The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-27

For three hours last night Captain
0. H. Hassing of company B Of the n.
G. Z. was on trial before a. court
martial of high officers of the National
Guard in the office of lee Judge advo-
cate general, on the charge of being
drunk and disorderly while in uniform
The specifications were made by Lieu
There were three counts-First.
that Captain Hassing was drunk
in uniform; second, that he was seen
drinking at a public bar with his men,
ana third, that he permitted his COM
pany to become disorderly in a public
street and at public bar.
The court was made up of Brigadier
General John Q. Cannon. Quarterm8s-
ter General N. w. Clayton, Colonel NJ.
l. Richie. Major II. NJ. H. Lund and
Colonel Samuel c. Park. The case was
prosecuted by Judge Advocate Cen
eral Benner y. Smith, and the accused
was defended by Assistant Adjutant
General d. II. Wells.
Testimony In Case.
The bare facts in the case seem to be
that company B, in command of Cap
tain Hassing, went out on a practice
march on Sunday, April p. going north
IN the direction of the Hot Springs.
There had been a recent election of Of
ncerS IN the company, and according
10 custom the new officers stood treat
A one-gallon jug of port wine and a
two-gallon jug Of angelica were fur
nlshed, and these were taken along on
the practice march.
The whole command drank from
these jugs at least four times while on
n 1n Oh
to the Warm Springs late in the after
noon and drank there a number Of
times at the expense of Colonel Ire
week, who happened to be there, they
became hilarious to say the least. And
Captain HasSing seems to have stayed
with his command all through the
campaign.
Lieutenant Critchlow was the first
witness He testified that he was at
the Warm Springs on the day in ques-
ton, that he met Captain Hassing on
the hospital steps, that he saemed IN
der the influence of liquor, that later
he crossed to the saloon and heard
noise and confusion in there, after hav-
ing seen number of the company B
men go in. He knew that Captain
Hassing was in the saloon. He also
heard company 3 cheer Colonel Ire
wick before entering the saloon.
Gensral Burton was the next witness
and testified to the same facts. He
considered Captain Hassing under the
influence Of liquor. but not too drunk
to issue orders to his command. He
entered the saloon and called Captain
Hassing out; he did not see him drink,
but he knew he was in the saloon
When the captain came out he repri-
n1anded him, and told him that he
should have sent his men into the
aImory.
Captain Hassing Testifes.
Captain Hassing, at his own request,
testified in his own behalf. He told
Of having been up four nights before
the practice march on company bust
ness, and thought this was sufficient
to make him a little grOggy on his feet
On Sunday. He told the story of the
march and of the drinking, of how he
went into the saloon with Colonel Ire
wick before his command got to Warm
Springs. how he refused 10 drink but
took a cigar. Later he permitted the
men to drop out and some of them
went back into the saloon. and he fol-
lowed them in to order them out; he
met a friend in there and talked with
him for five minutes until General Bur-
ton called him out. He denied that he
was drunk; that he drank anything in
the saloon or that his men were dis
orderly. He maintained, too, that not
one man in his command was drunk
on this occasion.
Following this Private Parry, the
man who was shot with the soap, tes-
titled, Private Stephen Mills testified.
Corporal Charles Smith testified, Pri-
vate Niemon, Sergeant A H Lund and
Frank MOyle also testified. The testi-
mony of these men showed that Col
onel Trewick invited the men into the
saloon to drink. that he made them a
little speech, that they cheered him,
and that they drank with him. Some
of the testimony, especially that of Mr.
MOyle. gave Captain HasSing a splen-
did character. as did also his dis
charges from company K OF the regu-
lars and of the y. c. L.
The case was summed up by the OPP
posing counsel and then went to the
court at a late hour in the night The
findings of the court viii go to the
governor for final decision. and will
not be made public, it is thought, for
two or three days. The impression at
the close OF the trial was that Captain
Hassing would escape with a repri-
mand.