Gilpin observer., 1902-06-26
GENERAL GARDNER ExoNERATED
Board Of Inquiry Finds the Adjutant
General CuiItIess,

Denver, June 21.-Adj. Gen. George
+. Gardner did not make use of Ian
guage unbecoming an officer and gen.
tleman in the reported interview with
John s. Irby of the Denver Times on
the afternoon of March 9th last, in
speaking of the Telluride snowslides,
according to the finding of the board
of inquiry appointed to look into the
matter.
The report of the board as presented
to Governor Orman, is signed by Brig.
Gen. John Chase as president and Col.
James II. Brown as recorder, and is as
follows:
THAT on the forenoon of March 6,
1902, John S. Irby, as reporter for the
Denver Times, called, as was his GUS
tom, at the adjutant generals office for
news items. Addressing Gen. George
f. Gardner, he called his attention to
the resolutions passed by the Legisla-
ture relative to the recent loss of life
in the Telluride district Some CONVEX
sation ensued on the matter in the
course of which General Gardner made
use Of the expression: 1T looks like
| the judgment of the Lord on those poor
| fellows or words to that effect. The
| labor troubles of July, 1901, were
spoken of, and the conduct of the
Miners Union at that time was COM
mellted on.
"The evidence clearly establishes the
fact that conversation was held be-
| tween Mr.. Irby, of the Denver Times,
and General Gardner on the forenoon
of March 6, 1902, relative to the loss
of life in the Telluride district during
the several months preceding, and the
conversation was regarded as an inter-
view by the reporter, and was, there
fore, turned into the paper for publica-
| ton.
"The testimony clearly establishes
the fact that General Gardner did not
regard the conversation in the light of
an interview.
"Mr. Irby testified that he did not
write up the interview until about
twenty-one hours after the conversa-
ton oecurred, and that the head lines
were not written by himself but were
| added in the office of the Denver
Times by person or persons not pres
ent at the interview. A preponderance
of the evidence also establishes the
fact that paragraphs one q) and three
(3) were not spoken, but that the bal
ance of the interview was reported
substantially as it occurred. The in
terview, as published, was not a con-
| tinuous statement by General Gardner,
but was the statement as Mr. Irby
understood General Gardner's express
siOns as brought out by questions and
comments by Mr.. Irby. The conversa-
| ton occupied about ten or fifteen min
| utes, during part of which time Cen
eral Gardner was reading a letter, CIV
| ing but partial attention to Mr.. Irby's
| comments.
The testimony of witnesses who
| heard any part of the conversation is
positive that in all that was said Cen
eral Gardner showed no spirit of vim
dictiyeness or ill-feeling towards the
citizens of Telluride or the labor or
| ganiZations as such, but, on the con-
trary, expressed sympathy over the
loss of life from various causes in the
Telluride district, deploring the calam-
ity and approving the touching senti-
| ments in the resolutions of the Gen
eral Assembly.
1.-THE subjects Of conversation We're
upon the resolutions passed by
the Legislature, the various ca
lamities which have visited Tellu-
ride, and the sentiments of the Miners
Union towards the National Guard. All
these subjects We're matters of COM
mon knowledge. frequently discussed
in papers, and were subjects of comment
| editorially and otherwise, in the public
| press.
I'm the alleged interview between
General Gardner and Mr.. Irby the
court finds that General Gardner made
use of no expression which would be
unbecoming an officer and gentle
man."