The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-28
Blues Band Is Under
Court Martial for Re-
fusing to Play.
SAY THEY HAD NO
WRITTEN ORDERS
Evidence Shows Performers Fur
nished Their Own Music and
Instruments-Attorney Smith
Claims Major Bowles Ex-
ceeded His Authority in
Demanding Music.

Evidence In tho court martial pro-
cecdings instituted aga!ns; fftccn mem =
bc~s Of the Richrnona Light INFANTRY
Blues Band for refusing 20 report at
the armory on the night OF February
:, to play at . military ball given IN
honor of the viaitinS cadet battalion
,f the NirEinia Iilitar? Institute, was
concluded late yesterda? afternoon, ana
the court adjourned 10 consider the
casc. The findings will be private un-
III they hayc been reviewed by GOV
,cnur II. G. stuart.
The court convened At noon. ana I'M
inetitately began hearing the evidence
The formal charges against the str'lt-
Ing musicians which were made TO
.Adtutant- General W. w. sale. were
read ana the accused banlsmen enter
ed picas,of not guilty TO each Spcc!tica-
;ion. IL Was agreed that the trials
proceed separately. and Sergeant - -
Slaughter. tile ranking noncommis-
stoned officer OF the hand, was made
the first defendant.
Major T.. w. isowlcs, commanding Of
Gccr of the Richmond Light Infantry
Ilucs' Battalion, was tn" FIRST Wit
ness iic admitted tllt no written or
ders had been given ths musicians. but
that they had been transmitted verbal
~ To- Sergeant Slaughter Oh Thurs
day night preceding the hop IL was
brought out tnat all other orders coy
criue the parade and exercises of the
inauguration Of Governor stuart. on
the uay OF the troub!e. were written
and posted IT, The armory. SO refer
cnco Was made 10 the bull. Major
Bosyies denied that H. had been told
that tho band would play If pad so.
for It's services, but when pressed III
regard t. the alleged statement that
"" told tho iucu thcy need never pct
t!.cir feet Into the ar'nory again. h"
could not remember what he did so,
Slaughter ruk-s Witness strn,i.
owing 10 ihc great foruality at-
tending the cunseuing of q court mar
tinI, the trial made little progress. and
1t O'clock court adjourned " re
convened 1T 4 o'cloCl5, aud Sergeant
slaughter was called to the stand To
tcAtify regarding TN. circumstances
leading up 10 H.. trouble.
Sergeant Slauphtec made au excel
lent witness and quietly told what hc
lsowled had approached him on the
nigh: or the last band rehearsal before
the inaugural parade, aud told him
To tell Bandmaster Colivita that he
wanted the baud 10 play at tha dance.
Slaughter. the following day. oowmui!i-
Gated with Colivita, aud Oh SATURDAY
met MIN ana told MIN personally.
Asked by Attorney II. NJ. smith. In.
who conducted tho defense. vi IN. con-.
sidcrcd he had received q military or
der. Slaughter said he certainly did
not, and that he merely thought II Z
request. He and Coiivit;t were both OF
tho same mind, and made no effort TO
call the band together until after the
parade on Monday, when the latter told
the musicians Of Major Eowlcs's re
quest. Drum Major Cans :ud SlauCh-
ter, vho were the business manager
and assistant business manager. re-
spectively, conferred together and
agreed tha; $50 would hc proper COM
pcnsation for the men. NIL Of whom
had already been compelled to. lose 4
days work without pay TO appear i'll
the parade.
Cans, who was sent TO see Major
Bowles, returned and told the band that
Ills proposal had been rejected. ana
thnt the major had told tho men never
10 set foot in the armory again II
they did not report for the bail. MI
then left without intention Of return
Ing.
Had Played for Dances.
Sergeant Slaughter said that the
men considered it their duty to play
=, dances following the battalion
Griils and always did so without ques-
zion They had never, lie said. been
called upon to play for anything else
since 1911, when the Foot Guards visit
cd this city There was no extra pay
then.
Sergeant Slaughter was next asked
about the arrests. He said that Ii"
had returned TO the arlnory in the late
afternoon to sec that all of the band
property had been packed away. lie
. left the armory shortly before >
O'Clock and was standing on corner
nearby when he was seized by Il squad
sent out by Major Rowles to round up
tho musicians. Three members OF the
band who were not enlisted, were
placed under arrest also. and were only
released after strenuous protest had
been made.
After arrest, Sergeant Slaughter
says he made an effort TO have Major
Isowics reconsider. lie told the officer
that mistake was being made in ar
resting the men, and guaranteed To
have all of them present at amy hour
the following day This suggestion,
Slaughter said, was rejected by Major
l.owics, who said:
The band has thrown it into me
TO o-niSht, and l Will bankrupt the Blues
Battalion 10 get revenge"
Touching on the financial status Of
the band, Slaughter said 1t had never
received any money, except Sl50 from
the battalion. although he understood
that SO was paid for every man an
swcring tho roll at the annual State
inspection. The money was paid,
Slaughter said. when the band rooms
were furnished. The bill was $162,
and the musicians paid the balance out
of their own pockets. No music had
been purchased for the band for twelve
months. and tho bandsmen owned their
own instruments.
Other Musicians Testify.
Drum Major Cans. with Il service
record of twenty -one years was the
next witness. IIc told substantially
the same story as Slaughter Refer
ring to his visit to Major Bowles with
the request that the band be paid for