The San Francisco call., 1899-04-15
NEALL SWORE
TO HIS OWN
GOOD HEALTH
Record of His Last
Examination.
ALLEGED ILLNESS DOUBTED
GRIP NOT RECOGNIZED UNDER
THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
A Grave Point Against the Accused
That Was Robbed of Some of
Its Force-Troop Ac-
counts.
ALLEGED ILLNESS DOUBTED
GRIP NOT RECOGNIZED UNDER
THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

1t was another bad day for Lieutenant
Neall at the court-martial yesterday.
Lieutenant David J. Rumbough adju-
tant Of the Third Artillery, was the prin-
cipal witness of the day. His testimony
tended to prove the state in which The
books of the Preside Club were found,
and also to show that Neau might not
have been so i'll as former testimony
would seem TO indicate.
RumbOugh was one of the committee
which investigated the accounts Of the
club Captain Danes and Lieutenant
Harris were the other members of the
committee. He said no accounts had
been kept from April, 1898, until the
time the committee investigated the
books, in February, 1899, when the secre-
tary's desk was found in the greatest ais
order and among the papers were nu-
merous unpaid bills ana dunning letters
One bill had been turned over 10 a col
lecting firm, and the standing Of the club
was being injured by the state of affairs.
One Of the creditors had written 10
Lieutenant Neall about the club account
and also about his own private account
Failing TO receive any satisfaction he
wrote to the department. commander, at
that time General Miller, VINO referred
the matter to Neau through MS com
rnanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Wdg-
ner who ordered Neau to right the mat
ter and report how and when he had done
so. The club bill was over Sll0O, and
NealIs private bill was over $50 Both
had been running from July of 1898 and
nothing had been paid on either account
since that time. Eventually NeaII re
duCed the amount of the club bill 10 $500,
at which amount it stood in February
last.
Continuing Rumbough testified that he
had been recorder of the examining board
by which Neall had been examined for
promotion to a captaincy. The eXamina-
lion was in January. The first proceed
ing before the examining board inquiries
into the mental capabtlity OF the candi-
date for promotion. Then there is a ply
steal examination, and in That the candi-
date is required TO certify TO the TACT
that he is physically capable Of perform
ing the duties of the office TO which ne
aspires Neau had certified to this fact,
and this was during the time, according 10
Major Edie's testimony, that he was not
capable of performing the duties then
The force Of this statement was les
sened. however, later on by Captain Pratt,
one of the members of the court. Grant
ing that a man had an attack of the grip
at the time of his examination" he asked,
was he not justified in certifying that he
was not physically Gulihed?'
My opinion is that ii would not dis
qualify him." was the answer.
Then an officer so affected could sign
such a certificate?' insisted Pratt
He could" admitted the witness, and
the accused had weathered another rock,
but not without damage.
The witness also testified that he had
known the accused intimately for some
time, and up TO the time he disappeared
he had never noticed anything the matter
with his health except a slight cold. IN
der cross-examination the witness refused
TO admit that Nealls health was not Of
the best.
Lieutenant Kirby Walker, at present
commanding Nealls old. troop, was the
only other witness Of the day. he was
called to testify as TO the state of the
books of the troop when he took hold Of
the organization, and his testimony was
mostly given in dollars and cents. He was
busy with figures all the time and was
still testifying when the court stopped
him by adjournment. He found a total
debt Of the troop Of $537 p, of which he
was able TO pay something over $218.