The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-13
Captain Choynski's
st abb on Soldiers.
HE is SEEKING RETALIATION
FOR TESTIMONY GIVEN AT THE
INVESTIGATION.
Non-Commissioned officers Reduced
and Their Lives Made Miser-
able for Telling What
They Knew.

Every soldier and officer in this depart
ment is at present awaiting with much
interest the result of the investigation
that is being made by Lieutenant Ben
nett into the reports that have been CIR
culated about the officers of Battery B,
California Heavy Artillery, stationed at
Fort Baker Lieutenant Bennett has not
yet completed his work of securing all the
evidence, but he hopes to finish 1t this
week Until this is submitted to General
Merriam for his consideration nothing Will
be done in the matter of preterr1ng
charges against the officers OF the bat
terry If General Merriam thinks that the
evidence warrants it he will order board
of inquiry, or else he may appoint a
court martial for the trial of the officers.
Since the investigation has been going on
the soldiers say Captain Choynsh and
the other officers OF the battery have
made life anything but a pleasant dream
TO them.
Last Friday morning Sergeant P. l..
Snowden was standing in the door of his
tent, when he was accosted by prisoner
engaged in street sweeping. Snowden told
the man to move on, that it was against
the rules for a prisoner to speak to non
witnessed the occurrence, and the next
morning sent for SnoWden and reduced
him to the ranks, ostensibly because he
was caught speaking with prisoner.
Sergeant W. Mcguire, nephew of James
@. Mcguire, who was in the tent next that
of Snowden, was reduced to the ranks for
the same alleged reason.
Both these sergeantS gave evidence
against the commissioned officers, and
several privates and two non-commls-
stoned officers assert that for that rea-
son they were reduced to the ranks.
In order TO keep tab" on the wit
nesses, Captain Choynski and Lieuten-
ants HUE and Sprague have two clerks
stationed at small bridge over gully
who take the names of the witnesses as
h raTp1o nod n he %
investigation is going on.
It is further declared by the soldiers
that last Monday Captain Choynski, in
fit of anger, took pocket knife and
ruined a suit of Sergeant Clark while
slashing off the diamond and stripes
which were his insignia of office. For
this Clark has threatened TO prefer
charges against the captain. Clark was
another witness.
Another significant fact mentioned by
the boys in blue IS that every pass to
leave camp issued to a private or non
commissioned officer who has furnished
evidence to Lieutenant Bennett has been
Cancelled. Several applications for passes
made since by witnesses have been gruffiy
refused.
A soldier who was in a position to know
all about the affairs of the canteen de-
clareS that condensed milk in cans pur-
chased by the men were sold at % cents
each, though the regular market rate and
the rate at which the canteen is expected
to dispose of them is % cents for three
cans. Other articles are said to have sold
at proportionate prices
Two privates asserted yesterday that
Lieutenant HUE sat up all the previous
night working on the books of the can
teen, evidently in expectation of the court
martial to follow.
In reply to a published statement that
80 per cent of the men are satisfied, one
soldier said: IF any man can go through
camp and find 10 per cent Of the men not
dissatisfied, will register a VOW never to
make another kick in my life for anV
provocation whatever