Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17
NOT THE SAME ACTION
Affair at WaIIa WaIIa Compared
With That at Brownsville.
BATTALION NOT DiSBANDED
Colonel and Corporal Were Severely
Punished.
WAR DEPARTMENTS STATEMENT
Matter Called Up by Protest Re-
garding the Treatment Of the
25th Infantry.
BATTALION NOT DIsBANDED
WAR DEPARTMENTS STATEMENT

One Of the many communica lions re-
ceived at the War Department protesting
against the alleged unfair treatment Of the
battalion of the 25th Infantry at Browns
vile compared the action of the department
in that case with the action taken in the
case of a somewhat similar occurrence at
Walla Walla. Wash, in 1891. The CORE
spondent who said he was then a member
of the 4th Cavalry. gave the following
account of the affair:
"A man Of D Troop, 4th Cavalry, named
Miller, was shot by a tinhorn gambler
and in a short time died. The murderer
was arrested and lodged in the county Jail
with promise of a speedy trial. This
promise caused elation in the garrison but
1t also created doubts The doubts were so
was surrounded by armed men. Singularly
the arms were of government make, The
murderer was taken from his cell. COM
PEELED to kneel on the lawn, allowed to
pray. and was then shot A number of
soldiers were arrested, confined in iail each
with determination to rot there il nee
essary. and with shoulder to shoulder like
men--enlisted men-prepared to meet any
fate. Silence is golden, and not one word
was uttered, SO all were DISCHARGED from
custody. Now for the fellow who sought
appreciation and reward. A non-com. of
d Troop offered to squeal If discharged.
He was arrested, clapped into the guard
house, tried and sent to Alcatraz Island
for seven years. His name was Arnold.
Fateful name. Compare the two results
and shame on the others
War Department Statement.
Because of that statement the officials of
the War Department have deemed it ex-
pedlent to issue the following memorandum
In regard to the Walla Walla affair:
RI Of
Walla Walla, in May, 1891, to investigate
and report upon the facts and the respon-
sibility for the killing of a citizen in the
town of Walla Walla. The court was d.
rected also to express an opinion and make
such recommendation for further action as
considered necessary.
The evidence showed that soldier of
the garrison had been shot in saloon by
gambler named Hunt. At the time the
soldier made his ante-mortem statement
Hunt was taken to the post by the sheriff
for Identification. That evening on their re-
turn TO town there was mutinouS demon
stratlon by certain of the soldiers who
threatened to take the prisoner from the
sheriff. The following night the jail was
attacked by soldiers who seized Hunt, who
was taken outside and shot.
The court recommended that Colonel
Compton, the commanding officer be tried
for neglect of duty In failing to control his
command and for not taking proper meas
ures to discover the offenders. The board
also recommended:
That in consideration of the fact that
the enlisted men of the garrison Of Fort
Walla Walla have withheld and neglected
to give information which would lead to
the Identification OF the soldiers implicated
in the killing of A. j. Hunt, the court .ur-.
Their recommends that reasonable time be
given to the officers and enlisted men of
the four troops of the 4th Cavalry at
and h, to surrender to the civil or-military
authorities for trial, all the enlisted men
guilty of the crime attempted on the night
of April %, 1891, and actually committed on
expiration Of such period the guilty parties
aforesaid shall not have been delivered up
for trial, that the four troops Of the 4th
Cavalry named be, in such manner as may
be for the best interests Of the service dis
banded "
Col. Compton was subsequently tried and
sentenced to be suspended from rank for
three years on half pay. and to be con-
fined within the limits of military post
for the same period. The sentence was
mitigated by the President (Harrison) to
suspension from rank, on half pay for two
years. He served little over q year of the
sentence.
Corporal Clarence Arnold, Troop d, 4th
Cavalry. was tried by court unnatural and
found guilty; LIST, OF advising and persuad-
ing number of men of his troop to join
and follow him for the purpose Of taking a
prisoner from the custody Of the sheriff,
with the intent to kill such prisoner; I'd. Of
Knowingly CdTDlneS TO De taken
from the racks while he was the non-c com
missioned officer in charge of quarters
knowing that they were taken with intent
to kill a prisoner in custody OF the sheriff !
HE was found guilty and sentenced to
eight years confinement.
I'm the course of the trial witness testf-
fled that Arnold told him. that he had been
before the court of inquiry and had said
that he knew all about the affair and asked
whether, If he told who the ringleader was,
he would get the reward and would be dis
charged; that the court told him he would
get neither, but would be court martialed.'
"The record of the court Of inquiry does
not show these remarks, but they may have
been made before the board of officers con-
vened at Fort Walla Walla prior to the
court of inquiry"
Battalion Not Disbanded.
From another source 1t was ascertained
that Col. Compton and Corporal Arnold
were the only military persons punished in
connection with the lynching Of the pris-
oner, and that the recommendation of the
court of inquiry that the four troops of
the 4th Cavalry be disbanded was dlsap-
proved by the law officers of the army as
contrary to the laws governing the organ
ization of the army.
The charge against Col. Compton was
neglect of duty" with three specifications.
as follows: Failing to take any measures
to ascertain what men had taken part in a
mutinous and seditious demonstration
against military and civil authorities; fall
ing to restrain men whom he knew had
planned to take prisoner from the civil
authorities: having been informed that the
men of his command had taken a prisoner
from the civil authorities did fail to take
measures to arrest said men, or to detect
or attempt to detect the men engaged. He
was convicted on each count, and was pun
islied by suspension on half pay for little
over year.
All the commissioned officers of the 18th
Infantry were relieved from responsibility
for the conduct of the military rioters at
Brownsville.
Dies at Printers Home.