Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-01-16
ABILENE POST DEN0UHCES DE-
PARTKENT COMMANDER,
Post Resolu tiors Declare That Norton
Was Drunk at tho installation Ex-
srcisss- Specific Charges Will Be
Made to the Commander In Chief,

lutions setting forth charges sgains
Department Commander Norton o
the department Of Kansas.
A committee consisting Of W. 5
Anderson, j. P. Campbell and WAT
kDavidson was named to prepare
Specific charges against him as basi'
OF court martial.
The resolutions which were adopted
unanimously we're:
WHEREAS, the officers OF Abilene
Post No. 6S, Department of Kansas
GRAM Army Of the Republic, extended
to Comrade Martin Norton, Depart
ment Commander Of the Department
of Kansas, Grand Army Of the Repub
lie, an invitation to install the officers
elect Of said post in the City Of Abi.
lene at a public installation to be held
on the evening Of Jan. 1S, 1902; and
WHEREAS, the officers Of Abilene
Corps No. 6S Department Of Kansas,
auxiliary to the Grand Army Of the
Republic, extended an invitation to
said Department Commander to In
stall the officers elect Of said Woman's
Relief Corps, at the same time and
place; and
WHEREAS, the said Department
Commander accepted said invitation
to install the officers Of said Post and
Corps at the time mentioned; and
WHEREAS, said Comrade Martin
Norton, Department Commander
aforesaid, arrived in the City Of Abb.
lene on the afternoon Of said day in q
state Of intoxication, and continued
to remain in said state Of intoxcation
= during the afternoon and evening Of
said day, and appeared in the room
where said installation was to occur
in the presence OF members Of said
Post and the women Of said Corps
and their families, including daugh.
ters and children, in a state OF intoxi-
cation; and
WHEREAS, by reason OF such in
toxication the said Department Com
mander was unable to in any manner
participate in the installation Of said
officers Of said Post and Corps; and
WHEREAS, the said intoxication Of
said Department Commander was q
great humiliation and disgrace to the
Grand Army Of the Republic and a
great humiliation and gross insult to
the women OF the Relief Corps, whose
guest he was; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, by Abilene Post No. 6S,
Department OF Kansas, Grand Army
Of the Republic, that the Post Com
mander be requested to appoint a
committee to prefer pe,iGc charges
against said Department Commander
for conduct unbecoming soldier and
a gentleman in his relation to
the Grand Army Of The Republic, "and
to forward the same to the Commander
in Chief with the request for the con-
yenlng ofa court martial to investigate
said charges, and that said committee
be instructed to forward to the said
Commander in Chief copy Of the
foregoing preamble and resolution
with said charge.
NoRTONs VISIT.
Mr.. Norton arrived on the Monday
afternoon train and went to bed at q
hotel. When the time for the exer-
cises, 1880 p. M, arrived Post Com
mander Korns and Post Commander
Keifer went to the hotel to escort
him to the ball. He reached the hall
as far as the ante.room- --and no
farther. MIR. Keiier says;
"Mr. Norton was SO much under
the influence Of liquor that it was
evident that be could not perform his
part OF the ceremony and though he
insisted on going ahead a dozen OF
the Grand Army members, who saw
him, quickly decided that it would
not do. We placed him in charge Of
James Adams who took him back to
the hotel and sent him to bed. The
affair was disgrace to the Grand
Army and both myself and the mem
bers of the Post refuse to stand for it,"
Mr.. Korns says: 1.-The above are
substantially the facts in the matter.
We felt the disgrace keenly aud it
should have proper punishment"
Norton remained in bed at the
hotel until late Tuesday morning when
he left for the east. He registered as
from Chicago.
His only explanation was that he
had been suffering Monday from
neuralgia and took liquor to deaden
the pain with the result that it "went
to bis head"
The Post is especially indignant be.
cause Of the insult offered the W. R.