The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-06-22
WASHINGTON NEWS and GOSSIP.
Senator spooner's Wisconsin
BoIters---What General Corbin
Thinks About Numbering a
Soldier.

er of Wisconsin, was represented in
| Washington last week by an emissary
whose business it is to obtain the
assistance of the President in the fight
against Governor La Toilette. The
| President SHES off and is not inclined
to take hand. It looks now as if the
dilninutive Fuzzy Wuzzy of the Senate
might be disappointed in his ambition,
| though the Republican Committee
has decided to seat his crowd. When
he gets to Chicago with his boiling
delegation, he will not find plain sail
! ing. Asher Kinds, the man who has
all. of the parliamentary manuals by
I heart, and who stands at the Speakers 8
right, during the sessions of the House
always ready with a word or a wink
will be at Mr.. Cannon's right when
the convention is called to order. The
precedents he has studied will justify
the Speaker-chairman in throwing the
Wisconsin boilers out altogether or
giving each contestant half vote.
o, yes! A lively time at Chicago is
on the tapis. La Toilette will be
there.
There has been considerable evidence
that the people of the District of
Columbia are tolerably we'll satisfied
with their form of government under
| which all their affairs are taken care
of by three commissioners; but local
self government will be the slogan of
the delegation to the Republican ma
| tional convention from this city. next
week. Dr.. Robert Reyburn, and John
| F. Cook, will put forth every effort
to induce the Republicans to incor-
porate plank in their platform look
ing to really republican form Of gov
ernment for the city.
There is active fermentation in mil
itary circles here over the sudden ap-
pointment of Major General Henry G.
Corbin to the command of the Phil
iIpine archipelago, relieving General
Wade. It is privately understood that
General Corbin does not at all like
| the assignment He has had the mis-
fortune not to be a popular officer, as
the record of blackballs in several aris-
tocratic clubs testifes, but this status
was materially improved by his mar
rage with the wealthy and much liked
Edythe Patton not long since.
General Corbin's character as p man
and soldier may perhaps be in red
by an interview which your CORE
spcndent bad with him year ago.
EIe was then Adjutant-Gereral Of the
United States army, large, sturdy.
bluff nan. I told him had called
to see what was being done about
the case of Lieutenant Sinclair, of the
srmy in the Philippines, who had
killed young Richter, soldier Of his
company, deliberately, after two
hours and half of torture, in which
be was at last strangled to death.
eyes, I remember it, said the
General, "there bas been a great deal
cf talk about it.
Apparently not too much, Gener-
sl,'' l ventured to say, If the report
Of ths case is correct. It was what
we Usually call murder. -
80, this case that,you are so excit-
/! ed about"
/ General" l interrupted, Il call
vour attention to the fact that you
are not in the least excited, / have no
occasion to be-.
80, 1 don't mean you especially,
explained General Corbi2, but these
! anti-imperialists, and people all
around. The fact seems to be that
| :his unfortunate young man forgot
himself for the time being and lost his
head-and [ don't wonder at it in
that d. Philippine climate. Before
! be made that mistake he was consider,
ed one of the finest young men in the
army"
"Do you define this offence as a
mistake, General?' asked. "Do
you forget the testimony as to what
Lieutenant Sinclair did? He commit
ted MURDER
"You call it murder" said the Gen
eral, "but be was tried for the alleged
offence, and acquitted" "
Certainly, General. He was tried
and acquitted by his comrades who
found that he had done the things
with which he was charged, and was
innocentn'
The General leaned back, asked his
interlocutor to be seated, and contin.
ued: "When 1 think about it, and
my long service in the army, l be.
lieve, sir, that I have done worse
things myself, than Lieutenant Sin
clair is said to have done. -
''You have done worse things, Gen.
erals"
eyes, I have. When I was out in
the West among the Indians one Of
our men got fighting drunk and came
whooping up the company street Hno
yelling that he wanted to kill the Cap
tain-that was me. [ was not afraid.
He jumped into my tent and drew 6
knife on me. stopped and picked
up root that lay beside my chair
and knocked him down with it. Il
might have killed him; if had,
should have been just as guilty as Sin.
clair.
Your correspondent was astonished
He reminded the General that one
case was simply self defense and the
other deliberate murder Of al impris.
oned soldier, and reminded him fur
ther that Dung Richter was bound up
OF the ground; that he was gagged
,.Lofb rEod into hio mon r.