Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-07-15
Petitioners For Capt. Will
liams' Resignation Sub
ject to Court
Martial
CHARGES MADE
AGAINST CAPTAIN
OF CAVALRY TROOP
Trouble In Affairs of Troop B
Coming To a Head.-COm-
pany May Be Mus
tered Out

A serious condition in affairs Of
Troop B, cavalry troop of the WiscOn-
sin National Guard located in this
city, which has been brewing for some
weeks, is rapidly coming to a head.
The trouble is in the personnel of
the troop and concerns chiefly the
commissioned officers. Some OppOSi
tiOn to the commanding officer, Capt.
Russell X. Williams developed and it
eliminated last week in petition
signed by some of the officers and
men. The petitioners, after enumer
ating reasons for dissatisfaction with
the commanding officer, asked that he
resign the captaincy Of the troop.
Declining to comply with the re-
quest Capt. Williams notified Colonel
James J. Quill, commanding officer
of the 105th Cavalry, of the state of
affairs in the troop. Colonel Quill
came here last Saturday and remained
over Sunday. making personal in-
yestigation of the action of the petit
toners
Guilty OF Mutlny"
Colonel Quill stated to the members
of the troop that it was his duty to
stand by the troop commander and
he fOrcibly expressed his displeasure
over the matter of the petition and
stated that the members of the troop
who signed the petition were guilty of
mutiny. as prescribed in military reg
ulatiOns and were subject to court
martial for their method of procedure.
The ones most directly affected are
stated by a nOn-cOmmisSiOned officer
of the troop to be Lieut.. G. c. Maloney,
First Sgt. William Olson, Quartermas-
ter Sergeant Eldon Preston. Duty Ser
geants Neitzel and Schwartz.
The Petition
The petition which caused the
shake-up IN the troop reads as fol-
lows:
To Capt r. l.. Williams, Troop "B, y
v 1st. Sep. Sqdn. Wis. n. c.:
We, the undersigned members of
said troop. hereby respectfully repre-
sent: That a feeling pervadeS the
troop that the organization is doomed
to failure unless there is change in
the official personnel that, while we do
not question your good faith and sim
cerity, the fact is that you have been
unable to secure the good will and
hearty cooperation of the men, that
your failure to take active part in the
drill and other activities of the troop
has inStilled in the men a feeling OF
listlessness and Indifference; that the
feeling has become general that you
have no real interest in the welfare
of the troop or the men; that many
of your actions have been irritating
and disagreeable, and while perhaps
sanctioned by strictly military rules.
have had bad effect on the morale
of the men that your laXness in at
tending TO the paper work has Occa-
stoned suspicious that perhaps the bus
mess matters of the troop may not be
properly looked after; that your ar
bitrary handling of the funds of the
troop in manner not according to
law is looked upon by many with dis
favor and by some with suspicion;
that of all the commissioned officers,
only one has shown an active interest
in teaching the men and promoting the
welfare of the troop; that he has at
tended drills punctually and has ta-
ken deep interest in developing the
efficiency of the troop; that many OF
the members Of the troop have ex-
pressed their conviction that unless
a change is made in the command.
there is no use attending drill. as
failure will come sooner or later: that
on account of that conviction, attend
ance at drill is constantly growing
smaller; that we feel that such change
should be made at once, before sum
mer encampment, in order to give OPP
portpnity to get the troop into suit
able condition for that event;
;'Wherefore, we respectfully ask
that you resign the captaincy Of said
troop, and that you recommend that
Liuet Gerald G. Maloney be promoted
to the rank of captain and placed in
command of said Troop b.
Lieut.. MalOney went to Madison
Monday night and laid the matter be-
fore Adjutant General Holway. The
adjutant general ruled that the of1-