gen,
eral commanding to be relieved from
duty as Judge advocate and allowed To
defend the accused. The general was
astonished, and asked why. Then War
ing laid before him piece by piece the
evidence he had collected as u result
Of his investigation, and the chief
ripped out something old Brax and his
adjutaut might have been startled 10
hear, but, after thinking II all over,
told Waring 10 GO ahead, try the case,
exhaust the evidence" and never mind
the consequences. He sent his aid-dc-
camp down 20 say TO Close that any
officer whose assistance he desired
should be assigned amicue curie. Close
replied that he ''reckoned he could git
along without any amycuss curious,
whatever that was-he'd talked IL over
with Mr.. Waring and Mr., Plerce;" and
the trial went on,
Parmelee was the first witness TO fat
ten out and go TO pieces. and the only
one who had anything but -"hearsay"
10 offer on the scorc OF official neglects.
The widows were the next. They be-
gan truculently nnd triumphantly
enough, but the cross examination re-
duced them 10 contradictions and tears.
II became evident that most of Stones
company fund went north with one OF
them, that the alleged diamonds were
paste and that both Stone and Tighc
had been gambling and drinking for
months previous 10 their fatal seizures.
II was established that. 30 far from
hnving dcfrauded the widows Of their
money, the old fellow had sent them
each 800 over and above the proceeds
of the menger snlea, besides accounting
for, as sold nt fair valuation, Items he
never disposed of until Lambert bought
them
Then when IL came to testimony IA to
war and other service. Close sat thero.
LIND, bandaRcd, SCARED, and little
Pierce, who had volunteered as amy
cuse" anyhow, unrolled one lett"r after
another and laid them on the table, and
they went the rounds of the court until
old Pike choled them of by saying
they couldn't well attach the occuscd's
scars and wounds ~ the records, any
more than those letters: he wns ready
20 vote, unless the gentleman himself
desired 10 say something some
statement 10 offer. How was that, Mr..
Judge Advocate? And Waring turned
10 Pierce, who was beginning 10 unro1l
Il batch OF manuscript, To which he had
devoted two sleepless nights and In
which he had layi2hed satire and sat