The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-14
DRUNKENNESS
AND BRUTALITY
LIEUT.. CONRAD. SECOND IN
COMMAND OF COMPANY NJ,
PREFERS THE CHARGES.
MAJOR BuBs TALKS OF THE TROUBLE
lieu, Conrad Tells Representative Of the Con-
sti,ution in Brunswick Of Charges
Against Capt. Cooper.
ATLANTA Constituion.)


The North Carolina volunteers who
left Fort Mcpherson last Sunday 20
ioin their regiment on st. Simons island
are again deep in trouble, this time aS
the result of serious charges that nave
heen preferred against one of their OH
GERS. Captain Cooper, of Company NJ.
The charges against Captain Cooper
are for the violation of section o2 OF the
articles of war. in conducting himself 10
n manner unbecoming an ofhcer, anu
we're preferred against him by Lieuten-
ant Conrad. second officer of Company
NJ.
While Companies L and NJ of the Sec
ond North Carolina volunteers were III
garrison at Fort Mcpherson tehy were
entrusted with the power of ponce ana
placed in charge of the suardhouse OF the
most. Soon after they arrived two men
escaped at night from the prison While
the North Carolina boys were on guard,
and it was generally understood that the
commander of the volunteer troops was
censured for the neglect OF his men.
Captain Cobb, of Company +, stated
however, that his men were not furnish
ed with cartridges on the occasion Oh
the escape, and that the responsibility
rested on other shoulders than his own.
The withdrawal of the North Carolina
troops from the garrison followed NOT
long after the incident, and while the
officers at the post stated that the vol
unteers were only ordered away to JON
their ergiment at st. Simons island, IT
was believed by many that the two com
panies left Fort Mcpherson under Il
cloud. and that their withdrawal was
demanded.
The charges which We're sprung
against Captain Cooper as soon as the
companies joined their regiment, are The
outcome Of an affair which happened
mt Fort Mcpherson. on the first night
of the arrival of the men at the post.
The offense of unbecoming conduct on
the part of Captain Cooper is alleged
to have been committed at the residence
of Major Bubb, who ut that time was
not in command of the post.
He is fully acquainted with the nature
Of the offense, if it is such, and is one
of the most important witnesses in the
case. He will say nothing prematurely,
however. on the subject. and states that
he is compelled to reserve his testimony
for the ears of the court alone, when
it convenes. He said:
81 have received from Colonel Bur
gwyn. commanding the Second North
Carolina regiment. what / presume is Il
copy of the charges against Captain
Cooper, but, of course. can say moth
inc about them. / think. however, he
matter has been exaggerated, and the
ri, CT rnl n 4
investigation now being conducted.
Captain Cooper is charged alsoi with
offenses committed months before his
which / have known all along.
"CoOper wrote to me Il day or two
ago. requesting me to hold my evidence
in the matter, and am complying with
his request. He firmly believes TINT
Lieutenant Conrad is making the
charges in order TO displace him as COM
mander of the company. but what there
is in that idea / cannot say.
s"There is an intention on the part of
some of the North Carolina officers to
make me clean up their dead wood. but
] don't propose to have anything to do
with t."
Major Bubb limited that if he had been
in command of the garrison at the time
the offense alleged was committed, he
would have taken some action then with
out delav.
Col. Burgwyn, of the Second North
Carolina volunteers. is now conducting
an examination of the charges against
Captain Cooper at the camp on st.
Simon's island. and has written to Major
Bubb asking him to forward his state
me- Major Bnbb will. however. hold
his evidence in compliance with the 70,
quest of Captain Cooper. but if the
charges are finally brought before n
courtmartial he will have to go to St
Slmons to make his deposition.
What the outcome of the Investigation
will be cannot be stated. but the friends
OF the North Carolina troops in the city
are anxious to learn the nature of the
charges against Captain Cooper.
WHAT LIUT. CONRAD SAYS.
Brunswick, Ga, August 11.--(Special J
Company Nj, of the Second North Car
DINA, is badly torn up by the charges
preferred by Lieutenant Conrad against
Captain Cooper and counter-charges fled
by Captain Cooper against Lieutenant
Conrad. Each of the officers have their
sides in the campaign. Behind it all
there is said to be much politics of the
North Carolina kind. | today sought
both officers for an interview and secured
statements. Lieutenant Conrad, whose
father was solicitor general under Presi-
dent Cleveland, is a young Virginan and
practiced law at Winchester prior to his
going to the army. He says in substance
1.-THE charges / have preferred against
Captain Cooper are the results of til,
disgraceful conduct at Fort Mcpherson
where he conducted himself in hasely
drunken manner. disgraced his uniform
and caused the North Carolina boys te
hang their heads in shame. which fcelins
was further intensified by our being or
dered away from the fort I'm disgrace
Previous to that time, while we were
at Raleigh, he got drunk and the nigh