The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-01
CARRIERS oOURT-MARTIAL.
Specifications Against Engineer Cap
tain to BE Siftcd
From the Philadelnhia Press.


Washington, Nov. 2S.-The case of Capt.
o. NJ. Carter, the army engineer officer
recently brought before a special board on
account of alleged Irregularities while in
charge of river and harbor work at Sa-
vannah, will be tried by a general court
martial. Instructions TO this effect have
been sent To Col. G.. u. Davis, at West
Point
This course at the war department is
attracting much attention and is likely to
lead to some sensational developments. II
is customary to have the charges and spec
ihcations against army officers prepared
by the judge advocate general or at least
in his office, and while Col. Davis is of the
judge advocate generals corps. he is on
detached service acting as professor of
law at the military academy, and under
the army engineer officer, Col. Ernst, who
is the superintendent of that institution.
Col. Davis will proceed with the work
without instructions from the head of his
corps. This unusual reference of the case
was at the urgent request of Gen. Wilson,
the chief of army engineers, and is said to
be due to a desire 10 have the specifca-
tons against Carter prepared by an officer
who shall be favorably inclined toward the
corps of engineers.
There is no intimation that in this pro-
ceeding there is a desire to screen Capt.
Carter. In fact, there is a great desire
among engineer officers that he shall be
brought TO trial. The report of the board
of officers of Carriers own corps shows
that he has resorted to methods in award
ing contracts which make him the proper
subject of a court martial.
He awarded contracts in Savannah, for
instance, to the Atlantic Dredging Compa-
ny. in which Carter's father-in-law was in
terested, and with the members of which
Carter himself was associated In business
transactions i'm other parts of the country.
Carriers clerk told the board that Carter
mad directed him to report the officer pres
ent and on duty when he was in distant
parts of the country. There were numer-
Gus other matters which make the case
one of seriousness for Carter.
There is one explanation given of, the de
partmental action in sending this case to
a West Point professor instead of allowing
the regular officer to handle the case and
prepare the specifications. II is that the
army engineers desire to preserve the in
tegnty of their corps in the proceedings
which will be undertaken against Carter
and yet get rid of Carter.
The friends of the latter have said that
many of the things which are now
brought against Carter were approved by
the chief of engineers and that the money
disbursed by Carter at Savannah was with
the sanction of the Washington officials
1t is limited that this furnishes Carter with
a weapon for his accusers, who have tax
en- adroit means of arranging the case so
as 10 dispose of Carter and not expose the
mistakes of the corps
There was some talk about the case be-
ing abandoned because the acts did not fall
Wlthln the period of two years to which the
jurisdiction of a military court Is confined
Inc specifications may be so framed, how
ever, If the work is placed In competent
hands, as to avoid this statute of limita-
lions, and the experts say it is a mere mat
ter OF phraseology to bring the culpable
acts OF Carter within the required period.
IL is expected that congress will find
something in this case which the military
court may not be called upon to investi-
gate. 1t is promised that a resolution will
be presented calling for all the facts gath
cred by the board of engineer officers
whose work, however was hampered nv
the fact that it could not place the wit
nesses under oath
me army and Navy Register saws re-
garding the culpabllity of Capt. Garter.
Inc case is most serious one and IL
oy Tar the most intricate with which the
Jaw oihcers of the army have
had to deal in years If
is shown In the testimony eecu.
mulated by the board which was hamp-
cred by not being able to place the Wit
nesses under oath that Capt. Carter. while
at Savannah, awarded contracts to a firm
in which he was Indirectly interested
the members of which firm were associat-
ed with the officer in business transac-
lions In other parts of the country. The
Inference is drawn that Capt Carter en-
tered into a conspiracy with the firm.
which, in some of the contracts, awarded
1t on Capt Carriers recommendation was
styled the atlantic Dredging Company"
and in which Capt. Carters father-in-law
was interested.
1T appears from the report OF the board
also that Capt. Carter recommended the
award of contracts at excessive rates
and it is estimated that the amount of
money needlessly expended i'm these tran
sactions is $1,600,OO0. Capt. Carter Is ac-
cused of furnishing Incorrect records.
notably as to his presence In Savannah
while on duty there as engineer officer.
His clerk stated to the board that he had
been directed by Capt. Carter TO report
him on duty when he was absent Indeed,
there is likelihood there will be an inquiry
instituted by congress Notwithstanding
the trial by court martial of Capt Carter
At any rate, a resolution will be pre-
scented calling for all the evidence gath
cred by the board