The morning times., 1895-10-18

New York. Oct. 17.-Mrs. John L. Wal
Ter. wife OF the former United States con
sui to Madagascar. arrived in this city
this morning on the Dutch steamer Am
sterdam.
She was accompanied by her three
daughters and her young son. She wa,
met at the pier In Hoboken by her adviser
z. G. Woodford. and crossed the river OF
a tug, after which she went at once e
the Clarendon Hotel
When seen there by reporter she SAID
that she could add but little to the re
ports already made public of her hus-
bands confinement in the prison at Mar
seille5.
''There is one thing I would like TO say
however" said Mrs. Waller. "Ambassa-
dor Eustis has been harshly criticised fol
not aiding US as much as he might havt
done. There is no truth in that report.
"Mr. Eustis did everything in his power
for US. He is even now treating my-hus-
band with the utmost consideration. The
whole trouble lay with Robert Campbell
my husbands predecessor.
CHARGE AGAINST HIM.
"Mr. Waller was arrested" she contin
ued, "at Tamatave, Madagascar, March 5
1895, by the French authorities on 4 charge
of having conducted ciandestine cores
pondence with the enemy, the Hovas-"
1t appears, according to Mrs. Waller
story. that on September 8, while at tht
house OF Hova acquaintance, Mr. Waller
had promised to procure four or five re
yoiyers for the son Of his guest, who, as
Mr. Waller was preparing to take trip to
this country, had requested him to purchase
the weapons for him.
At the triaal of Waller these revoiverf
played an unfortunate part for him, az
the French authorities insisted that they
were simply samples of an intended ship
ment of arms TO the Hovas. After his
arrest Mr. Waller was confined in China
mans shop at Tamatavc, and on March 1e
he was tried by court martial
There were two counts To his Indictment
violating ''Order 3D. in sending letters
from Tamatave. which was In state of
siege. without their having been scrutinized
by the authorities. and attempting 10 convey
information to the enemy.
Capt Levisoit and six neutenants com
posed the court Waller had repeatedly
asked for counsel, but was allowed none
GElll ituAS toe Lucy
when l. Jeriaud took his case; but as soon
as he had read the letters Waller had
written to Mrs. Waller the lawyer threw
up the case.
The reason for this. Mrs. Waller says,
was that in one OF them Waller had written
in condemnatory Germs OF certain acts of
Consul Wetter. his successor
CALLED THEM SPIES
In his letters to his wife Waller had
told of outrages and thefts committed by
the French, and had referred to two per
sons by the letters I'D" and ''P,' whom
he declared to be French spies
Waller had also sent letters inclOsed to
George Tessier and a young Hova named
Ratsimandresy, but these contained moth
ing but references to business matters
Previous to the trial Waller was exam
ined through a French interpreter, and
made TO sign a paper written in French.
language he did not understand The
court martial appointed a clerk named
Gerrick as counsel for Waller, but he
was allowed to make practically no de
fense.
The trial and drawing up OF the sen
tence occupied three hours and twenty five
minutes. Waller was condemned to twenty
years in prison, and an appeal to a higher
court was denied him. He was taken to
the prison at Clarveaux, in the south of
France, March "a last.
Mrs. Waller says that II Mr.. Waller
had not been detained at Tamatave by
Consul wetter, who unwarrantedly ques-
toned some of her husbands official acts
Waller would not have been arrested. In
fact, she said, public opinion at Tamatave
was to the effect that Consul Wetter was in
collision with the French authorities.
BRAYFoRCIBLy EXPELLED.
After Walters conviction an order ex-
pe!ling his stepson, Paul Fl. Bray, to Zanzibar
was carried out, he being forcibly taken tu
that place on the same steamer which con
yeyed Waller toprisor. AnAmericaDnamed
Woodfurd took Mrs. Waller and her cbilsren
as far as Mauritius, where she asked assist
ance OF Consul Campbell to enable her to
reach the United States.
The consul told her, she says, that the
United States made no such provision for
such purposes Then she went to the
governor, who said he would help her If
Consul Campbell would write tu him regard
ing the matter. This the consul refused
to do, saying that it would bumiliate him.
Finally, she was sent home. third-class
passage. and while on the steamer she and
her children were grossly insulted by the
French soldiers. From Marseilles, where
she and her children were treated with the
greatest kindness by Consul Ciaud Thomas,
of whom she speaks in the highest terms,
Mrs Waller came to the United States in
the second cabin.
They win probably leave for Washington
tonight.