The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-07-05
TELL ABOUT
HOWELL.
Court Martial of
9th Artillery
Officer

ing out Of the recent affair at Camp
Stotzenberg. was opened yesterday De
fore the commission In session at the
headquarters Of the Department OF
Northern Luzon. Several of the most
important witnesses were placed upon
the stand and testified. The pivotal
point round which most of the testi-
mony seemed to swing was whether
or not Lieutenant Howell was intoNl-
Gated and doubtless the sentence VIII
depend largely on the view which the
commission takes of this important
question.
The first witness called to the stand
was Trumpeter II. i. White. He was
followed by Private Osman Freeman,
orderly for Lieutenant Howell on the
crucial day, and by First Sergeant
william Muller. Their testimony va
ried in no important particulars. IL
chiefly concerned the condition or
Lieutenant Howell, and the time and
nature of the battery exercise. Ser
geant Muller testified TO riding 10
Headquarters at San Felipe Neri, ana
reporting to the post commander
there the condition of affairs at Camp
StOtZenberg.
First officer to take the stand was
Second Lieutenant Hamilton Foley, Ot
the Fifth Cavalry, stationed at san
Feline Neri. His testimony ran as fol-
Judge advocate: II happened to be in
Camp Stotzenberg that day as re-
suit of a note from the district COM
mander, saying that the presence or an
officer there was necessary. On arrlFai
at the camp at about or $3.50 at night,
| at once saw the accused was under
the influence of liquor. / judged this
from his personal appearance-the
flushed face, the bright, moist eye, and
the trembling hands / spoke to nm
and told him ! was sent out by the
district commander, and, in obedience
to orders, he must consider himself
relieved of command OF the battery
and under arrest. He nodded his head
quietly two or three times, and said
yes; yes He then went to another
room and put on his blouse. After
!. naming quiet for awhile he pushed
his chair back and wanted to know
what the trouble was, and why ne
was placed under arrest. lie then
asked several times what l wanted Kim
to do in order to demonstrate his
fitness. He offered to order out the
battery and exercise 1t before me. |
replied that it was too late. After ten
| minutes he asked me to go outside
with him, which | did, and he showed
me the different pieces OF artllley. He
! wanted to conduct me all around the
/ battery. | told him I'd remain all
night, and did so, leaving at Z o'clock
the next morning AS to Mr. Howells
condition, | should say he was drunk
as, although he talked nationally, yet
| in his walk he staggered very percep-
| tibly. on my way to Camp Stotzen-
berg | was accompanied by Sergeant
| Muller. and he showed me where the
lieutenant had taken the battery. |
think the ground was not fit to exercise
| battery in the night time"
Under a short examination by
Lieutenant Hausserman, acting for the
accused, Lieutenant Foley admitted
that he drew his deductions regarding
the state of Lieutenant Howell partly
from the information impaired by Ser
geant Muller,
The next witness, David W. Over
ton, acting assistant surgeon at Camp
StotZenberg, baked on the question OF
the judge advocate, whether or not,
Lieutenant Howell was drunk. This
he refused to answer directly, saying
it was not a fair question, and he had
never heard case diagnosed as
drunk" After tussle between the
witness and judge advocate regarding
the question and answer, the latter
finally compromised matters by pro-
pounding more than sesquipedalian
definition OF drunkenness 1t ran in
this wise: do you consider that the
accused was In such condition result
ing from an inordinate use OF intoXi-
eating liquor as would materially i'm :
pair him in the full and entire use OF
his mental and physical faculties?
The surgeon replied that according to
that definition, Lieutenant Howell was
drunk He also said that he could at
tend to his duties and knew what he
was doing As to the amount, Lieuten-
ant Overton said the accused drank a
little i'm the morning of the day IN
question, al luncheon a cocktail, ana
again I'm the afternoon he drank at
intervals OF fifteen or twenty minutes.
ON rross-eNHmiuation by the judge
advocate the Lieutenant said that at
.oue place during the ride by the bat-
terry he thought the sergeant In charge
of one battery was going % collide with
large stone, but DE narrowly eseap-
ed.
After the testimony ~ Lieutenant
p Overton the counsel defending tie ac'
p cused asked that the case BE- continued
J GIN wednesday morning pleading tn
short time allowed 90 prepare a de-
Z Tense, ana very pressing matters N
( connection with hls other official du
. Tics which had to Do attended 90 Al
I once 0u account M changes at the ls
p uf July Aftlr discussion thH commits
p sion adjourned uutu chat tme
Lieutenant Wh.tFHit who WAS *
p paHrrI Goo undertake the dHfeus wn
n U.t present I'H place h.IHR laI. p'
% Lieut. IIHuHaHrwHU Manila "lHs