Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-30
TURNED OVER TO SURGEONS
RETIRING BOARD ACTS IN CASE
OF COL. STEWART.
Examination to Be Continued From
Time to Time to Determine
His Condition.

Col. William F. Stewart of the Coast
Artillery yesterday entered the last lap
of the race that will determine whether
he is TO continue on the active list o.
the army He appeared before the re-
firing board of the army meeting at the
Washington barracks and was turned over
to the surgeons of the board Cor physical
examination.
Col. Stewart requested a delay of two
weeks in the examination. I'm order to
recuperate from the physical and mental
strain under which he had been labor
ing This request was met by the board
with the decision that he should report
to the surgeons at the Washington bar
| racks this morning. and that they should
continue his examinations from time &c
time till it was determined whether he
was physically incapacitated. and If sc
whether the disability was permanent OIL
temporary"
The examination yesterday was purely
in the routine line. all the officers ordered
by the President to take the ninety mile
riding test being certified to a retiring
board If the surgeons examining them
were not satisfied that they could stand
the ride. But to the public mind the ex-
animation was essentially connected with
the whole of the peculiar circumstances
that have surrounded Col. Stewards case
for many months past.
Wore a Khaki Uniform.
The officer of sixty. looking a good many
years older than that. appeared before
the board in khaki. and was accompa MED
by his brother. Charles Stewart. the San
Francisco attorney. The meeting was
marked neither by GOODNESS nor cordiality
and was brief and businesslike. On hav-
~ to i'm, hn 9 th, f1o.a
constituting the board, Col. Stewart was
asked by the recorder whether he had
any objection to any of the officers named
passing judgment on his case.
Il have not" said the colonel
In reply to the question whether he
wished to be retired Col. Stewart returned
an emphatic negative.
His brother was introduced as his tenn
porary counsel and accepted Charles
Stewart then made a statement, saying
that it was possible he would be called
to California shortly and asked whether
in this case if Col. Stewart wanted other
counsel another attorney might be substi-
tuted. To this the board agreed.
The request for an extension Of time
before the physical examination caused
the room to be cleared while the board
deliberated and on the reassembling of the
spectators the board returned the formal
reply noted above. This ended the hear
ing and the meeting was adjourned to
board. Gen. w. P. Hall.
Young officer Seeks Retirement.
One peculiar touch of interest was given
the days proceedings by the fact that
the case Immediately before that of Col.
Stewart was of young officer who was
making application for retirement with
the uncertainty of whether or not the ap-
plication would be granted. He was Capt.
Solomon l.. McAlister, also of the artil-
lery, who had served in the Philippines.
He was suffering from disease of the
middle ear contracted, as he stateu, IN
the line of duty. This trouble had con-
tinued for almost seven years. and get
ting worse. was depriving him of his
hearing and interfering with his profess
sional duties. He was also certified to the
examining surgeons and SO the board will
have to dispose of the cases of the young
officer who wants to leave the service and
the older one who does not.