The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-18
TRIED A CoLoRED SOLDIER.
PRIVATE WALKER oF CoLQUITT
BLUES CoURT-NARTIALED

Wholesome of the Evidence
Very AmusinR-CRxc Was Left with
the Court without Argument.
The general court-martlsl convened
I last night Tor the trial 81 Private James
/ C. Walker 81 tho Colqui,t Blues. Company
I r 81 the First Battalion. Georgia state
/ Troops. colored. The testimony Of some
/ Of the witnesses was OF a humer that
strained The seriousness OF the court.
/ often joopardizng its staid and austcre de-
meanor. The manner Of their testlfylng
was In Itself blt peculiar. but the ex-
I presslons that were made use % were
more than Mars could stand with I'M
wrinkled front
I Walker Is charged with having violated
I the Tweniy-hrst Article Of War. IN that
! he lifted weapon against his superior
officer The specification under the charge
sets forth in just what way this article
was violated showing that a rine was
dubbed by the enlisted man. and that.
being taken away from him. he further
sought TO do the officer harm BY stabblng
him with a bayonot
An the row IL alleged TO have occurred
on tho night Of July q. in the quarters
Of the Blues. Pansiemonlum. according
10 nearly an she testimony seemed 10
break loose on that occasion. and the quar-
ters were IN nne stew for while L
wos what they called a fifteen minutes
rough house down IN Texas. az Billy Bax-
ter says.
II started by Walker getting gay IN
RANKS That is what che witnesses for
the prosecution declared They said he
WAS pushing tho man In front Of him tine
Impetus Transmitted 10 him being commu-
nicated all along the single flo in which
We company was marching ~ the time
The nrst licuseuant demonstrated with
IN" private. tapping him with stick.
/ gently or energetcally. the modification
depending npou the side upon which the
witnesses testified. thereby arousiug MIS-
"fath and awakening his mind 90 a sense
~ the great Insult that had been put
upon him
walker dubbed his rife. so those ar
taNed against him as Witnesses state
ana was about to bring the piece into VIo-
tent collision with the head of the officer
\ sergeant sprana TO the assistance Of m.
lieutenant, catching the piece over wal
kers shoulder and Wrestling - from his
grasp. Fooled IN this effort 10 wrcak ven
geance for the blow he had suffered. the
private sought 10 do his superior harm
/ win his hayonet. and his hand few 10 Ife
shank drew IL from It's scabbard ana
raised II aloft
Ihen. the witnesses for the prosacu-
ton or most Of them. continue. Walker
started FOR the lieutenant The latter. In
the meantime had not lost his hold upon
me stick with which he had administered
the gentle reprimaudinx touch 10 Walker
aud this ne proceeded 60 hreak in pieces
e he aeIas
him that he could not thrus, The bayonot
home. but was forced 10 rclinquish II 70
the grasp Of the FIRST sergeant who had
sprung 20 the rescue OF the lieutenant
Ihat Is the story put up by the prose-
cutlcn The defense said II was not so
Testimony was adduccd 20 show that
things were IN a turmoil and uproar. ana
that the private had not raised his gun
against hts superior II was shown too
that tho first lieutenant had a gentle lit
IL way Of breaking boards over the heads
81 mis- men when they ala not respond
with aiacrity 10 his orders and that the
hat ~ his sword played an important part
IN this discipline when board stick or
other persuasive timber was not al hand
This WAS all a showing by the defense.
brought out IN the testimony. though the
lieutenant j. not on trial
First Lieutenant Robert H. West was
the officer against whom Walker Is aiIeE-
ed 10 have raised his piece The of1eer
was the FIRST witness On the stand he
said the company was In tho quarters,
marching in single file. when Walker rails
"a his hands and showed the man in front
Of him, thereby throwing the line into dis
order, He told him 10 stop but might as
well have held his peace Walking M to
Walker. he then told him that IL was to
him he was speaking. accentuating his
words with "a couple Of light taps with a
small stick. these being administered unou
Walkers cartridge hox. With that the
ileutcnants story goes. Walker stepped
QUE OF ranks. swung his rifle above his
head and was about 20 strike the officer
when Serge Jackson caught the piece
Wrestling IL from the Infatuated private
Then Walker drew his bayonet and adj
vnnccd on she lieutenant. whercupon the
latter used the stick with some effect
splicing Il upon Walkers face The bayo-
net. % the same time. was taken from
him by First Sergeant Cook
Capt. James Il. Carter was a witness
for the prosecution. and his statement was
practically che same as that Of the lieu
tenant. though he said the bayonet had
not been drawn by Walker. The latter
only had his hand upon the shank when
the lieutenant struck him across che face.
The captain said he hardly Thoughts the
circumstances had demanded that the
officer strike the man.
Scrct Frank Jackson said he had taken
the gun away from Walker and had start.
"a 10 the rack 20 put u UP. hut was set
upon by a crowd that thought he was
after cartridge 90 put IN Il 10 DO a lit
tie execution himself
First Sergt. Cock was put on the stand
and his evidence bore out that OF those
who had preceded him The state then
rested its case. the judge advocate Lieut..
David G. Barrow. saying that there were
no more witnesses 20 appear for the pros
ocutl0n. Mr. II. v. Wilson. representing
walker then called his witnesses the
first being Private James bay who was
easily tho most amusing. Jim was rather
certain that the little stick that the wit
uesssa for the prosecution had described
very infinitely was barrel stave. and
the blows administered with " were by
no M ans love taps tie took q hand IN
the row himself and his stalwart appear
ance would have made II clear 90 the
most skcpticsl that II was no feeble
part he played IN what came
very near being tragedy
IN the Blues Armory that night He
said IL was West beating Walker that
tore an the company" ana he told Jack
son when he caught him on the way 10
tho gun rack after a cartridge 20 load the
Springfield Ito quit that fooilshness. or
you'u get all Of us IN jail" West he
said, was all the time beating some Of
the men rising a stick or The fiat 81 his
sword. He said the weapon was applied