The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-04-19
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1901.
A MILITARY ARIsTOcRACY.

ment at the present time to cable his
superior officer at Washington that
there is nothing in the alleged commits
sary steals and for the com.
missary general to give the
message to the Associated Press
fotr discrimination throughout the
world. The immaculate Colonel
Woodruff. chief commissary at Manila
only says do not permit scandalous
reports to worry you Affairs Of the
subsistence department of the army
are administered honestly, and to the
satisfaction of all the officers of the
troops"
No doubt, colonel, the little affairs
must be eminently satisfactory to the
officers according to the reported rake
of. but it would have been less indeli-
cate to unite under seal concerning
the matters at stake and not boldly
and brazenly exploit the scandal
Perhaps the colonel does not know
that commissary sergeant has had
his trial before a military court, as a
scape goat for the shoulder straps, or
perhaps again, the colonel was one
of the court martial and knows where
of he speaks when he counsels his
superior against feeling any uneasi-
ness.
1t cannot well be denied or contra
dicted that trial has been held or
that some officers higher than the non.
commissioned have been placed under
arrest
Though no verdict has yet been an
nounced the evidence in part was that
entries upor the books of Evans e
company. government contractors, in
dictate that the commissary officers re.
ceived the following sums: Major
George B. Davis, upwards of $1,000;
Captain J. D. Reed, $1,000; Captain
Frank H. Lawton, $3.50; B. l.. Ire
maine, Colonel Woodruff's chief clerk,
$500. 1t also appears that Evans &
Co., furnished the handsome residence
of Colonel Woodruff.
Harold M. Pitt, manager of Evans
& Co., who is now under arrest, is no
toriously lavish in entertaining COM
missary officers, while the depot com.
missary, as frequenter of the tender
loin district. occasionally spent days
at Pitts house, in questionable socia-
ty. Pitts house is bacchanalian
rendezvous, and prominent officers
frequently visit it, drinking cham
payne and playing poker. Women Of
doubtful reputation have often been
known to have been there.
1t is alleged that Pitt had the inside
track in securing government con-
tracts, and it is also asserted that he
was the prime mover in the scheme to
re-establish cock pits in Manila, Mrs.
Lara being subsidized in securing a
cock pit.
It is asserted that the commissary
department made unauthorized pur.
chases of quantities of champagne.
Pitt sold some. In addition to what
the transport brought, the commissary
imported 200 gallons in February and
a like amount in March. The com.
missary and the commissary sergeant
kept private carriages and INDUCED
in other extravagancies.
Now, OF course there is nothing in
these 'scandalous reports" to worry
General Weston at Washington, but
ii military rule was not a predominant
feature of Manila the revelations at
the inquest would cause Colonel Wood.
run to worry some.
The chapter of this scandal has Just
been opened and II too much white
wash is not administered there will
be other interesting combinations Of
the serial.
An interesting statement was this