The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-03-27
PRopDINc "PRoss."

General Haxen Gives His Testimony Before
the Court-Ma rtial- Probability of Unveil-
ing the Cape Sabine Horror.
WASHINGTON, March 17.-General HazeB
testified in his own behalf before the court
martial yesterday. He admitted writing
the article in controversy, but said he i'm
tended no disrespect or discourtesy to the
Secretary of War. He gave as his
reason for making the statements that he
had been held to the most serious response
bility for not effectively rescuing the Greedy
party; that 4 had been published all oref
the world that he was in fault, and that in
his own defense he simply wished to state
as fact that Greedy could have been res
cued. and that he (llazen, did all i'm his
power TO have him rescued. The Seere-
tary Of War In his annual report largely
confirmed The opinion expressed Ill the
press that he (Hazen) was responsible fof
the death of these men. The report niats
him either
wILFULLY CULPABLE
or negleetful and inefficient i'm his work.
He wrote the letters simply to relieve him
self from that blemish upon his record
which the Secretary's report had wrong
fully placed there. In an argument upon
an objection Judge NIackey, COUNSEL for
General Hazen, said: 1--WE know that the
prosecution does not want to touch Cape
Sabine. The accuser does not want to face
those horrors. We propose to show the
animus of the accuser; that he was imhued
with malice so deep and deadly against the
Chief Signal Officer of the army that he
became blind upon any guetiop
touching arctic matters suggesting HE
deep tireless hate; that indeed his
very body exhaled meliee whenever the
Chief Signal Officer Yves named" Judge
Mackey then called the attention of the
witness to the fact that bis letter to the
Secretary dated February u last was in
dOrsed by the Secretary as having been re-
ceived at the war department February 20,
and also to the fact that the statement con-
corning the contents of this letter was pub
lished in the Chicago Tribune February 25,
and asked where the letter was kept prior
to February &c. General Hazen replied
that it was kept in his desk. Judge Mackey
asked whether within recent period official
letters
HAVE NOT BEEN PURI oINED
from the desks in the Signal Office and
taken to the Secretary of War. The Judge
Advocate objected to this. Judge Mackey
said the purpose of the defense was to neg
dtlNo Tic pItSuinptiOn tnds tue accuScu CIR
culated the contents Of this lettsr. He said
he proposed to show that tho letter had
been purloined from the desk IL the Signal
Office, and taken TO the Secretary of War
by the person purloiniBg them, End that that
person received special employment after
purlOinmg the letters. He said they
wanted to show the general course
of the administration with reference to the
Chief Signal Officer, that nothing was safe or
sacred in the office Of tie Chief Signal Off
Ger from the hand of this Secretary of Wal
by day or night. The Judge Advocate said
that he did not feel called upon to reply Ia
the insinuations of the counsel with respect
to the Secretary of War; That official, he
said, needed no defense at his bands. and
the attacks upon him were II very bad
taste, to say the least. Withous concluding
the examination of General Haz IN tie court
adjourned.