Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-12-11

criminals was forthcoming. This de-
partment concurred in Gen. CARING
tons recommendation, and the presi-
dent then directed the discharge OF
certain named members Of the battal-
ion. which included all the enlisted men
Of the battalion who were present al
Fort Brown on the night in question,
without honor. and forever debarred
them from re-enlistment in the army
or navy Of the United States, as we'll as
from employment in any civil capac-
ity under the government. The order
Of discharge has been duly executed.
The Evidences of a Conspiracy.
The order has attracted much at
tention and has been severely critics.
cd rs unjust because II condemns many
innocent men to undeserved punish
ment 1t Is not improper, therefore, in
this report to review the case and state
the reasons which not only justified
it, but made it necessary.
| First. Out OF a battalion Of ITO en-
listed men in the army Of the United
States. from 9 to twenty men formed
a preconcerted plan to revenge them
selves upon the people Of a town in
which they were stationed for the in
suits they felt that the townspeople
had heaped upon them. In accordance
with the plan they left their barracks
under cover OF darkness-about mid
/ f0ht IN a
their weapons into the houses Of the
town for the purpose of killing those
against whom they felt grievance.
They came very near killing some one
or more Of the three women and seven
children who were sitting or sleeping
in two Of the lighted rooms into which
they fred. They, in fact, did kill one
man, wounded another, and seriously
injured the chief Of police. They ac-
companied their firing with expressions
indicating the malice which prompted
their action. There can be no doubt,
therefore, that the squad Of men who
moved together from the fort to the
town and did this shooting were guilty
Of murder, and murder In the first
degree, and that II they were discov-
cred they could be properly subjected
to capital punishment. The purpose
Of one was the purpose Of all.
Second. Within ten minutes or more
after this crime was committed, when
the whole garrison was aroused by the
noise OF the fusillade and by the call
to arms which followed 1t the guilty
men returned to their places, and must
| have been among the last men to take
their places, for the reason that the
firing continued after the formations
| had begun. The absence Of the rifles
| from the racks could not have escaped
the attention of the sergeants who had
the keys Of the racks, II indeed they
had the keys; and yet all the sergeants
| swear that the rifles were in the racks
| untouched. Before the next morning
all the guns were clean. 1t Is impos-
sible that many of the battalion who
did not take part as active members
Of the conspiracy to murder were not
made aware by one circumstance or
another Of the identity of the persons
who committed this heinous offence.
Third. Instead Of giving to the Of
| ficers, or to the military inspectors
who were directed to make the exam
ination, the benefit of anything which
| they knew tending to lead to con-
viction Of the guilty person, there was
a conspiracy Of silence on the part OF
the many who must have known some
thing of Importance in this regard.
Thus the murderers were taken back
into the battalion and protected en-
tirely from punishment.
The Governments Position.
Under these circumstances the ques-
| ton arises, Is the government help
less? Must 1t continue In its service a
battalion many Of the members OF
which show their willingness to con-
done a crime Of a capital character
committed by from ten to twenty Of its
members, and put on a front Of silence
and ignorance which enables the GRIM
inals to escape just punishment? These
enlisted men took the oath Of allegi-
ance to the government and were to
be used under the law to maintain its
supremacy. Can the government prop
erly, therefore keep in its employ for
the purpose Of maintaining law and
order any longer a body Of men, from
to 10 per cent of whom can plan and
commit murder. and rely upon the ST.
lence of a number Of their companions
to escape detection?
1t may be that in the battalion are
number Of men wholly innocent, who
know neither who the guilty men are.
nor any circumstances which will aid
in their detection. though this cannot
be true Of many. Because there may
Re innocent men in the battalion, must
| the government continue to use 1t to
yrard communities Of men. women and
children when 1t contains so dangerous
an element impossible Of detection
| Certainly not. When a man enlists In
| the army he knows that, for the very
| DUlpoSc VI PiolCSlih6 NHS oO'
ernment reserves to itself the absolute
right to discharge, not as punish
ment. but for the public safety or In
terest In such a case as this the in
convenience and hardship to those in
nocent of participation or knowledge
arising from arbitrarily terminating
the contract of enlistment in accord
ance with the right which the govern
ment by statute reserves, must be
borne by them in the public interest.
t goes without saying that II the
guilty could be ascertained they should
and would be punished, but the guilty
cannot be ascertained, and the very
impossibility Of determining who are
the guilty makes the whole battalion
useless to the government as an in
<trument for maintaining law and or
der. The only means of Kidding the
| military service of a band of would-be
murderers of women and children,
and actual murderers of one man. is
the discharge of the entire battalion.