Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-08
Prospective Dismissal of an Officer.


Gen. Grant. commanding the Depart
ment of the East. has forwarded to the
War Department the record of the pro-
ceedings of the court-martial in the case
of First Lieut. Allan Lefort of the Coast
Artillery Corps. charged with con-
duct unbecoming an officer and
gentleman in connection with certain
alleged financial irregularities. During
the trial Lieut.. Lefort made an unsuc-
cessful effort to commit suicide. and some
of his friends assert that he is not men
tally responsible for his conduct.
The reference of the case to the war
Department for action is accepted IN
military circles as an indication that
Lieut.. Lefort was found guilty of the
charge and sentenced TO be dismissed
from the service. In that event the case
will require final consideration by the
President.
Protecting a Soldiers Rights.
Gen. Grant, commanding the Depart
ment of the East. has set aside the pro-
ceedings of the court-martial in the case
of Private Edwin w. Wauters. 9oth Com
pany, Coast Artillery, who was convicted
of disobedience and Of striking his
superior officer and sentenced to con-
finement at hard labor for ten months ana
to forfeit so of his pay month during
that period. In reviewing the case Gen
Grant said that the accused did not nave
a fair and impartial trial for the reason
that one of the members of the trial court
had not only been challenged by tne ac-
cused. but was also a material WITNESS
for the prosecution, he having personally
resorted 70 force to subdue the accused at
the time of the offenses for which he was
then being tried.
..While the statute that gives the right
mt
that the court should determine the valid
ity and relevancy thereof. the reviewing
authority is of the opinion that Wnere
court so completely violates the spirit Vi
the eighty-eighth article OF war as was
done in this case. an abuse of discretion
was committed and the accused did not
have a fair and impartial trial Inc
sentence is therefore, disapproved, and
Private Wauters. will be released from
confinement and restored to duty.
Resignation Accepted
1t is announced at the Navy Depart
mont that the resignation of MidshIpman
Earl w. Pritchard had been accepted To-
the good of the service This young man
was appointed to the navy from INDIANA
in June, 1903, and since the explIatio., u,
tie summer cruise of the mloshipmeh
has been at Pittsburg with his parents
or leave of absence.
Retired for Disability.
Second Lieut.. Philip ]. Golden, 26th IN
fs,try, having been found by an AIRY
retiring board incapacitated for active
service on account of disability incident
therein and such finding having been ap-
proved by the President, mas peeh re'heu
from active service
Lieut. Golden is from PennsylNahid anu
served in the ranks about ten years, wnen
he was appointed second lieutenant, ilth
iy, Ian
ward transferred to the 18th infantry
And is now under treatment at the Gen.
eral Hospital, Washington barracks.
Acting Chief of Bureau.
Lieut.. Cleland Davis of the navy Has
haen designated to act as chief OF the
naval bureau of equipment In case OF
the absence or disability of Rear Admiral
w. s. Cowles. In addition to his work IN
connection with the installation or wire,
less teIegraphy, Commander Davis VIII
have special charge or the purchase anu
TRANSPORTATION of coal for naval purposes.
To Retire With Advanced Rank.
Col Henry NJ. Adams of the Corps of |
Engineers, in large of river Ind haroor !
work in the vicinity of Buffalo, VIII be |
placed on the retired list of the army as
a briRadier general under the forty-year |
service clause 1t was decided Ly the |
War Department in this case that vol |
untary service I'll the army OF the TO-
tomac during furlough from the Miiilary
Academy in 1864 constituted service In lie
civil war. emitting Col. Adams 10 retre-
ment with advanced rank.
To Be Court-Martialed.
Warrant Machinists ]. ". Clark and ].
r. Coleman of the navy, on duty at the
Boston navy yard, have been ordered be-
fore a naval court-r,artial for trial on the
Of
Improvements at Washington Bar
racks.
Gen. Bell chief of staff Of the army has
recommended the construction of addi-
uonal officers quarters at the Army War
College in the Washington barracks reser-
walton. at an expense of $1,000 and an
estimate for that amount is included in
the general estimates for barracks and
quarters submitted by the quartermaster
general of the army.
Changing an Old Custom.
Evening muster at quarters, which was
well-known feature of the old navy in the
days of sailing vessels. has been found to
be an unnecessary burden to the crews
of the modern armored warships. Conse-
quently the naval regulations have been
amended so as to leave the evening mus
Ter at OpllO0dl with the COM
handing officer of the ship and not make
1t mandatory as at present.
Joint Coast Defense Exercises.
The War Department has approved the
recommendations of the chief of artillery
providing for Joint army and militia coast
defense exercises for the year 1908. The
exercises in all the Pacific coast districts
and in the artillery districts of the Ches-
apeakc. Cape Fear ri yer, Charleston
Savannah and Mobile will be held in
May: those in the artillery districts of
southern and eastern New York Della
dare. Baltimore and Potomac. will be held
in June; those in the artillery districts of
Narragansett and New London will be
held in July; those in the artillery dis
tricts of Portland and Boston will be held
in August and those In the artillery dis
tricts OF Key West. Tampa and Pensacola
will be held in October.
Investigating an Army Controversy.
Acting under instructions from Gen
Grant. commanding the Department of
the East. Capt. William T. Johnson. 18th
Cavalry. one of his aids. has gone to
Fort Howard. Md. to investigate the mat
ter of the controversy between Col
Clarence Deems. commanding the artillery
district of Baltimore. and Capt. Arthur
w. Chase, commanding the 1O3d Company