The Red Cloud chief., 1897-09-17
MISUSED A MILLION.
A COURT MARTIAL FOR
CAPTAIN CARTER.
u Omcer Accused Of Gross Carelessness.
or Worse. While Engineer Omcer In
Georgia-Now Military Attache In Lon
don-Has Been Highly Honored.

WASHINGTON. Sept. l5.-It had been
rumored for some time that thorough
inspection OF the conduct Of the SUI.
pervision of river and harbor improve.
ments in the district adjacent to
savannah, Ca. showed, to say the
least, gross carelessness, and possibly
something worse on the part Of the
officer lately In charge of that station.
Earnest efforts were made to suppress
the matter, but 1t Is now certain that
a u martial, within the next few
days, will be ordered for the trial of
Captain Oberlin NJ. Carter, at present
military attache of the United States
embassy In London, on the charge of
discrepancies In his accounts and NAL.
feasance In Office, amounting, it Is al
legged at tho war department, to a SUN
approximating 81 loo, 900.
Captain Carter has been ordered by
cable to return at once. The Secre-
tary OF war is now considering the
compost IN of the court of thirteen
officers before whom he will be placed
on trial.
Captain Carter has received much
attention in the engineer corps and
has held many responsible positions
during his service. lie is a graduate
OF the military academy Of the class of
$50 and reached his captaincy in 1891.
Prior to being detailed AS military at
tache at London he was employed In
numerous positions Of responsibility
in connection with river and harbor
improvements. lie had high standing
in his corps and was popular with
army officers. When General Miles
assumed command of the army he was
anxious that Captain Carter should be
detailed as one Of his aides. but his
request could not be granted, owing
to circumstances which. in the opinion
OF the war department, made it i'm
portant that he should remain in Sa.
vannah. where large interests were
under his control.
AT this station. which he left to be-
come military attache at the American
embassy to the court of st. James,
Captain Carter vas in charge of the
defensive works Of the Savannah river
and Cumberland sound, Georgia. Flor
ida, and in charge Of the Improvement
OF the harbors at Savannah, Bruins
wick and Darien, Ga, Cumberland
sound and the other rivers adjoining,
and the inside route between Savan-
nah and Fernandina. He had also in
charge the SUPERVISION Of the repairs
to the bridge across the Savannah
river and the construction Of the
bridge across tho Oconee river, Geor-
gia, and was also a member Of the
board of engineer officers to recon-
slider the project for the improvement
OF Pensacola harbor in Florida.
When Captain Carter left Savannah
there were loud protests from the cit
liens against his change OF station,
and complimentary resolutions were
passed on his efficiency while in charge
Of defensive and public improvements
at and adjacent to that point. His
efficiency and popularity, joined to
political pull, secured him the
very desirable detail at the United
States embassy at London. After
taking station at the British capital
he was appointed delegate to the in.
ternational conference at Stockholm,
held from August 90 to % of the pres
emit year, and was given the browning
honor of appointm, n as engineer Off
Ger of the Nicaragua caLal commits
sion, authorized by act of the last Con-
gress. He is also borne in the direc-
tory of the war department as a mem
Der of the board OF engineer officers
to reconsider the project for the i'm.
provement of Pensacola, Fla.
The mount Of the alleged embezzle-
ment is so large that it seems impossi-
BILE that the plea of carelessness can
apply. Whatever the result Of the
court may be, it is certain that Captain
Carter's usefulness will be very seri-
cusly affected. His replacement as a
member of the Nicaragua canal com.
mission seems certain.
Army circles familiar with the
charges are greatly excited over the
promised developments and the cast
when all its details become known
NvD ~ An % Ia 800 II IL - ~