The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-04
TRIAL OF PRIVATE JACOB BRANDT
CHARGED WITH THE DEFENSE
OF SLEEPING AT HIS POST.
Defense Claims That He Had Been
Loaded Once and Was Subject to
Drowsy Spells-Camp News.
(special Correspondence.l

Camp Merritt. June 3O-The trial of
Private Jacob Brandt of Captain Gaines
troop occurred today. The offense charged
is sleeping on his post as sentry, crime
punishable by death or such other pun
ishment as the court martial may pre-
scribe. What eXpiation Brandt may have
to make will not be known for two or
three days, during which time the case is
under adviSemenI.
The Brandt affair is the first trouble of
any sort in the Utah cavalry camp. The
following is the only document of its kind
on the troops files:
June 30, 1SSS-Seventh California
United States Volunteers, Captain Joseph
L. Game, Sir: 1 have the honor to inform
you that the trial of Private Jacob
Brandt will take place at 1:30 p. m. at
headquarters Third brigade, Independent
division Philippine islands eXpeditionary
forces. You will therefore have Private
Jacob Brandt, First troop Utah United
States volunteer cavalry, present at that
time and place, in charge of such guard
as you deem necessary. BY order of
Lieutenant Colonel r. b. Wallace. presi-
dent of general court martial, by orders
number %, current series. (Sgned) John
D. Fredricks, First Lieutenant Seventh
California, assistant judge advocate"
The city of Ogden was well represented
in the Brandt court martial. The prose-
cutor, Assistant Judge Advocate Fred
ricks, once practiced in Ogden, and the
prisoners attorney is Lieutenant G. n.
Kimball of the Utah troop. Witnesses
and Lieutenant Kimball, Private Racker
and the prisoner for the defense.
Brandt $ nap was taken on the night
of June %. Sergeant Price found him
asleep, and the result of his report is
that Brandt has been a prisoner, guarded
day and night, ever since the morning of
June "a.
All the witnesses, including Sergeant
Price, on cross examination, testified to
the prisoners good moral character.
Brandt admitted that he fell asleep, and
set up in palliation the claim that he had
been loaded in Utah and was subject to
drowsy spells, lasting from five days to
two weeks. In rebuttal, Assistant Judge
Advocate Fredricks called Major Choate
replied to a number of hypothetical ques-
tionS bearing on lead poisoning.
Colonel Willard Young called at the
Utah quarters this evening, after a bsuy
day spent in examining and accepting
officers for his engineers corps He ex-
pressed himself as well pleased with Camp
Merritt. Utah's place in it and his own
lot.
The Seventh California regiment has re-
moved from its block just south of the
troops camp, and Captain Game is pre-
pairing the abandoned square for fancy
bareback riding. There were mounted
drills there without saddiee this morning
and afternoon, and many of the troopers
displayed considerable skill The ground
is soft. with sand. and no injury results
from an occasional tumble off a contrary
charger in the moving mounts and jump
ing hurdles and trenches.
From a hint dropped by General Otis
today, it seems practically certain that
the Utah troop will be assigned a part in
the magnificent demonstration being ar
ranged for Independence Day by San
Francisco.
Today Lester Wright, son of Senator
Wright of Richfield, reached Frisco en-
route to the Society islands, whittier he
goes as a Mormon missionary. He ex-
poets to sail in about ten days. and in
the meantime will visit his brother, Far
rier Enron Wright, and other Richfield
friends in camp.
JOHN METER.