Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-05-23

OlQ company euOlkQbS.
%. Now before you opened the
arm chests, let me ask you whether
or not they were easy to get at, O.
of them?-A. No, sir; they were not
easy to get at. AS ] recollect. we
removed considerable property be-
fore we got the arm chests out and
got room TO unscrew the lids.
%. What kind of property Was
this?-A. Iron quartermaster hunks
and, believe. some iron uprights to
hold mosquito bars-T-sbaped things
%. They had been piled on top
OF these arm chests, had they7-h.
Yes. sir; and were standing against
the wall, between us and the arm
chests.
20. When had you last before
that seen these arm chests, ana
where "A. / had seen them at Fort
Niobrara, Nebr.. before shipment, aud
when they were unloaded from the
wagons and placed in the storehouse
at Fort Brown.
20. Where were these extra guns
placed in these arm chests. whether
at Fort Niobrara or Fort Brown, or
where "A. They were placed In the
arm chests at Fort Niobrara.
%. Do you remember seeing the
in the arm chests
and the arm chests closed up for
shipment at Fort Niobrara?-A. 1.
do not believe I was present whel,
the property was boxed up. 1t was
boxed up some time before our de-
parture, and Captain Shattuck was
in command OF the company at that
time
%. You have told us in what
condition you found the chests as 20
other property being piled on top:
this property was removed. was It
from the tops of the chests? Yes,
sir.
@. And then were the chests O.
pened, or not2-A. They were open.
ed under my supervision and the
arms counted.
q. State in what condition you
found the inside Of those chests. as
to the arms.-A. The arms were
SEVENTEEN-FORAK.
placed in the proper grooves for
them, and they were battened down.
or held down by cleats that At in
the boxes 60 prevent their rafting
around during shipment.
q Thy had been fixed that way
before they had left Niobrara?- "A.
Yes, sir.
q. And were they in that same
condition when you opened them that
night?--A. They were in the same
condition. sir. a
q. Did you count the rifles when
they were opened up?-A. Yes. sir;
counted them.
20. VIII ask you another ques-
whether or not. before these
rifles were shipped from Fort Niobra-
"a, they were coated with cosmoline
oil or any other kind OF OLA. II
believe they were coated with cos
moline oil at the time L looked AT
them at Fort Brown.
@. When you looked at them.
was there any indication that they
had been disturbed in any way what
ever since they had been boxed up
at Fort Niobrara?-No,s sir: there
was not: l did not take out all the
rifles; ! could count them without
taking them out OF the boxes:
picked up one or two from the top.
%. And you did count the rifeA
in both bOxes?-A. Yes, SIR.
@. And you remember that the
requisite number OF rifles were there
added TO the other rifles that You
found in the racks, and that you
counted as away from there, 10 make
up the number OF seventy?-A. Yes.
sir.
q. There was not q rife missing
was there?--A. No, sir"
ON this point Quartermaster-Se
geant Walker McCurdy testified %.
1859 as follows:
%. What book is that in front OF
you there? See II you recognize II.
A. This is the company's property
book, sir.
%. The company property book
OF Company B?-A. Yes. sir.
%. Will you turn 70 that and
see what gun Sergeant Blaney had
assigned 10 him, according to that
book, when these new Springfield RI
hes were issued?-A. lExamining
book think It was 1868.
90. 456S3?-A. Yes. sir.
@. Now. ii has been testified to.
l believe. that Sergeant Blaney was
absent on furlough. When did ne go
away on furlough "A. II was about
the same timo 1 was made quarter
master-sergeant-about the 9Th or
10th OF June.
q. That is, you succeeded him
when he went away on furlough?-
A. Yes. sir.
%. Had he returned while Won
were yet at Brownsville? When did
he's return?-A. He returned at Ell
Reno.
%. He was not with you at Fort
Brown at all?-A. No. sir.
q. What was done with his gun
when he left to go on furlough the
9Th OF June, OF whatever date IL was
"A. He took 1t up and packed it
away
q. He turned It in?-A. No.
slr; he turned in his own rifle. He
Will tell you himself that when he
returned there was a slip of paper /
put in the chamber TO SHOW whose
rihe 1t was. to keep me from issuing
lt TO anyone else.
q Who put that in there?-A.
put IL In there myself.
q. What was on the1 sI:p OF
paper?-A. William Blaney.'
@. Now. when he returned. wer-
you still with the company?-A. Yes.
%. At FL Reno?-A. Yes. sir.
C. And you were still quarter