The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-20

1
June 6, 1896, Capt Carter wrote Mr..
Hirt a letter TO Greencastle, Ind, say
ing It became necessary 10 send mess
enger for the diving outfit, and that the
expenses ON account of the failure 10 re-
| ceive 1t had been $l324O Tor
which a sight draft had been drawn
on him. Mr. Hlrt was away at the time
in Europe and the draft was then drawn on
his son, who wrote for an iteInized state
ment and further explanation. The state
| ment in part was sent, and the letter with
| it stated Mr.. Hirt had been represented as
an honest and an honorable man, and II so
| he should pay the amount due at once.
| The reply from Mr.. Hirt said he was as
represented an honorable man, as much 50
as the writer of the letter to him, but he
did not propose to pay hntil he had receiv-
| ed an itemized statement of what the
amount was for. He had already paid sew
eral hundred dollars for the use of the
snagboat, and thought he had settled in
full when he gave his last check OF S246 to
j. w. O. Sterly.
When Mr. Alfred Hirt returned from Eu-
rope he wrote Capt. Carter a letter in
which he asked for full information. and
said he thought Capt Carter was inpos-
ing upon him. Capt. Carter then wrote an
| explanation and said the amount must. be
| paid al once. There was considerable
more correspondence after which Mr.. Hirt
| sent the check for $l32. l0.I.3
The boat was useless to the government
without the diving suit and It was for that
| reason that the expenses of the boats crew
were charged to Mr.. Hirt until he return
ed it.
Mr.. sterly said when the check came he
advised Capt. Carter to write to Capt.
Goetha,s, which was done, and a replyre-
ceived.
What was done with the money!" Col.
Barr asked
Capt Carter told me to use it as a slush
fund. and it was so used" the witness said.
Mr.. Sterly then stated what had been
done with the other money received from
Mr.. Hrt, amounting to $545.67. 1t went
to pay expenses and salaries of the men
on the boat Mr.. Burnett, he said, fig
ured out the $132.10, which was charged on
account of the diving suit The idea was
to reimburse the APPROPRIATION for the hire
of the men paid, while the boat was not al
work.
What was the money used for?' COL
Barr asked.
For sundry expenses such as fitting up
a storehouse, rearranging the property,
printing property return blanks repairing
lamps and other things" the witness said.
did you reimburse anyone from that
fund.-" was asked
Eyes, reimbursed myself for IS which
I paid for the New York Sun for the Of
fee" was the reply.
Did you reimburse Capt. Carter?" was
asked.
Yes, I paid Capt Carter $12A5, think
1t was, which was actual expenses for
man whom he sent after the diving outfit.
He paid that out of his own pocket" was
the reply.
WAS any of the money expended on the
Angler?" was asked.
There were some minor expenses, but
do not remember what they were.''
The witness said on the cross-exanina-
ton that he had received the check from
Mr.. Hirt from Capt. Carter, it being in
dorsed to him because he had handled all
the money in connection with the matter.
He had put the entire amount in the safe.
He afterwards deposited the money to his
own credit in the Merchants National
Bank. He afterwards put the money
back in the office safe from his own salary.
He said he had called Capt. Carriers at
tention to the fact that he had put the
money back in the safe. onr
Mr.. Sterly said his salary at that time
was 5000 a month. 1t had been increased
since he had been here. He was receiving
$40 a month when he first came here. Be
fore that he had been a sergeant at Viii
let's Point, where he received about $S2 a
month
Garter in 1896 he Travelled on pass. He
Travelled on a pass nearly every time he
went. In 1895, Mr.. Sterly went to New
York on the Nacoochee and Travelled there
and back on a pass. Capt Carter was in
Europe at the time. Mr.. Rose then intro
duced a voucher, showing that the wit
ness had charged to the government his
travelling expenses by rail from Savannah
to Washington and return, he having been
summoned there.
"You made those charges against the
government, did you Mr.. Sterly?" Mr.
Rose asked.
81 submitted that to Capt Goethals of
the engineer corps"
HE told you to make false claim?"
81 was told to make it that way
Mr. Rose then went over the separate
items in the voucher, showing that rail-
road fare, sleeping car fare and meals
had been charged against the government
by Mr.. Sterly, whereas he had gone by
steamer on a pass. To each of the claims
Mr.. Sterly answered they were not true,
with the exception of the charges for cab
hire.
did you tell Capt. Goethals you trav-
eled to Washington on pass?" Mr.. Rose
asked
Yes I did," was the reply.
"Then he told you to make a false
claim?"
you put it In a different light
but you signed this oath and under
stood it, did you not?"
YES" was the reply.
Now, did Capt. Goethals know that
claim was false?"
Yes, he did know that. He knew I
came by steamer, and he saw that paper"
did he know it was false?"7n
Yes, he saw that paper
Mr.. Sterly said he had filed out the
check himself and sent it on to Capt
Goethals with the voucher, and the check
was returned signed by Capt. Cocktails.
Now I want you to tell me whether
that was a false claim or not?" Mr. Rose
said.
THE officer who signed the voucher
knew what he was doing" replied Mr.
Sterly with considerable warmth.
WAS it a false claimY'
81 refuse to answer that" the witness
said. After thinking a moment he said:
THE account in itself is wrong"
when did you first come to that con-
clusionT' Mr.. Rose asked.