Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-02-04
INQUIRY COURT 70
HEAR STORY Of 4
BALLROOM BRAWL
Physical Encounter Admitted to
Have Taken Place in Home
Of Doctor.

Boston, Jan. 27.-gThe secretary OF the
navy today issued an order constitute
ing a court martial which will sit at
Boston and air one of the most recent
navy scandals, in which many prom
inent navy officers and society folks
are involved and which began with a
fist fight in a ballroom at a navy
hop in Charleston.
The officers to be brought before the
court are Paymaster George Percival
Aud of the receiving ship Wabash I'm
Charleston navy yard and Surgeon An
sey Hamilton Robnett. The charges
are OF disrespect to a superior officer
and assault and conduct unbecoming
an officer.
DIR. III. Z. Ames. inspector OF the
United States navy yard, was the host
at the n where the assault oc-i
Cured. DIR. Edward Spencer Cowles, OF
Boston, whose recital OF the fight at thei
leads to the court martial. was the
victim.
DIR. Cowles is a cousin OF Read Adj
miral Cowles. a brotherinlaw OF ex-i
President Roosevelt.
Beautiful Girl in Case.
Rear Admiral Swift, OF the navy, and
his beautiful daughter, Madeline. are
involved In the case. Miss Madeline
Swift was recently In the public eye
by reason Of the sudden breaking off OF
her engagement to Harry Duer Storers
Of Atlanta, Ga. 1t is charged that Adj
miral Swift sought to suppress the
Charleston affair OF the friend-l
ship of his ~ausht Madeline Tor AUD,
who is accused.
The court martial will convene / n
Boston at 10 o'clock on the morning OF
January 81. 1t will be composed OF
Captain James NJ. Helm. Commander
John +. Luby, Surgeon Eugene p.
Stone. Surgeon George b. Wilson, Lieu
tenant Commander Julian T.. Lattimer,
Paymaster Victor s. Jackson, Paymas-
ter Herbert E.. Stevens, Passed Assist
ant Surgeon Frederick A. Asserson and
Paymaster Edward II. Goodhue.
Captain Herbert j. Hirshinger. OF the
marine corps will act as judge advo-,
cate.
The story of the fight did not get out
until Mrs. Ccwles visited the home OF
Secretary OF the Navy Meyer and SEN
ator Henry Cabot Lodge, OF Massachu-
sets.
The fight is described by DR.. cowles
In this manner
Describes the Fight.
After my wife and I had been re-
ceived and made some engagement for
the first dance, / was crossing the
Aioott IN IdylfIdSkcT Auiu
n DR.. Robnett, arm in arm. marched,
up to me. Aud asked Robnett. Is
this DIR. Cowles?' He said Yes Then
Aud asked me to leave the hall and
never show up again.
II asked him what he meant and de-
manded an explanation. He said we
were not wanted around there any:
more. ! asked again for an e~xplana-l
ton, and there was nom / asked iG
Miss Ames knew of and sanctioned the
acts, lie said nat she did,. z
MY wife and / met Miss Ames near
the cloakroom, n repeating the con-
Iversation asked IL it were so. She said,
that 1t was not and was astonished.
Miss Ames said she had nothing to do
with 1t. An explanation was asked Of
Aud. He refused to give II. / said:
"fYou are a cowardly cur IL you re-,
fuse to make an explanation after in
| sulting a man in that manner
HE still refused to say anything and
left the room.
Mrs. Cowles leading, we started to-
leave the dance. Paymaster Aud ram
in through q door and struck me from
the back. / did not see him.
MY head struck the door. We grap-
pied and fell to the floor. injuring the
back OF my head. The doorkeeper and
a civilian ran up. Aud got up and ran
away without saying anything.
II nearly tainted. We went home and
l tICthtl lNd taLEAs RaltkiaB ol 1OGkOT dilu
Miss Ames. They said there was Moth
ing that should cause such action on
the part of Aud.
Calls on Admiral for Aid.
w then called on Rear Admiral
Swift. He said he was very glad that
we came n promised to investigate 1t
thoroughly. Paymaster Aud did not
mention the occurrence until the fol-
lowing Sunday morning. 1t was a gross
\ insult TO me- and To DIR Amaap
Mrs. Cowles declared that Rear Adj
miral Swift took the charges to Wash
ington and must have pigeonholed
them, for, she says, Secretary Meyer
knew nothing of them when she called
on him on January III.
He said he did not now Aud, said
Mrs. Cowles. but that Swift was a
personal friend of his. I saw Senator
Lodge and he said, 1T Is the most in
famous thing / ever heard or and that
he would telephone Meyer hat after
noon n see why nothing vas lone
about It."
Through their insistence the matter
has zone into the hands of the Judge
advocate general.
DIR. Ames investigated the afair De-
cember 10 and sent his report to Rear
Admiral Swift. Rear Admira Swift
came to Washington two weeks later.
The report did not reach Secretary
Meyer until a month afterward.
"Dr. Ames asked me- said DIR.
Cowles, "as did Rear Admiral Swift. If
there vas any way hat reparation
might be made for the insult. r
said that I would consent to leave
the matter in DIR. Ames' hands and
have 1t pressed until justice was DONE"
DR.. and Mrs. Cowles returned to Bos-
ton last night. Miss Madeline Swift is
in Boston at the home of her brother.
according to Mrs. Cowles.
1 HM~H vi