Daily camera., 1897-01-29
copyright. ,s04. by J. B. LIppIneett Compsny.1

alterations 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 Brax.
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
Epman to be unfoldcd. It transpired
that Mr.. Waring had gone up to head
quarters on the evening of the lst 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 a result
of his investigation. and the chief
ripped out something old BraX and his
adjutant might have been startled to
hear, but, after thinking it all over,
told Waring to go ahead, try the case,
"eXhaust the evidence" and never mind
the consequences. He sent his aid-de-
camp down to say TO Close that any
officer whose assistance he desired
should be assigned amicus curia. Close
replied that lie 'reckoned he could git
along without any amycuss curious,
whatever that Washed talked it over
with Mr.. Waring and Mr. Pierce;" and
the trial went on.
Parmelee was the first witness to fiat
ten out and 90 to pieces, and the only
one who had anything but 'hearsay'
to offer on the score of official neglects.
The widows were the next. They be-
gan truculently and phantly
enough, but the cross-eXamination ra-
duced them to contradictions and tears.
1t 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 Tighe
had been gambling and drinking for
months previous to their fatal seizures.
1t was established that, so far from
having defrauded the widows of their
money, the old fellow had sent them
each 500 over and above the proceeds
of the meager sales, besides accounting
for, as sold at fair valuation, items he
never disposed of until Lambert bought
them.
Then when it came to testimony as to
war and other service, Close sat there.
Lind, bandaged, SCARED, and little
Pierce, who had volunteered as "amy-
cuss" anyhow, tnrolled one letter after
another and laid them on the table. and
they went the rounds of the court until
old Pike choked them off by saving
they couldn't well attach the accused's
scars and wounds to the records, any
more than these letters: be was ready
to vote, unless the gentleman himself
desired to say something-had some
statement to offer. How was that, Mr.
Judge Advocate? And Waring turned
10 Pierce, who was beginning to unroll
d batch of manuscript to which he had
devoted two sleepless nights and in
which he had lavished satire and sar-
casm by the page upon all enemies or
accusers of his client Pierce meant
it to be the sensation of the day, and
The court was crowded to hear him
read it. despite the significant absence
of Brax and his now confounded adviS-
ers. Braxton already was in deep dis
tress, the victim Of overweening conf
dence in the statements of his asso-
ciates. upon my soul. general" he had
said to Pike, "the result of this trial al
ready makes me feel as though I, not
Close, were the criminal And Pierce
.ully meant to "show up" the scandal
mongers in the case, placing the blame
ON them and not their colonel.
But it was not to be. Old Close put
forth a bandaged hand and restrained
him. ''I've been thinking that all over"
he said, "and I'll just say word instid. +"
With that he slowly found his feet and
the green patch over his eyes was
brought to bear on the court. The
silence of midnight fell on the crowded
room, as, leaning on the back of his
chair, the accused stood revealed in the
worn old single-breasted coat, the
coarse trousers and shoes, so long asso-
ciated with him. He cleared his throat
and then faltered. He did not know
how to begin. At last the words came
slowly, and with many a hitch and
stumble:
"You see, it's this way, Gen. Pike and
gentlemen of the court. l never knew
anything about what was expected of
regular officer, r wouldn't have tried
it. All knew was what I'd seen durin'
the war, when they didn't seem to be so
different from the rest of us. l was
bred on the farm; never had no educa-
ton; had to work like horse ever
since / was weaned, almost, not only for
my own livin', but-but there was the
mother, and. as grew up. the hull care
of the farm fell on me, for my father
never was strong, and he broke down
entirely. When he died there warn't
nothing left but mortgage. There was
tho mother and fnnr kids to he fed on