Grand Army Reveille from Topeka, Kansas • 5

mortgages: That later Coney purchased the notes mortgages from the old lady giving his unsecured individual notes for $1200, in payment therefor: That later the widow became ill and after lingering in poverty for some time, died. That an administrator was appointed who being unable to collect anything on the notes sued Coney and got judgment and ater believing that he could not collect his judgment compromised the matter for a few outlying town lots, practically worthless and $50 in cash. Comrade Coneys restoration to membership was without reservation, and that since the action of the Department referred to, he has been and still is a member ir mod standing of the Grand Army of tiie Republic. In conclusion we are also of the opinion that the War practically ended at Appomattox; that it is unreasonable that soldiers of the Union Army, when they can no longer find soldiers of the Confederate Army to contend against, should turn upon and fight each other; that there is no reasonable or just grounds for any fight to be made personally upon Comrade P. H.

Coney at this time. Respectfully and Fraternally submitted in F. C. L. Geo.

A. Huron H. J. Bfavelle F. M.

Kimball Geo. Neil Theo. F. Orner findings of the Committee ought to be so with the assassins of character that right on piping the same old song of For Complete refutation of the above, see the affidavit of L. S.

Ferry, the Administrator in question, of Charity Ewing made by Judge Ferry to contradict the Coney of Kansas circular, and used for that purpose at Saratoga. Judge Ferry testifies to the same facts in the trial of the Libel suit. (See right hand column.) honesty and integrity of General P. H. Coney, now aspiring to be elected as Commander in Chief of the G.

A. R. at Saratoga Springs, N. it is with great pleasure that I now state, (as 1 have repeatedly done before this time) that the conduct of P. H.

Coney in all his business relations with Charity Ewing were thoroughly honorable and free from censure. Briefly stated, the facts were, that Charity Ewing through P. Coney for her, made two loans upon real estate in Shawnee County Kansas, which at the time was abundantly ample to secure the loans so made and the mortgages were taken in the name of and for Charity Ewing, and so received by her for the money so loaned by her and the interest on these loans in her favor was paid for a time and was then defaulted, and the great decline in real estate values lung after the loans were made for her is the sole cause or reason why she and her estate failed to realize the full amount of her loans. There was not any bad faith or improper conduct on the part of P. H.

Coney in this entire transaction and he was never bene fitted in the sum of anything thereby. Having obtained a judgment against him, and afterward becoming satisfied that Capt. Coney was not morally responsible for any loss that had occurred and had derived nothing of value therefrom, and being de-sirious of escaping the costs of the action, then being prosecuted on appeal, and discovering that the property was more valuable than I had at first supposed, I settled the entire matter with Capt Coney and the judgment rendered against him by and with the consent and approval of the Probate Court of Shawnee County, Kansas, for fifty dollars, and his appeal was dismissed and the property was afterwards sold and the estate of Charity Ewing, received the full benefit of the same and the omission of the estate to realize the full amount of the loans 60 made was due entirely to natural causes as hereinbefore stated. I gave my evidence to the above effect to the Court Martial that tried one Ed. G.

Moore of G. J. Gage Post No 495 of Topeka, Kansas, that resulted in his dishonorable discharge from the G. A. R.

and he has been fully aware at all times that his to connect Capt. Coney, with any dishonesty or misconduct in his business relations with Charity Ewing, were and are entirely groundless, false and untrue. I have knownCapt. Coney for twenty years, intimately well and bear cheerful testimony to his uprightness and probity in every department of life. L.

S. Ferry. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 5th day of September 1907. Louis M. Bagley Notary Public, Shawnee County, Ks.

Jseal My commission expires 26th day of Nov. 1908. It would seem that the foregoing conclusive with reasonable men. are hounding Coney, and so falshood. COMMANDER MORGAN FURTHER SAYS: That during Coneys occupancy of the office of Department Commander he falsely certified the proceedings of the Department Encampment held at Parsons to the National Headquarters.

This matter was referred to the Department of Kansas by the National Encampment. At the meeting of 1906, a special Cnmmittee was appointed consisting of Comrades CyriA Leland, A. W. Smith, Geo. H.

Case, F. P. Cochran, J. H. Downing, J.

W. Gilgus and J. M. Dumenil to whom it was refferred. After full consideration the Committee made its report, which report was unanimously adopted.

See page 95 of the Journal for 1906. The report of the Committee is as follows, (See right hand column.) Not they go VINDICATING. REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE 25th ANNUAL ENCAMPMENT HELD AT SALINA, JUNE 5th, 1906. Relative to action of National Encampment as to the correctness of the Adoption of the Resolutions at Parsons Encampment, Department of Kansas. Your Committee to whom was referred the matter of dispute, relative to the correctness of the Certification to the National Encampment at Denver, of the resolutions adopted at the last Department Encampment at Parsons, Kansas, on May 28, 1905, have had the same under careful consideration and investigation and find that the action of the Department Commander, and his Adjutant, was in good faith and their conscientious intention, based upon honest recollection.

That there is an honest difference of recollection as to the adoption of the disputed resolutions, that a careful examination of all available records fails to disclose or determine the exact facts as to the absolute correctness of either contention and as the entire dispute is a matter of honest difference based upon a conscientious desire to do what was right therefore be it Resolved: That each and all concerned are held blameless of any intentional wrong whatever, and that the whole matter be and is hereby dropped, and forever closed, without reflection, but with honor and credit to this Department, and to all its officers and representatives who were not to blame for its presentation to the National Encampment by their Committee. Your Committee has tried to cover all of the questions of importance that they thought were proper for this Encampment to take action upon and they respectfully submit their report in fraternity, charity and loyalty, and move the adoption of the same. Respectfully submitted, Cyrus Leland, Chairman. A. W.

Smith. Geo. H. Case. F.

P. Cochran J. H. Downing. J.

W. Gilgus. J. M. Dumenil.

This report was unanimously adopted by a rising and standing vote. But this action of the Encampment at Salina which was the unanimous voice of the Grand Army of Kansas, had no effect upon the slanderous ardor of Commander Morgan who was present and knew of it. He treats the action of his Department with contempt and now he attempts to resurrect matters long since and many times settled adversely to his present contention. If the statement of Judge Ferry, administrator of the estate of Charity Ewing, made under oath and upon the witness stand, will not still the tongue of slander, if committees of good repute, charged with the investigation of charges are powerless to protect the membership of the order, if department action can be ignored as if never made and the same old charges can be made over and over again and sent forth on their mission of destruction, of what avail is membership in our order? CONCLUSIONS OF FACT. And finally, to sum the whole matter up in a nutshell, every charge brought by Morgan, or his allies, against Coney for a number of years past, was carefully considered by a Court Martial, convened Nov.

12, 1905, for the purpose of trying Ed. G. Moore upon twenty-five specific charges of violations of Grand Army Rules and Regulations. This Court Martial was composed of the ablest men in the order, to wit: W. W.

Smith, President, now private Secretary to Senator Charles Curtis, Col. Geo. W. Veale of Topeka Post No. 71; Col.

C. C. Collins of Post No. 12, Lawrence; Col. L.

H. Higgins of Post No. 35, Burlingame; Col. H. A.

Willis of G. G. Gage Post No. 495; Col. T.

M. James of Post No. 250; Col. J. R.

McNary of Post No. 250; Col. Stephen W. Pasker of Post No. 321.

The Court Martial gave twelve days to the consideration of the charges against Moore and of Moores charges against Coney, and were unanimous in exhonorating Comrade Coney and finding Moore guilty on each of the 25 charges. The proceedings of this Court Martial comprise 293 pages of legal cap, which are on file in the office of the Commander of the Department. The judgment of the Court Martial was carefully reviewed and approved by COMMANDER MORGAN SAYS OF THE CHARITY EWING AFFAIR, AND MISREPRESENTS THE FACTS. VINDICATING. TESTIMONY AND AFFIDAVIT OF JUDGE L.

S. FERRY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF CHARITY EWING. STATE OF KANSAS COUNTY OF SHAWNEE L. S. Ferry, of lawful age, being first duly sworn deposes and says; that I am the identical L.

S. Ferry who was the duly appointed, qualified and acting administrator of the estate of one Charity Ewing, referred to in the derogatory circular this day shown me, and intended to reflect upon the honor, The defendants then took the stand and showed by the records of the Probate and District Court of Shawnee County, that P. H. Coney advised an old lady, a soldiers widow, who was unable to read and write, to invest all the money she had, some $1200, in certain notes and I.