The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-15
"A COURT OF INQUIRY
WILL LOOK INTO DISCRETION OF
SELMA GUARDS.
Nearly All the Nom Commission
oHcers and Privates Leave
Camp Foster--Sergeant Ben
jamin Wins Helm Medal.
Advertiser Bureau,

<huNCAtiScT DuTcdu
Selma, July H.
Thise afternoon at dress parade Colon Il
Graves issued regimental order No 5,
extending his thanks to the officers of the
Pettus Light Artillery for the use of a
cannon and rendered his thanks also to
the sergeant and men who come so
promptly at the appointed hour to fire the
gun.
Order No. was an expression of tae
commanding officers sincere thanks to
the people of Selma for the generous, cor
dial hospitality extended the officers and
men Of the regiment during the encamp-
ment in this city.
Col. Henry B. Foster. In token of his
love and esteem for officers and men Of
the regiment, sent handsome donation,
which was expended for delicacies, which
the State does not allow.
In the contest for the Heflin medal this
afternoon in the presence of the entire
regiment, the men gradually droppd out
until none were left but Sergeant Robert
c. Benjamin of the Montgomery Blues
and Sergeant Whit Brame of the Mont
gomery Greys. 1t took a good while for
the judges to decide which OF the men
was the best drilled, but Sergeant Ben
jamin was finally declared to be the win
nsr of the melal, and it will be turned
over to him as soon as 1t is finished.
In the matter of the trouble in the Sell
ma Guards, after listening to the story
of commissio led and non commissioned
officers AMI the privates, Colonel Graves
placed the whole company under arrest
and will appoint board of inquiry to in
vestigate the trouble as soon as the camp
Is adjourned. Colonel Graves said that
the statements of the men and officers
were so conflicting that he could not ar
rive at solution of the question without
careful investigation. In the meantime,
the men are confined to their tents ex-
cept when they go to meals or to drill.
The board to investigate the trouble be-
tween the men and officers of the Guards
will be appointed by Colonel Graves.
A heavy rain fell in camp this after
noon, but as the encampment will be
over tomorrow. 1t will not materially in
terfere with the men.
A good deal of excitement was created
at Camp Foster at dinner time yesterday.
When the signal was given to march the
different companies to the mess hall, in
stead of going to their meals, fifteen or
twenty of the Selma Guards made a bee
line for the street car and came to the
city
There is long story behind this act of
INSTRUMENTATION on the part of the men.
They claim to have a grievance against
two of the commissioned officers, Captain
Quinn and Second Lieutenant West, and
took this means Of showing it.
1t seems that at the beginning of the
encampment Tim o'Flynn was Selected
bugler of the company. He went out to
camp yesterday in citizens clothes and
Captain Quinn ordered him to go on
guard duty. Mr.. O'Flynn. on account of
his having been selected as bugler for
the fhnnpbf that he vya
from guard duty. and he refused to serve
Captain Quinn ordered Mr.. O'Flynn put
under arrest and First Sergeant Grant
Jones ordered Second Sergeant Kirk Phi
len to take the dlsobedient private to the
guard house. Sergeant Philen refused to
obey the order. The other non-commis-
stoned officers also refused to comply with
the order to arrest Mr.. OFlynn. The
privates were then called on to make the
arrest and to a man they refused to obey.
Matters were In ugly condition at head
quarters Of the Guards and Captain
Quinn left to report the matter to Colonel
Graves Just at this Juncture the call for
dinner was sounded and instead of march,
ing to the mess hall, some fifteen or twen-
ty OF the men marched out Of camp and
came to the city. The following are
among those who came to the city: c. M.
Blanton, Tim O'Flynn, Rogers McCown,
r. E. Ellis. Second Sergeant Kirk Philen,
Corporal Otis Wallace, Dallas Keith, Err
nest Brown, Rich Johnston, Ernest Scale,
Ed Keeble, A. v. Cleveland, John Griffin,
Corporal Percy Moore, Quartermaster
Davy Northrup and several others whose
names could not be learned.
Ernest Scale was on guard duty at the
time that the boys left camp, but the
news spread like wildfre through the
camp that there was trouble in the ranks
of the Selma Guards Mr. Scale staid
on duty until he was relieved and he, too
left camp to join his companions in the
city. Some one picked up Mr.. Scales
gun and stuck the bayonet in the ground
where he had left 1t, and in that way
the report got out that he had stuck his
bayonet in the ground and deserted his
post of duty, but the facts7of his leaving
camp are as stated above.
AS soon as dinner was over Colonel
Graves sent a detail of thirty men to the
city to capture the runaways. and a good
deal of excitement was caused in the city
when the Guards dismounted from the
cars and were surrounded by several hun
dred citizens. to whom they related the
story of their leaving camp. This ex-
element was increased an hour later
when the thirty armed men came march,
ing up the streets and commenced to
chase every MEMBER OF the GudruS tHey
saw. Three or four were captured and
taken to camps and put in the guard
house. About night the better judgment
of the boys commenced to assert itself,
and IN one and twos they surrendered
until by o'clock all but about five of
those who had left camps had gone back.
Your correspondent was told by some
of the officers out at camp that the nom
commissioned officers were not put in
tie guard house but were considered
under arrest in their quarters. The nom
commissioned officers informed your cor
respondent that they had not been In
formed that they were to consider them
selves under arrest and II they were
under arrest they were not aware of the
fact.
This morning at Camp Foster five Of the
Guards were in the guard house and the
rest of the officers and men were at their
quarters. Captain Quinn was seen, but
he was not disposed to discuss the matter.
and expressed a desire that no publicity
be given the officers Colonel Graves was
seen and asked for permission to inter
view the men in the guard house He
not only gave the permit to see the men,
but accompanied The Advertiser cores
pondent to the guard house and called
the officer of the guard and told him
to permit the correspondent to see the
men in prison and to accord every facility
to get at all of the facts in the case.
Colonel Graves said that he did not know
there was the least friction between the
officers and men of the Guards until this
incident had come up, and that he re-