The San Francisco call., 1897-05-11
TRIAL
NEARING AN END
Evidence Presented to
the Mare Island
Court.
The Lieutenant'S Threatening
Letters to Doughty of
HealdSburg.
Promised to Make 1t Lively for the
Sonoma Mans Son in the
Navy.

VALLEJO, CAL, May 10.-The Carter
dragging its weary length along, but with
prospects of being brought to an early
termination. AS near as can be learned,
the facts SO far adduced are as follows:
J. A. Doughty of Healdsburg had son
who shipped as landsman on the receiy-
ing-ship Independence IN 1894 or 1895.
Lieutenant Fidelio Carter was, and is
still, one of the officers of the 1nde-
pendence. One of his duties is to drill
the men in the manual OF arms. Young
Doughty, it appears. was not lively
enough in his movements to suit the
lieutenant and it is claimed that the boy
wrote to his father that the lieutenant
had struck him with his sword and other
wise i'll treated him. The father there
upon wrote the lieutenant sharp letter,
hot shot, the lieutenant declaring that the
boy was idiotic and of no account.
Shortly afterward the boy deserted and
went home. He was brought back to the
ship and turned over to the proper au-
tIlorities. Evidently warm words passed
between Doughty senior and Lieutenant
Carter. for on the Healdsburg mans re-
turn home in October, 1895, the lette r
written to him by the lieutenant was for
warded to Secretary of the Navy Herbert,
who referred it to Captain Frank Wildis,
then in command OF the receiving-ship In
dependence, for investig alton.
Captain Wildes made report to the
Navy Department. exonerating the lieu
tenant from the charge of having struck
young Doughty or in any other manner
maltreated him. The report was evil
IDENTIFY satisfactory to the Secretary, as
nothing further was heard OF the matter
until last month.
Thoughts of the charges made to the
the brain of Lieutenant Carter. In
March last he indited another letter to
Mr.. Doughty, asking him to withdraw the
charges from the Navy Department, as
they stood in the way of his being held In
favor by the Navy Department or his
brother officers. Now, here is whore the
lieutenant made the error by adding the
implied threat that If the letter was not
Withdrawn he would make il lively for the
boy, who was still under him; that be
would rake up the desertion case and
have him tried and punished.
This letter was by Mr.. Doughty for
warded to the Secretary OF the Navy, who
i'm mmediate3y ordered Lieutenant Carter
tried by court-martial. The charges and
specifications were two In number; one
for scandalous conduct pre- judicial TO the
interests OF good morals in the navy, and
the other for conduct becoming gen.
tleman and an officer of the navy.
The court now engaged in trying the
case includes these officers: Captain
Louis Kempff. president; Commander
Hanford of the Alert. Major Pope from
the barracks. Lieutenant Commanders
Speyers and Perkins, and Lieutenants
Phelps, Milton. Lefevre and Hughes.
Lieutenant Dion Williams from the bar
racks is acting as Judge Advocate, and
Judge Highton of San Francisco and
Lieutenant c. Marat Perkins from the
barracks are acting as counsellor the ac-
cused.
Mr.. Doughty. 1t is understood. simply
sent the Carter letter to the Secretary and
made no direct complaint against the
accused.