Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-16

He is Put ON the Stand and Testff1es as
to HIS Motives In Writing the Letter to
the Secretary Of War, Etc.

When the Hazen courtmartial resumed Its
sessions at the Ebbitt house this morning Mr.
Mackey offered in testimony two telegrams
sent by Gen. Hazen from Washington Territory
to Acting Chief Signal Officer Mills in Septem
Der, 1888, after the date of the telegram sent by
Capt Mills to Gen. Hazen notifying the latter Of
the decision of the Secretaries Of War and of the
Navy. The judge advocate, after examining
the telegrams offered, objected to their admis-
sion as irrelevant and relating to the question
only of the propriety of the decision reached by
the Secretaries, question which this court was
Mr.. Mackey contended that the kilograms had
direct bearing upon the case and should be
:. The court then retired to consider the ques.
ton. On returning the Judge advocate an.
nounced that the objection Of the judge advo.
cate was sustained.
GEN. HAzEN TEsr1F1Es.
Mr.. Mackey then called Gen. Hazen to the
stand to testify. Gen. Hazen was sworn. He
said he has served since 1855, and served
through the war Of the rebellion. He had never
before been tried by court-martial.
The Judge advocate objected to question by
Mr. Mackey as to when and by whom the Lady
Franklin Bay Arctic expedition was set in
motion, upon the grounds that the matter had
MaeSeys sane that his
show that the President authorized the expe-
dltion, and that the Secretary of War had
funds. He held that if the accused thought the
Secretary of War had no authority in the mat,
ter ne was justifiable in entering respectful
The court voted on the question without re-
tlring, and the judge advocates objection was
sustained.
The question was then asked: "Did you ever
on any occasion knowingly fail to render due
respect 10 your superior otficers?"
The Judge advocate objected to the question
upon the grounds that it made the accused
judge and jury in the case.
Mr.. Mackey defended the question as one in
during service Of fthirtythree M % Vears u "''ness
The court allowed the question and Gen.
Hazen answered: Never" tc the question.
Gen. Hazen was asked if he had occasion ever
to address communications to the Secretary OF
War upon matters relating to his office.
Witness answered that he had frequently ad-
dressed snch communications.
He was asked If he had ever addressed a COM
munication to the Secretary of War in relation
to annual expenditures, and answered that he
had.
The question being still further followed up,
the judge advocate objected.
Mr.. Mackey said he would show, if allowed to,
case after case where the Secretary of War had
revoked decisions upon their being protested
against respectfully by Gen. Hazen.
ton before the court was whether the accused
charges.
The court, by tie vote. announced that the
The question was then nasked-"state the effect
Of your protest. Did the Secretary reverse his
Answer-"He did"
In answer to further questions Gen. Hazen
said that in 1882 it became necessary to send a
dressed a communication to the Secretary of
War, calling attention to the fact and suggest
ing that it was the intention of Congress that
an expedition should be sent annually.
The Secretary of War, witness said, wrote to
the President that he knew of no such under
ton, and seemed to hold that he Gen. Hazen)
had exceeded his authority in making the sug-
gestion.
The judge advocate objected to the witness
stating the contents Of written matter on record.
and it was decided that the records themselves
should be produced.
Armstead's assignment to duty in the signal
snsted wi hne ahn sroad ths. he eoa1d net be
witness protest, and did misappropriate money.
At that time he did not ask permission to protest
nor was he informed that he should have done
HIS MOTIVES FOR WRITING TO THE SECRETARY
OF WAR.
In explanation of his motives in writing the
letter to Secretary Lincoln with relation to the
Greedy expedition, he said that he had been
criticised and blamed for the failure of the ex-
pedition to rescue Lieut.. Greely's party, and he
wrote the letter to eXculpate himself He
wanted to state that he believed that Lieut.
Greely,s party could have been rescued, and had
done all he could to effect the rescue. He said
he did not mean to criticise the Secretary of
War.
MI. MacKey IneA read parts or the letter, and
asked his motive in writing them.
Witness replied that the Secretary of War
was largely responsible for the criticism that
he Gen. Hazen) had been subjected to; that in
his report Mr.. Lincoln gave the impression that
Hazen had neglected his duty, which was not
true. Witness said also that Secretary
had been m1sied to matters
Of fact; that whereas the Secretary had
stated the temperature had been very low,
much higher. He (the witness) corrected this
in his letter, making issue upon the statement
Of facts upon authority and did SO in defense of
his own reputation and not for the purpose of
casting reflections upon Secretary Lincoln.
The judge advocate objected toauestions as to
the extent of the disaster to the Greely party
Mr.. Mackey said that it was the desire of the
prosecution to keep out of the arctic region. He
(Lncolnl did not want to go SO far as Cape
Sabine, because he did not want to be con-
fronted with his own horror The defense, he
said, wanted to show the magnitude of the dis
aster and to show that the prosecution was gov
erned by malice.
The court was then closed until 1:3O o'clock.
NOTES.
The court was crowded with spectators to-day
as usual, large proportion of the spectators
being of the fair sex.
The members of the court are kept busy when
they first take their rseats writing their names in
autograph albums.
Counsel for Gen. HaZen state that there has
been no disagreement between them, such as
did not, they say, take a seat between them as a
The change of position was
brought about by Mr.. Mackey's desire to sit
where he could see the face of the witness.
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A TarnInany Delegation Here.