The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-12

cit win be seen upon examination. as
woald OF course. b. expected, that there
il a slight conflict of evidence upon some
Of the features or Mr.. Walters case. New
ertheiess. upon fair and just eonsidsra-
ton OF al the facts and circumstance as
presented, and especially In view of Mr..
Walters own letter. the conclusions set
forth In the report OF the secretary of state
dc not appear to admit OF any reasonable
doubt. nor 70 leave open 10 the executive
any other course OF action than that adopt
ed and acted upon. az therein stated. IL is
expected that Mr. Walters release from
Imprisonment will be Immediately forth
coming"
Accompanying the correspondence
which is voluminous. IL a report by Secre-
tary 0lnsy summarizing It's features and
explaining the reasons which animated
the executive In terminating the incident
- above described. In the beginning the
secretary gives the history OF the Crockett
case. showing that Waller. when United
States consul at Tamatave. acting adj
ministrator OF the estate OF Crockett, q
deceased United States citizen. was guilty
OF maiadminisiration; that when Mr.. Wet
ter took charge of the consulate In Janu-
airy 1884, Waller had disappeared. and the
consular records were In great confusion.
Wstter caused civil quit TO be brought
against Waller on account of the Crockett
estate, and before court composed OF
Consul wetter. Mr.. Geldargt. Walters In
innate friend. and Messrs. Rider and Howe.
Waller WAS convicted Of gross mismanaKe-
ment OF the estate, of abuse ami neglect
OF trust. and removed from the position OF
administrator. being ordered TO make good
the sum OF 81 sci and interest 10 the Crock
EFT heirs Wetter asked leave OF the state
department 10 prosecute Waller criminal
iy. and the state department replied that IL
could give no specific Instructions.
Touching the Waller concession. the sec
ter. dated In April last: This same letter
contains an allasion 10 the Waller rubber
concession, n land grant near Fort pau-
phin, after indIcatin various ways I'm which
the Crockett money may have been spent
In bribes 10 secure the concession. but no
evidence II produced nor IL there any proof
OF the nature. extent, validity or value or
the concession. The value may have been
supposed Go be dependent upon the issue OF
the contest then going on between the
French and the natives. while II IL certain
that the French authorities have always
held the concession to be without any va
Hdity.'
Secretary olnoy tells how Waller, return
Ing to Tamataye In 1894. ON his way 20
America. was prevented from proceeding
By the insistence OF Consul wetter upon
his paying the Crockett judgment. which
he was unable 10 do. and how. after the
capture Of Tamatave by the French I'm De-
and tried by court-martiai The charges
were. Dispatchlug letter 20 hts wife
from TamataVe without the same having
been seen by the French authorities: sec
ord, corresponding with tho enemies OF
France ard furnishing 10 them Information
prejudieiai 20 the military and political
situation Of France The trial took place
IN open court. and Waller was sentenced 10
twenty years imprisonment an appeal be-
Ing refused. Secretary Gresham In 1896
called upon the French government for the
record and evidence, aud these were fur
nished.
As 10 the evidence. Secretary olney
SAYS without any admission Of the
duty OF the French government Co permit
an inspection ef the eviaenee-a duty
which that government claimed from the
outset did not extst-~tae evidence was
submitted 10 AIR. Eustis fer such exam,-
nation as he cheese to make. Walters
guilt upon the first charge OF sending
letter from Tamatave without a permit
from the French authorities - inspect II
-an offense said 20 be punishable by a
nominal fine-stands confessed. As re-
spects the second charge. a charge, ~
ccurse. OF much greater gravity. Mr.
Etstis reports as follows; In order &c
understand the significance 81 the infer
nation communicated Thy Walierl IL must
be borne in mind that the French had a
garrison at Tamasavc and Ire HoVas bad
one at Faratate. These two points were
distant from each other a few miles II
letter % Tessier he describes the csndi-
tion az Tsmafave. that smallpox Is rag
Tag. that many are dying; that there arc
more than loo French soldiers IN ire hos
pitfalls: that they have dysvnfcry and
FEVER. and unless there should be a charge
IA the disorder very soon ire fatality ef
hoth soldiers and citizens would b. very
great He speaks very carefully u tA9
arrest CT several Hoyes wAa were rs~
IA
rapuscatei the enfsehlsd aud stTaiteued
condition % the garrison az Tausatave
might certainly have provoked an attack
hy the Hovas from raTatafe. the lnfcTnla~
tson being given 20 an agent ~ the HavaS,
He described outrares committed BY
French soldiers On MaiaeaSy women and
stys u sreFns strange tnat civilized men
should commit such crimes upon the Maia-
rasy women. and speaks ~ much Mala-
Easy property having been destroyed hy
the French troops Whether these state
r,entS were true or false they were Ger
tainiy calculated 20 increase the horrers
OF war ~ provoking retaliation on the
part 81 the HaNzs. TIE writes that al mail
leaving Taraatave Ter ARtanararsVo Is
read hy the colonel ~ Tire French army
before = can pass; that ne has a
chance 20 send this letter by TIE En-
sNxA steamer Via Natal. sna 9,
will escape the eyes 81 she Ereach
In ais letter "a his wife. he
tsynaanesS ~ ana T." Nho are t8ea tisfed
a. Draper a,3a H'ars1y. as krwnch spies nj
asks her 20 inform Tessscr and friends SO
tha fact IL Is tree that Re ASKED that they
20 sent away from ne capital Nhea asked
~ the presiding ofscer WHY he exposed
these tao naen - - executed. ha rs& liesa
that he al1 z grcu3 motives ~ reverse. J
an, eresihsy Informed that chose I've ssfn
were American citizens Mrs.. Waller. ts
acknowledging ere receipt q tass better.
was not - Eentscn anything n Il. hIs
SIMPLY 70 sav ''Y Gar - received. After
she and Tester hal Rad "a they were -
aax.rnx II ara ri - sr.anrAnf rs sanfNnts