The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-18
The VENICE AFFAIR
Some Light on the Arrest Of the
Chicago's Officers.
URGED TO PLEAD GUILTY

T.
Rear Admiral Crowninshield See
yercly Censures the CHI
cago's Captain. s
London, June 1S.-TheN text Of the find.
ings OF the. court of inquiry in the case OF
the United States naval officers imprls-
oned at Venice In the latter part of April
throws new and important light on the,
affair. 1t now appears that the United
States consul at Venice, Henry A. john
son, and lawyer provided by him for
the defense, urged the officers to plead
that they were violently drunk. This they
utterly declined to do.
Rear Admiral Arnet S. Crowninshield,
commanding the European squadron, in
reviewing the findings OF the court, Sc
verely censures Captain James H. Dayton,
the commander of the Chicago, for not.
personally attending to the defense of the
officers and comments on the revolving
indignities" suffered by the officers while
confined at Venice. Under the circum-
stances Admiral Crowninshield holds "a
court martial, would be farce"
Captain Dayton's court Of inquiry min
utely traces the movements Of the officers
OF the Chicago on the day Of their arrest
and says Lieutenant John S. Doddridge
and Surgeon Robert E. Ledbetter were
affected by liquor to noticeable extent
but We're not Intoxicated in the ordinary
meaning of the term, and there is no
evidence. that the other parties were az
fected by drinking"
The disturbance arose when Captain
Robert F. Wynne, commanding the marine
guard of the Chicago, seeing Doddridge
and Ledbetter sitting outside Florian's
cafe; gave a hail, unusual in this place,
resembling cyl, vi, vi" Lieutenant Dodd-
ridge and Surgeon Ledbetter ran towards
Captain Wynne, upsetting chairs and two
lice Immediately surrounded Lieutenant
Doddridge, who endeavored to explain.
The crowd" the findings continue,
pressed on, shouting and gesticulating,
and were not we'll controlled by the POI
lice. The police seized Lieutenant Dodd-
ridge and apparently at the same time
the crowd attacked him. Lieutenant
Doddridge was roughly handled by the
police and 1t required the assistance of
citizens to effect his arrest But there
were no means of distinguishing the per-
sons assisting the police from those who
were wantonly attacking the prisoner"
Captain Wynne, Surgeon Ledbetter, Ma
val Cadet James G. Kress and Langley, a
marine, all forcibly endeavored to help
Lieutenant Doddridge, retaliating for the
Assistance of the civilians. but not attack
ing the police.
At the station it is added in the find
ings of the court; there was much ex-
citement. The crowd was at first allowed
therein and no one appeared to be in
high authority. The crowd shouted and
gesticulated and the officers made de-
mands and protests. Their treatment in
prison was severe and extremely humiliat-
| hl1f thoro ic fhot he
son rules were exceeded" ~ a
The officers pleaded self-defense against
civilians, that no police were knowingly
resisted and that their intention was not
to rescue Lieutenant Doddridge but i&to
protect him from violence. inflicted by
outsiders. >s- A5~-S--'. 50. -s--'- ..-.I 'eFt'
In summing up the court finds that
while the actions of Cadet Kress were
indiscreet, no further proceedings against
him should be- taken. The same: conclu-
sion is arrived at regarding Langley, and
the court recommends that Lieutenant
Doddridge, Captain Wynne: Grand Surgeon
Ledbetter be tried by court martial for
conduct. unbecoming an officer and. a
gentleman; that Lieutenant Doddridge
and Surgeon Ledbetter be tried for "being
noticeably affected by liquor and upset
ting tables and chairs and that Captain
Wynne be tried for ''his unusual hail in
the quiet Of st. Marks square, and run
ming among chairs and tables in a public
| cafe =. 49, '.''-~s-. 80 .-z75- !
In ,quashing all, the recommendations
| for court-mart1als, Admiral ,CroWnin-
| shield says: ..- ~ -..,.&
! After a minute examination it appears thai
| there was not sufficient evidence adduced be-
fore the court OF inquiry to establish the allie
cations against Surgeon Ledbetter, Lieutenant
Doddridge and Captain Wynne. The weight
of the evidence shows that the two FIRST:
| cd NV
The matter appears TO- have been forced tc
| trial on account Of the representations. of ci.
villains, who were In no way Under the .au-
| thority of any branch OF the italian govern
ment, national or municipal, and whose char.
| acter was such that the officers were victim
! lied. That the matter did come TO tlla
resulting in notoriety detrimental to the rep
| utation Of those involved ani to the gool
name of the service, was due at least in part
| to the omission to observe that custom Of
! the service whereby the commanding Officer
of Unit ed States naval vessel, in case of the
| arrest on shore of one of his command, him
self either makes immediate and direct repre-
sensations for his release, or appears in cour
| to aid in seeing that justice is done. or des
ignates an officer to perform these duties
| Without this customary assistance all the par
| ties were suffering revolving indignities. dur
| ing the period of their confinement, and ey er
| In court, such as are unknown in the cas-,
| of the lowest criminal IN our own country
and though these matters are apart from tn
questions of the culpabiity of a person ar
rested, they are the cause of much o: tn,
notoriety attendant on the cause.
| The sum total of the matter is that tw'
officers had dispute with a waiter there ant
ran amongst chairs and tables, all the table
and chairs being deserted at the time: tina
one of them upset tables and chairs, and tina
another called out in loud tones in the desert
ed square. While some or all of these action
may be considered indiscreet or lacking ii
dignity, none of them merit a court-martial
and none can be characterized as bringin1
| scandal or disgrace on the naval service
Hence the court of inquiry clears the officer
Of resisting public authority or unvarrant
ably attacking citizens, which are the princi
pal if not the only points on which the Italian
4 court found the parties guilty. The govern
ment is relieved of the embarrassment Q
bringing the parties to trial. in which no of
! tense exists, simply to keep a possible thong
entirely unauthorized promise that a court
martial should follow the court of inquiry
/ The parties will be admonished. to SO conduc
I themselves in the future as to avoid if posi-
Bile a repetition of the occurrences leading t
this court of inquiry.
SWAMP WILD FLOWERS
what You May Hope to Find il