The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-12
MILITIA COURT-NARTIAL
Capt. D. V. Chisholm TO Anwser
Serious Charges.
of the Morton Cadets Ac-
cused OF Disobcdiencc of Orders
Record OF the officer n Favorable
Plea-stroBg support of Friends.

Much interest is taken in District mill
tia circles over the order for the court
martial TO try Capt. D. V. Chisolm, COM
manding the Morton Cadets, officially des-
ignated as Company B, Second Battalion.
The officer has been temporarily relieved
OF his command and placed under military
arrest pending the trial. which will be
held this evening at the headquarters in
the Ames Building beginning at o'clock.
The personnel of the court as named from
the headquarters on Friday consists of
the following officers: Lieut.. Col. Burton
r. Ross, First Regiment; Major Charles
II. Ourapd Inspector General; Major
James E. Bell, Inspector General of Rife
Practice; Major Richard II. Simms, Fifth
Battalion; Major Jesse B. X. Lee. First
Battalion: Major William E. Harvey, Sixth
Battalion; Major Glendie b. Young. Third
Battalion; Capt E. C. Edwards. Company
A, Second Battalion: Capt. Richard d.
Pyles, surgeon, Second Regiment, Capt.
Alfred p. Robbins, aide-de camp; Capt.
Clarence A. Weaver. surgeon, First Regi
ment; Capt. Thomas Marion, quartermas-
ter, First Regiment; Capt. Walden Myer,
chaplain. First Regiment; Capt William
S. Hodges, Company d, Fourth Battalion,
Judge Advocate.
The charges upon which the officer will
be tried are two, the first being conduct
unbecoming an officer and a gentleman"
and the second, conduct to the prejudice
of good order and military discipline"
Both charges have been brought by Col.
Henry May. the commandant of the First
Regiment. TO which the Morton Cadets are
attached, and grew out of the failure of
the company to attend the ceremonies in
conjunction with the presentation of the
prizes won In the rife competition of the
Quart m the 21st of last De-
cember. II is alleged that Captain CHS
holm willfully denied receiving an order
for the participation of certain men of his
command in the event, not only stating
that he had not received the or
der, but repeating his statement after |
twenty-four hours had elapsed since the !
order had been handed hin: by an official |
lcting for Lieut.. Leroy Heron, the act |
ng adiutant of the Second Battalion, who |
had issued the order. Captain Chisholm
S said TO have told Major Anderson that
lie had not seen the order until after
o'clock, at which time it was too late to
comply with it. afterward stating that he
lad not seen the order until he procured
copy for the company files.
1t is said the efforts of the court-martial
Fill be directed toward establishing the
act that the commanding officer and many
len OF the Morton Cadets wished to at
end a campfire of the General Miles
amp on the evening in question. and
hat this was the reason for the disobe-
fence Of orders and the denial of their
eceipt. As an offset to this it is intended
} bring before the court the record OF
he company its pride in its work. and
s readiness at all times to respond TO
all to join the other militiamcR in all
vents, failure 20 do so being held by the
ompany as tantamount to an insult TO
heir comrades in uniform. 1t will be
rought TO the attention OF the court that
be record in the field of the company is
s high as on parade, and what they did
Cuba during the war with Spain. When
leir individual acts could never in any
ense have been construed into haughti-
ess.
Captain Chisholm is a man and a SOL
er who is held in high esteem by a host
friends. and this alleged failure to re-
'ond TO the call OF the adjutant will not
= given credit by these people. BY the
EN- under his command in the Morton
adets he is regarded with affection and
spect. To those who know him well the
ords of the double charge seem the en-
Ddiment of absurdity. and It is impossi-
e 10 make them think that by any chance
= could have been guilty of them.
The officers composing the court are none
them near personal friends of Captain
fact which has been criticised {
} no small extent, as 1t is said that at I
asst some might have been chosen who {
'uld have a personal knowledge of his I
lst record as a gentleman and an officer
throw in The balance when he came be-
re them. The captains friends are with
m heart and hand, and it is freely said |
lat even conviction by the court would 1
ave no effect upon these stanch cham {
ons. who would refuse TO believe him {
Iilty OF the charge no matter how brought
: by whom convicted. They hope, how {
Ter. that he Will prove his innocence of
lie charge against his reputation as gem
eman ard an officer, and are moreover
,rtain that this viii be the result
1t is the second time in the history of
e District National Guard that an officer
Is been court-martialed. the first instance :.
ing in May. 1890. when Lieut. Sidney A.
lmby, of the Eighth Battalion. was con- /,
cted Of intoxication and dismissed from q
e service for the offence. Ii