The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-21
CAPTAIN BRADLEY'S TRIAL
TESTIMONY OF SERGEANT HOWARD
OF MERIDEN.
A Good Witness for the Prosecution
Declares Positively That tho Accused
Was Drunls-CorporaI kny Also Testi-
fies That the Captain Was Drunk.

Was Drunls-Corpora1 Kay Also Testi'
fes That the Captain Was Drunk.
Hartford, April 20.-The Bradley court
martial to-day developed the most pic
turesque incidents Of the sessions thus
far, while the examination of one OF
the most cool headed witnesses was in
progress The star witness was Ser
geant John p. Howard of Company l,
Meriden. He characterized himself as
neutral in the case, and answered
every question put to him with a
thoughtful precision which made him
an exceedingly important and valuable
| witness for the prosecution. AT times
he gave to his responses the most
unique touches indicating mental pro-
cesses not only sound but versatile. He
successfully combatted Attorney Dam
aher in the latters persistent efforts to
rattle him, and maintained in his cross
examination his laconically expressed
belief that Captain Bradley was
drunk at Mantle. When asked to de-
fine the word drunk" the witness en-
ployed remarkably clear language and
framed his clauses most picturesquely.
The court convened at o'clock ana
| there was present one solitary specta-
tor. He was reinforced scantily as the
forenoon wore on. The tantalzing pro-
cedure involving the reading of yes
| terday'S record was again necesSitated
and fifty-1ive minutes of time was thus
occupied. Accordingly it was about
10 o'clock when the examination OF
Sergeant Howard began. He said that
he was d brass rouge buffer employed
| in Meriden. He was witness to the
assault alleged to have been made by
the accused captain on Sergeant hobs
at Mantle last summer, He substan-
tiated Kobs thoroughly as to the assault
and when guided UP to the climax by
the judge advocate with question
bearing upon the captains sobriety at
the time he answered with emphasis:
Drunk"
The. major portion of his direct ex-
animation was devoted to questions
bearing upon Captain Bradley's alleged
misrepresentation of funds. Sergeant
Howard stated that he was armorer
for Company I, and also the company
collector, and thus in position to
know of the facts. He corroborated the
familiar stories which have been told
1t was upon his cross examination
that the witness displayed his cool
medicines and cleverness. The first
question put by Attorney Danaher
brought trouble. He asked if Howard
was member Of the Polishers' and
Buffers union in Meriden. The wit
ness quietly vouchsafed the opinion
that the question was irrelevant and
an interposed objection resulted in an
argument which delayed things. The
question was allowed by the court and
the witness replied that he was a men,
Der of the union. Taking up the SUBJ
ject of the captains alleged drunken
ness Attorney Danaher received an
swers which caused him to storm at
the witness. The latter refused to be
disconnected and when the lawyer lin
ally asked Howard; How long did it
take you to reach the conclusion that
Captain Bradley was drunk?" the SER
geant brought down the house by say
ing: about half second after the
incident" The attorney then asked the
witness to define the term drunk"
Here it was that Sergeant Howard |
llN6Ibu IblS pIlllOSOplllCdl ulSStI
above referred to- He said: 81 say that
he was drunk because he was inebri-
ated, having taken Intoxicating IL
quor into his stomach, so that he acted |
in a british manner and was mentally |
unbalanced by spirituous liquors. I say
he was drunk because of the vile Ian
guage he used; because he assaulted
Kobs and because of the position he
took with the privates, and the off hand
disposition he made of himself, al
though captain of the company"
To the perfect volley of questions
hurled at him by Attorney Danaher
Sergeant Howard replied without hest
tation, often adding: II am here to
testify on my oath and l propose to tell
the truth" He Furthermore insisted
uniformly that he be allowed to make
his meaning perfectly clear, and he
did it,
His examination closed at 11.25 and |
the time until 1915 was taken up by
the reading in his presence of his tes-
AT the latter named hour the
court closed to reconvene at lis p. m.
When the court reopened Sergeant
Howard was recalled by Attorney Dan
aher and from him was drawn the adj
mission that on the eventful day in
Mantle he had taken four drinks Of
The next witness was former Corporal
John Kay, one of the famous seven dis
charged members of the company. His
frankness added weight to his testi-
nony, which was very damaging to the
prisoner His examination, moreover,
explained the notorious apology of
which Sergeant Kobs was one of seven
signers, fact made much of two days
ago by counsel for the defense
Corporal Kay described first the Man
tic fracas, and unequivocally stated that
Captain Bradley was drunk at the time,
and that the captain had later confessed
hat fact. Coming to the question of
the shortage in the funds of Company
!, the witness told of Captain Bradleys
oitiable conduct of standardization in
7orfessing 70 the shortage and crvine
or leniency. He described the meeting
between the captain and the seven men
1t which the confession and plea took
place. He said that the captain "took !
m" to such an extent that the men were I
orry for him and finally agreed to per- ,
1etrate a bluff" In other words he (
the shortage of the captain :
lad been noised about; the members of ,
he company We're sure to ask of the |