Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-02-12
FREEDOM
To Be Given to EX-
Consul Waller
AMBASSADOR EUsTIs INSTRUCTED
TO ACCEPT THE OFFER OF
FRENCH GOVERNMENT.
WALLER WAS GUILTY
EVIDENCE SUBMITTED PROVES HIS
MRoNGpoINGs.
President Cleveland by Request Sub
WALLER WAS GUILTY
EVIDENCE SUBMITTED PROVES HIS
MRoNGDoINGs.

Washington, Feb. n.--Ambassador
Eustis has been instructed to accept
the offer OF the French government to
release ex-United States Consul Waller
from further imprisonment and pardon
his offense on condition that the affair
be thereby terminated as between
France and the United States, and that
the latter make no claim in behalf of
the prisoner based upon his arrest. con-
viotion or imprisonment.
Waller may, however, sue in the
French courts for damages for Ill treat
ment.
These facts, showing the termination
of the celebrated Waller incident, APP
pear In the documents sent to both
houses of congress by the president to-
day In answer TO u resolution of In
qulry on the subject
Secretary olney says there Is no
doubt whatever OF Walters guilt; that
the evidence fully sustains the charge
and no court could have hesitated to
condemn him.
President Cleveland says that Sec
rotary Olneys conclusions do not
enrr'r TO admit of any reasonable
doubt"
accompanying the correspondence.
which Ia volumlnous, is a report by
btSitldIJ bllty SuIlindTlZlHR It's Iedl-
ures ana explaining the reasons which
animated the executive In terminating
the incident us above described.
In the beginning the secretary gives
the history OF the Crockett case, show
ing that Waller while United States
consul at Tamatave acted AS admins
traitor of the estate OF Crockett, a de-
ceased United States citizen, was guilty
of mai Decentralization; that when Mr..
Wetter took charge Of the consulate in
January, 1894, Waller had disappeared
and the consulate records were in great
confusion,
Secretary Olney next tells how, after
the capture of Tamatave by the French
in December 1894. Waller was arrested
by them and tried by court known
as Marine First Permanent Council
of war
The charges were dispatching let
ter to his wife from Tamatave without
the same having been viewed by the
French authorities; second, attempting
to correspond with the enemies OF
France and to furnish information
prejudicial TO the military and polltl-
cal situation of France. The trial took
place In open court and Waller was sem
fenced to twenty years Imprisonment,
an appeal being rejected. The evidence
and record of the trial were furnished
by the French government without any
admission of its duty to permit an
inspection.
Concerning the second and most i'm
portant charge against Waller, MIR
Eustis reports as follows;
I'm order to understand the sig
nificance OF the information communi-
Gated (by Waller) II must be borne In
mind that the French had a garrison
at Tamatave and the Hovas had one
at Faratafe. These two points were
distant from each other few miles.
In "A letter to Tessier he describes the
situation at Tamatave; that smallpox
Is raging, that many are dying; that
there are more than 100 French soldiers
IN the hospitals; that they have dysen-
terry and fever and unless there should
he a change very soon the fatality of
both soldiers and citizens would be
very great. Then he spoke of the me-
cessity of provisions; of the arrest of
several Hovas, who were reported to
have been shot. He declares that rapes
and outrages were comitted by French
soldiers upon Malagassy women. and
says 1t seems strange that civilized
men should commit such crimes, and
speaks of much Malagassy property
having been destroyed by the French
troops. Whether this information was
true or false. 1t was certainly calcu-
lated TO increase the horrors of war by
provoking retaliations on the part of
the Hovas.
"In his letter to his wife he denounces
81 and p VINO are identified as Drap-
err and purdy as French spies, and asks
her to inform Tessier and friends OF the
people.
"When asked by the presiding off,
Ger why he exposed these two men to
be executed. he replied that he did 1t
from motives OF revenge. | am credi-
tably Informed that these two men
were American citizens. These letters
are in the handwriting of Waller and
al the trial he acknowledged having
written them.
AFTER having examined the original
letter of Waller | have no doubt what
ever of his guilt, II was not case OF
inndvertent or imprudent writing. but
was q deliberate attempt to give In
formation to the enemy to the preju-
dice OF the military situation OF France.
THE whole tenor OF the correspondence
discloses his guilty intention and no
court could have hesitated TO condemn
him "
IT should be further stated that con-
siderable confederation OF the conclus-
ions thus arrived at by Mr.. Eustis ~
fonnd in the collateral Information
which has come to the possession OF
The department. including the state.
ment OF Mrs Waller and her son, PAU
Bray. -.
secretary Olney quotes some OF these
corroborative statements and proceeds
as follows:
utea are not only in line with the re-
suits reached by Mr. Eustis, but raise
| The serioup question whether waller
| was not Intriguing. not merely against
| ,ha French. but against the safety and
lives Of American citizens.