The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-26
THEIR STAR WITNESS
AN AUGUSTA REPORTER WHO HAD
BEEN ORDERED OFF THE
THE GROUNDS
HIS STUFF BLUE-PENC1LED
So That the Article Which Was In
tended to Give the Condition Of
Things at the Camp Simply Said
All Was Quiet-A Number of
Witnesses Called i'm Rebuttal--
End Is Near.

witnesses Called i'm Rebuttal-
End Is Near.
The Leonhauser court of inquiry held
a morning session yesterday and adjourn
ed until this morning at the request of
Col. Leonhauser's counsel for the pur-
pose of a consultation as to whether
they shall put in any more rebuttal tes-
timony, and to prepare their arguments,
which in all probability, will be made to-
day. and thus. far as the public will
know for some time, Will end this famous
case.
On the converting. of court yesterday
the star witness for Gen. Young was put
upon his oath. He was H. HI. G. Harris
and claimed to be a reporter for the Au-
gusta Herald. The Herald Is an even
ing paper but prints a Sunday morning
edition, and Harris went to camp late
Saturday night. Feb. 4, to get a story
for the Sunday morning paper in relation
to the trouble that occurred the night
before the mutiny. He testified as to
his going to camp at 1 o'clock in the
morning and remained there amout three
quarters of an hour. On approaching
camp he was halted by a sentinel, who
said he couldn't enter camp without the
consent of the officer of the day and he
wouold be found at the guardhouse Co
ing to the guardhouse he was told by the
sergeant Of the guard that he could not
get in at all. Mr.. Harris then gave up
some of the strongest testimony Col. Du-
vail has yet produced. 1t was to the eff
feet that the sergeant of the guard had
told him that there might possibly be a
mutiny the next day. That statement
had been embodied in the story he wrote
for the Herald. At this point Capt
Crossfield, for Leonhauser, asked that
the article be produced, which was done.
and Harris went on to explain that the
article he wrote was very much blue
penctled by the city editor of the Herald,
and nothing was printed about an i'm
pending mutiny. The article in question,
as 1t appears, was half column story,
and said that in the evening of Feb a
several hundred men started down town,
but had been stopped by the officers and
returned to camp, and at 2 o'clock all
was quiet and no disturbance in sight
Mr.. Harris admitted that his personal
opinions weren't printed, so that the ar
ticle that did appear practically told the
truth. He was examined by Capt. Cross
field as to his personal feeling toward the
Fifteenth regiment, and 1t was devel-
oped that some two weeks afterward
when a telegram was received from
Washington saying that the Fifteenth
was to be mustered out, Harris carried
the news to camp and circulated 1t among
the men and Col Gotham ordered him out
Of camp He went out, but returned and
asked Col. Gotzian to apologize for hav-
ing been ungentlemanly, but as the col
onel didn't apologize he went away again.
Asked by Capt. Crossfield If he did not
make the statement that he would get
even with the Fifteenth, he answered
NO
In this connection it may be stated
that Capt. Connors. is ready to go on the
stand and swear that Harris told him
that he would get even with the Fifteenth
for being ordered out of camp.
Private Olson, of Company q, was the
last witness for Du Val He testified
that on the night of Feb. 4, 1t was the
intention of the men to go to town and
catch OConnelPs murderer and hang
him, but they were stopped by Capt.
Crossfield and they cursed and swore at
him, but he paid no attention to 1t. On
determination, Olson was forced to
admit, as all others have done, that the
men finally returned and that the camp
was quiet at 10 o'clock and remained so
all night.
At the conclusion of Olson's testimony,
Col. Du Val rested and the rebuttal was
commenced and practically finished
Capt. Gilmore was called in rebuttal
and said In substance that he was in
camp the night Of Feb. 4, was present
at the gathering Of the men when halted
by Capt. Crossf1eld and was within forty
or fifty feet of the captain and If he
had been abused in any manner he, Gil
more. would have known of it, but moth
Ing of the kind occurred. That two or
three times before l o'clock that night
he reported to Col. Leonhauser that all
was we'll In camp. IIe retired at o'clock
and all was quiet; it was still quiet when
he arose at $50, and renamed so until
after guard mount, which was over at
9:3O, He was also present when the COM
mfssary was broken open, and had used
physical force and every means at his
command to quell the disturbance as did
all the other officers Ie was there
when Col. Ieonhauser returned to camp
and heard his address to the men, It was
strong talk and Col. Leonhauser
showed not the slightest symptom of
cowardice or fear and seeming to realize
that some of the men could not be turned
from their course he ordered out two
companies.
Lieut.. Campbell also testified that
everything was quiet in camp after taps.
His superiors were away and ne was in
command OF his company, reporting to
Col. Leonhauser several times during the
night on the condition of camp, which
was orderly all night and remained SO
until morning. He was present when Col
Leonhauser addressed the men after they
had broken into the commissary and he
showed no sign of fear or cowardice.
The object of the testimony showing
that the colonel showed no signs of fear
was to rebut the testimony of Capt.
Riggs, who testified that Col. Leonhaus-
er's voice was shaky and he was VISIBLE
excited, although he didn't wish to be
understood as saying that Col. Leon
hauser exhibited any signs Of cowardice.
| Hospital Steward Metcalf was the last
| witness of the day. He, too, testified as
| to the quiet condition Of camp, and he.
| too, saw and heard Col. Leonhauser's adj
! dress to the mutineers and the colonel
| exhibited the same calm and dignity tina
! he always did.
| 1t is not certain yet whether any more
| rebuttal testimony will be offered. but
If there is, it will be brief and It Is ex-
| pected that the arguments will be COM
menced at least this afternoon.
| CLOSED THE SERUES