Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-17
THE CASE OF WALLER
No Settlement Yet Between the Two
Governments.
An IMPORTANT WITNESS COMING here
The Record Of the Court-martiaI
Proceedings Not Received.
AMERICANS IN TAMATAVE

The United States government has by no
means abandoned its friendly offices in be-
half Of Waller its former consul at Tama-
tave, Madagascar, who Is now languishing
in dreary confinement in French military
prison. He was convicted by a military
court-martial of be.raying French secrets to
the Hovas and sentenced to twenty years
Imprisonment. His case has been the sub
ject of considerable diplomatic correspond
ence between the governments Of France
and the United States. 1t has been repre-
scented that he was not given fair trial and
that no evidence was adduced to justify the
findings and sentence of the court. There
is also a serious dispute as to the legality
of his trial by a military tribunal, even
admitting his guilt Of the offenses alleged
against him. The United States has re-
quested copy of the proceedings Of the
court-martial. and further action Is sus-
pended pending its arrival.
Officials Of the State Department scout
the statement of the Paris Steele that the
case is 'irretrievably lost" That conclu-
sion is based on the erroneous supposition
that the United States government has re-
ceived complete explanations of the offense
prosecution and sentence in the Waller
case. AS matter of fact. sthe record Of
the proceedings of the court-martial has
not yet reached this country, and until
that record shall have received due consid-
GRAFTON the final policy of this government
will not be determined. According to Off
cial reports from Paris, this record reach
ed Alden, en- the Red sea, the 12th instant,
en- route to Paris. Naturally, it has not
had time to reach Washington. In the Or
binary course of events the papers should
be delivered to the Secretary of State with
in a few weeks.
The American Side of 1t.
Mr.. E. G. Woodford. an American travel
er and engineer. who has just returned
from a business trip to Madagascar, tells
some Interesting things about foreign
rights in the land of the Hovas, and gives
some important details about the Waller
case.
Il went to Madagascar in March last"
he says. 'in order to transact some bank
ing and private business. On landing at
Tamatave heard that Mr.. Waller. the
United States ex-consul, was in prison, hay-
ing been arrested on a charge of communi-
eating with the Hovas. A week later, on
Monday, March 10. Mr.. Waller was tried by
a military tribunal. and. after about a
couple Of hours, was sentenced to twenty
years imprisonment. He was convicted
solely on documentary evidence, for the
most part dated previous to the war, and
no witnesses were called. The charges were
based on q number of letters written by
Mr.. Waller to his wife. which were inter-
cepted by the French. Among the docu-
ments seized was an article Of mine writ
ten to an American journal, in which I
criticised the French occupation. This had
been cut from newspaper and inclosed by
Mr.. Waller to his wife. There were also a
letter from a Hova lad Of nineteen to Mr..
Waller, asking the latter to purchase him
some gtores. and, among other things four
revolvers. 1t was on this evidence that tha
American ex-consul was condemned. The
feelings Of Mr.. Wetter and myself on hear
ing of this sentence can be imagined; but
we were the only two responsible Ameri-
cans in Tamatave. and we were helpless.
as no American gunboat was near the coast
The United States consul attended the trial
and did all that was possible, and I am con-
WINGED that, had an American warship been
at Tamatave. he would have insisted on the
American commander placing Waller On
board under the protection Of the American
flag AS 1t was, we could do nothing.
visited the prisoner after his conviction.
Pjemnah for France. His stepson was also
exiled, and his wife and children were left
destitute. On my arrival in Paris last
month at cnce proceeded to the American
embassy, where I laid the case before Mr..
Eustis, the ambassador, and lodged a pro-
test against ouch treatment of an American
citizen. found that the United States gov
eminent had already taken vigorous action,
whom had taken from Antananarivo to
Nautilus. and had there left almost desti-
tute, were on their way home"
An Important Witness Coming.
Mr.. Langston of counsel for ex-Consul
Waller, and Paul Bray, stepson of the
latter. were at the State Department today
in connection with the Waller case. They
have received letters from Waller showing
that his health Is improving slightly in
prison. AS already stated, the advices re-
ceived here are to the effect that the rec
ord Of the court-martial in this case can
not possibly reach Paris before the 22d in
q a nrIf Nhn- ~k1 o.
ment of French newspaper that the
United States embassy at Paris has been
given the papers showing that Walters
case Is hopeless is entirely discredited
here. Mr.. Eustis has not advised the State
Department of its receipt, as he would GER
tainly do. An important witness in Wal
ler's behalf, and one whom, 1t is alleged,
can be relied upon to prevent any doc
toring" of the court-martial record. will
arrive in Washington in a few weeks.
This is Mr.. E. G.. Woodford. referred to
above. He Is fully conversant with all of
the facts. 1t was owing to his efforts that
Mrs. Waller and her children. who we're
left destitute through the arrest and i'm
prisonment of her husband, were brought
to the coast from the interior. carried to
Mauritius and placed In charge Of the
Woodford has already made a concise re-
pert to Secretary Olney of all of the facts
as they fell under his observation. and
while his statement does not acquit Wal
does show that he was innocent of any
crime, and that he has been outrageously
treated. Because Mr.. Woodford was dis
interested witness. his evidence has great
weight legally While in Europe he was
in communication with Ambassador Eus-
tis and gave him such aid in the prosecu-
ton of the case as lay in his power to af-
ford.
Death of Prof. Chas. NJ. Clarke.
NF o,Iro H.