The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1897-11-10
WEDNESDAY,. NOVEMBER 10, 1897
STRING Up A JUDGE.
REFUSED TO GIVE HIS NAME AND
WAS HUNG BY THE THUMBS.
How a Young Lieutenant Carried Out
Orders and Came Near Getting Into
Trouble President Lincoln Stood by
the Soldier Who Did His Duty.

1NoC4 W
the Soldier Who Did His DUTY.
Il was only 10 years Of age and held
} lieutenant's commission in the Fifth
Infantry when an event occurred which
rave me a great deal Of unsought noto-
,iety, said "A department official the
,ther night. mot only was the notori-
ity %unsought, but it was exceedingly
undesirable" he added, "for it almost
made an old man of me in a single day.
1t was an experience calculated to try
the discipline and determination of any
young officer"
what kind of an experience did you
have?"
II had merely a 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.
1t vas ordered that no person should
enter the 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 / was officer of
the day and. having attended to my
duties, war lying down in my tent
reading a book, an orderly reported that
there was a mail in the custody Of the
provost marshal who refused to give his
name. Putting aside my book, l donned
my uniform and sash and proceeded to
the guardhouse.
There. i'll the midst Of as tough a
looking gang as IL ever saw, stood a
we'll dressed, distinguished looking gen.
tleman. 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-
quested him to go with me and regis
ter. he responded, You know me well
enough and do not need ask my name.
w utu L ubSuItu ului tlilt L Auu AONSA
seen him before and | requested him to
comply with the order under which /
was acting, he refused Indignantly to
do 50.
II then ordered the guards to take
him to the parade ground and tic him
to the flagstaff. Upon arriving there l
again begged him to be reasonable and
give his name, but he ~obstinately re-
fused to do SO. Then | ordered the men
to tic him up by the thumbs. After
leaving him in that position for three
MINUTES he was let down, but again re-
manned ob~stinately silent. He was
drawn up again, and after leaving him
in that painful position nearly ten min
utes he was let down, lut scornfully
declined to answer my most polite re-
quest to give me his name. l begged
him to relieve me of the necessity OF
resorting to more force and to relieve
himself of further humiliation and phys
ical pain, but he scorned me. There l
was On the parade ground with that
gentleman, who was manifestly OF more
than ordinary ability and consequence
in the world, and i'll the presence OF the
regimental staff, |, a young officer, a
mere stripping, and yet the officer OF
the day, was trying to compel Finn to
give his name in accordance with the
order of the commanding officer OF the
department.
HE remained stolidly silent, and
then | ordered the guards to LUCK ana
gag him. 1t WAS a painful scenc which
/ shall never forget. The soldiers dld
their duty, lound him i'll an uncomfort-
able position and gagged him so tightly
that the llood ran from his mouth. Thai
was more than | had intended to be
done the first time, and 1t was more
than | could bear to see, SO ordereo
his release. >,
LAS he stood up, trembling Win
min. passion and humiliation, he SAID:
i am Joseph q. Knapp, chief justice OF
the supreme court Of the territory OF
Now Mexico.' | Immediately ordered