| Show SERGEANT BLANKS CASE considerable interest ban baa been aroused on the coast by the story atory published in the san ban francisco Chron chronicle sole of the reducing to the rank of private of sergeant henry blank of this city it is ia a case where the accused has baa sp ap parent patently ly been denied not only a hearing bearing of his cause but even knowl edge of the crime of which he was charged and the name dame of his accuser A NEWS reporter tuesday visited the home of sergeant blank at no west first north street and cor ro borated the in the ibe case he to 1 about 31 81 years of age and a native of germany nearly ton ten years ago he oame came to st bt louie and afterwards on en listed hated in the army together with hla his brother max blank who la Is also now BOW a resident of this city and employed as a fireman on a union pacific engine henry was waa at one time stationed at fort duglan Du gla glav utah having been transferred there from texas he a ter warda wards went to walla walls walla then to fort fork lowell ariz and finally to fort wingate now new mexico here he became acquainted with his present wife and they were marrley some tb three ree years beare ago until junes 1894 henry blank hold held the position of sergeant eer geant in troop M second cavalry on duty with the troop of that regiment at fort wingate N M at which time be was waa by especial orders orden from washington transferred as a private to troop 1 second cavalry and sent without de lay jy to the station or of troop at fort bowie A T he says gays that as aa he be had applied for no transfer and bad committed no offenses of fenee the order struck him bild like a break streak of lightning out of a clear sky by yet his duty was wag to obey he spoke to an officer of the regime t about his hia oaie came and the gentleman said isaid he be as aa well as the reat of the officers were surprised at this order but could not make out the reason forit for it the officer advised him however to obey the order join his hia new station citation and troop and then ask aek for an examina lion through the proper military channels he joined the new troop and station but only a few weeks had baa passed when his hia wife who had taken his punishment very tory much to heart wrote him from fort wingate that she was feeling very sick and eo 80 instead of asking tor for an applied for a discharge intending to ask aik tor the explanation ap afi soon eoon as aa he was settled down he received him hie discharge ora on october 22 1894 at fort lagao col where he had bad been or ordered dered from fort bowie Bowle AT and immediately proceeded to this city his wife had bad come here previously on account of her bad biond when he arrived he fould nor ber sick lok with typhoid fever and for months she ebe lingered between life and death she still abill shows the effects ot of a severe spell pell of sickness about this time hio ble brather max blank informed him that while he henry was yet in the army max had written the secretary of war asking for the cause of henrys henrya reduction and transfer the re generals general office and it was wae seat back to the writer with the statement that sergeant henry blank troop ISI second cavalry was transferred to troop 1 I second cavalry by order of the assistant secretary eore tary of war the reasons reason for this action are of a private nature and are no doubt known to your jour brother As AB soon boon as sergeant blank became acquainted with these facts he wrote to the adjutant general asking for the reason of his bis reduction and transfer in reply he be received a letter which stated that as the incidents connected with his big reduction and transfer had bad been closed by his bis honorable dis charge abarge by way of favor it was waa not teemed deemed necessary to inform him of 0 the reasons for the action of the depart ment in the matter soon after receiving this reply sergeant blank addre addressed abed a letter to the san francisco Chron chronicle fole setting betting forth the facts in the case and expressing a desire to have the matter investigated vesti gated as aa he has never been told what he was wag accused of or who his ao ac cuders were the papers were sent to the chron ioles washington correspondent who visited the department and endeavored to learn the reasons for the reduction but without success the adjutant general positively refused to make known the he facts in the case in conclusion the chronicle Chron Chro ioe nible sums up the case as follone fol lowe there is one significant tact in all thia if sergeant blank had bad done anything so scandalous as to warrant his reduction and transfer anything so go scan dalous that it could not be made public by the department lie should have been court margialee marti margi aled or drummed out of camp this is not the first time there have been ugly stories about the military post poat at fort wingate and every time there has been the same suppression of facts there are scandals scandale in army settlements as in all others but when an officer is in concerned publicity is the thing to be avoided and the war department apparently patently ly cares more for the reputations of its titled servants than farj for justice ustice and morality if sergeant blank has told the truth there would seem to be need lor for ao an investigation not only of his bis grievance but of 0 affairs in general at fort wingate possibly there might appear as the culprit not a nor noc oom officer with a sick wife but somebody who wears the badges that uncle sam awards to his most meet tru trusted isted military servants 00 since coming to tc salt lake sergeant blank has bas been out of employment until a short abort time ago when he ob bained work at paper cleaning He feels that a great injustice has been done him and says lit this Is in the justice tice of the united states government it is is nothing to be proud of what he wapiti to know to ie the names of his accusers and the nature of the he crime with which he is charged this certainly appears to be his right |
