Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-04-15
But who would have dreamed there

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trial. The court had been carefully Sc
lected by old Pecksnif. whose ~adjutant
had Obediently signed the charges drawn
!; up under the chiefs directions. There
were only nine officers in the array
mo others being available without
manifest injury to the service" read
the formula of the day. Five were Off
GERS of Stevens regiment, one a cavalry
major, the others Of the pay, commits
sary and quartermaster's departments.
None had known Loring. Everybody
expected him to object to some at least,
but he objected to none.
The judge advocate was q vigilant
official who made the most of his oppor-
tunity, but his witnesses for the prose-
cution WERE, with II exception, weak.
The exception was Nevins. He swore
stoutly that he had given the valuables
in Arizona to Loring and from that day
had never seen them until they were
found secreted in Loring's trunk, and,
to the amaze of the court, Loring de-
clined to cross examine. Petty was q
failure. He wanted to swear to a thou
sand things that other people had told
him, for of himself he knew nothing,
0AO tAOuSA thO 0C1CncO uCNOl 1uGSlp OS~
ed, the court did. Tt was all hearsay,
and he was finally excused.
Mrs. Burton appeared, but, like Mrs.
Cluppins, of blessed memory, had more
to say of her domestic and personal af-
fairs than the allegations against the
accused. Miss Allyn, Said the judge ad-
vocate in embarrassment, was to have
appeared on the afternoon of the second
day, but did not, nor could he find her.
She was a most Important witness, so
he had been assured by various persons.
but at the last moment she had appar-
emily deserted the cause of the prOsecn-
ton. A civil court would have had
power to drag an unwilling witness be-
fore it and compel his or her testimony;
a military court has neither. so long as
the desired person is not in the military
service. which Miss Allyn an9 some
60, 900, 900 others at that time could not
be said to be.
4 sensation was sprung" on the
court at this j~uncture by the defense. 1t
magnanimously informed the court that
John Folsom of Gate City knew where
that witness was in hiding and that she
could be reached through him, where
uDO1 Gu6 JLUS6 duNOCdt6 SGGIESQ III 1OS6
his eagerness.
Something wa wrong with the pros
ecutiOn any way. 1t had begun with
truculent confidence. 1t was unnerved
by the serene composure of the accused
and his refusal to object to anything, to
cross examine, to avail himself of any
one of the privileges accorded the de-
Tense. This could have only one inter
probation, and Nevins, twitching with
nervous dread, was worrying the judge
advocate with perpetual questions as TO
the witnesses for the defense.
When were they to be produced?
Who were they? And the judge advo-
cate did not know. Very unfairly had
be been treated, said he, for the list of
witnesses for the defense not only had
not been furnished him, but he had
never been consulted.
Two or three "stuck up" engineers
had come out from st. Louis and De-
troit, and Loring and they had been
actually ~hobnObbing with the depart
ment commander Bnt the mere fact
that the meeting of the court was de-
layed until the end of September proved
that they must be coming from the Pa
cific coast, at which announcement Pet
ty looked perturbed and Nevins twitch-
ed from head to foot. He didn't sup
pose, he said, the United States would
stand the expense OF fetching witnesses
way from California. Transportation
and per diem would cost mole than the
whole business was worth
And the judge advocate was wishing
himself we'll cut of it when on a sunny
Friday morning, the third day of the
court, the president raped for order
and the big roomful of spectators was
hushed to respectful silence. The de-
Tense had made it's first request, that
the principal witness for the prosecu-
ton, Nevins, should be present, and
there he sat, nervous and fidgety as Lor-
ing was serene.
In halting and embarrassed fashion,
very unlike the fluent ease with which
be opened the case, the judge advocate
announced that, owing to the impossi-
bility of compelling the testimony of
witnesses On whom he had relied, he
was obliged to announce that the prose-
cution would hers rest. The defense,
of course, he said vaguely, would wish
to be heard, though he had not been
honored with any conference Or even a
list of the witnesses.
Then he looked inquiringly at Lor-
ing, and every neck in the thronged
apartment, the biggest room at head
quarters, was "craned" as Loring quiet
~ handed him a slip of paper.
The judge advocate read, looked puz-
zled, glanced up and cleared his throat.
"You mean you want those
ed?"
"No. they're here. in my office"
To be continued.