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

Roses Cross - ENamlhntioh-So
of Capt. Carriers Letters Introduced
showing He Was Trying 10 Get
Railroad WOrk-EmpIre COnstruc-
ton Company Brought in Again
witness Gallagher said Only $780,
600 Was Paid Out on the Savannah
Harbor and Cumberland sound
work-That s132.IO Received from
Alfred Hirt-Capt. Gillette's Testi-
mOny on Dredging.
Some quite interesting testimony was de-
veloped before the Carter court martial
yesterday, perhaps the most interesting
feature being the tangle into which Law
yer Roee got Chief Clerk Sterly on the
subject of travelling on a pass, and then
putting in a claim against the government
for travelling expenses.
Mr. Sterly was very much irritated by
the questioning of counsel. He admitted,
after some interrogatories that the claim
was wrong, but said that Capt. Cocktails,
of the engineer corps, knew he had trav-
eled on a pass, yet approved his voucher
for expenses.
Some more of Capt Carriers personal
letters were read relative to the proposed
construction of railroads, and matters of
a similar tenor, in which the name of the
Empire Construction Company was again
brought out.
James L. Gallagher testified that the
Atlantic Contracting Company paid out
only $500 for labor, and other bills on a
contract in the Savannah river near Au-
gusta, and only $4,000 on the work on Sa-
vannah harbor and Cumberland Sound un-
der the contracts of 1896, for which about
$4,000 were paid out by the government.
Capt Cassius E. Gillette took the stand
to be further cross-examined by Mr.. Blair
on the subject of the dredging of Cumber-
land Sound.
Capt Gillette said 1t was Mr.. Ritten-
house Moore of Mobile, who had made the
offer to do the work at 10 cents per cubic
fyard-the father of Mr.. Moore. who is now
doing work here. Mr.. Moore, Capt. Gill
1ette said, told him he had a suction
dredge and that he got the same price
for the work at Pensacola. The minimum
depth of water on the bar there, he said,
was feet 8 inches, or 6 feet, or something
like that. The work was to be done about
two miles out on an ocean bar. In most
places the depth, is more than six feet, he
said, and even more than seven. For an
ocean bar he considered the water quite
smooth. The beginning of the contract,
he said, would be the most difficult part
of 1t. MIR. Moore, he said, told him he
got 10 cents a yard for the work at PEN
sacola. He was also informed by Mr..
Moore that enormous prices were paid al
FIRST.
The dredge Cape Fear, recently brought
down from Wilmington, had dredged 2S,-
o00 cubic yards between the jetties at Cum
berland Sound, at a cost Of about 9 cents
a cubic yard, which included all expenses
Capt. Gillette had this done by day labor
''You did not accept Mr.. Moore's propo-
sition?" Mr.. Blair asked.
No" was the reply. IT did not want
70 do any dredging there, as 1 thought 1t
would be waste of money"
Capt. Gillette said he stated Mr. Moore's
price as reasonable price for such work
He had never had any experience with
dredging on an ocean bar except the little
work done by the Cape Fear Capt Gill
sette said he had figured out the cost of
the dredging done here by the Gedney for
p Sanford Ross. and that it was between
and cents. This was the cost to the
contractor. Perhaps. however, all the
stems OF expense had not been included,
he said.
With $4,000 appropriation for dredg
tng 100000 yards, the Cape Fear he said
could have paid all expenses. paid for
herself and paid enormous dividends on
the dredging besides. The Cape Fear, he
said, cost 100000. He based this opinion
altogether on Mr.. Moore's offer, not hay-
ing had any experience himself with that
class of work.
Col. Barr then reverted to Capt. Car
ter's private papers and took up those
relating to the Curtis affair. The first
was night telegram in which Capt Car
ter told Capt. Green that he had had a
tank with Gen. Alexander, who requested
that Capt. Green telegraph the Morning
News that the affidavit made by w. r.
Curtis was false in every particular.
Another night telegram to Capt. Green
stated the substance of the Curtis affida-
VT referred to. MIR. Curtis had stated that
Green told him he would add 300 10 his
salary ana would get Capt Carter to raise
H. lie also stated that Green told him
ne wanted to get rid of a certain inspec-
tor, George w. Brown, and that Browns
successor would be worth $50 a day tc
him.
Another communication to Capt. Green
from Capt. Carter asked him to assert
that the Curtis affidavit was unqualified.
ly false. He said he had had confer.
ence with Gen. Alaxender. and suggested
form of affidavit for Capt. Green 10
sign for publication. The affidavit sug-
eested was to pronounce as false the
statements that Capt. Green had at any
time approached Mr.. Curtis with n brihe
and that he wanted to remove an obnox.
ious inspector. The language of the Cur.
tbs affidavit was to be pronounced false
In every particular. II was suggested
that Capt. Green should come TO Savan.
nah, but at all events should not fan r.
sign the affidavit at once, and nut ir
everything. 1t then said that Johns af
ndavit, SO far as the matter related Il
him. would be ready.
Two or three letters which Col R,wi
proounced official were read from cant
carriers letter book marked ''private >
after which he offered in evidence let
ter from Capt. Carter to DR.. w. S. Wehh
president of the Wagner Palace Car Com.
pany, which, he said. contained a businee,
proposition To this Mr.. Blair Objected or
the ground that it was a purely persona
matter, having no reference to the work
nor TO anyone of those mentioned as IN,
alleged co-conspra tors
propose 70 connect it with the cas-,