The times., 1898-09-19
WHERE ARE THE. PAPERS?
Strange Turn to the Carter
COurt.Martial Case.s
NO EXPLANATION GIVEN
Seven Months Have Elapsed Since
the Famous Trial Closed and No
Action Has Been Taken-The DOcu-
ments Were Handed to Secretary.
AISer-Omcials Are Silent.

1
Alger-OmciaIs Are Silent.
The voluminous report. testimony and
| findings in the court-martial trial of Capt.
! o. NJ. Carter, engineer corps U. s. A.,
/ have apparently disappeared so far as the
/ War Department is concerned, and Gu
rious state of affairs was developed in
connection with this famous case when a
Times representative tried to locate the
bulky documents.
| Over seven months have elapsed since
| Capt. Carter was tried at Savannah, Ga,
! for malfeasance in office. Gen. Elwell S.
Otis was president of the court-martial.
with Col Thomas F. Barr as judge ad-
vocate, and it is known that the defend
ant was found guilty.
Prior to his trial Capt. Carter enjoyed
the admiration and respect of the army
and had the highest social standing. Yet
the official allegations against him were
the most remarkable in many ways that
ever confronted an officer of the United
States army. 1t was alleged that a loss
/ of about 100000 had been sustained by
| the Government the State of Georgia, the
| city of Savannah and private individuals
through his misconduct. The court which
| tried him, however. could take cognizance
| of but 5000, 900 of the amount named, as
! the alleged loss of s., ,400, coo occurred over
two years before the trial and was barred
under the statute of limitation in the ar
ticles of war, behind which Capt. Carter
sought refuge.
The accused was in immediate charge
| of the Government engineering work in
| the State of Georgia at the time his trial
| commenced, last January. He was forty
| two years OF age, handsome and cultured
| and had enjoyed high honors at the hands
| of the Government. He had formerly
been military attache TO the American
embassy at London; had represented the
United States AZ the international con-
crosses of engineers at Zurich and Stock
holm, and in July, 1897, was appointed by
President Mckinley a member of the
commission of three to make the neces-
sary additional surveys of the Nicaragua
Canal route.
The remarkable accusations against
Garter were not made until after they
had been investigated by Col. Gillespie,
Major Raymond, Major Adams, Col.
Hams. and Capt Gillette.
The trial was a long and sensational
one, and, among other startling disclos-
ures brought out in evidence was the
payment by Carter of SIS 000 of Govern
ment funds for lobbying. This amount
was paid 10 the contractors, as. according
TO his admissions II cost them that much
TO secure the passage by Congress of the
bill for the Improvement of Savannah
harbor.
Now, It appears the papers in the case,
the testimony, verdict, and recommends
tions, have been lost; pigeon-holed by
Secretary Aiger.
Judge Advocate General Lieber when
called upon Saturday afternoon by
Times reporter and asked as to the where
abouts of the documents, replied:
Il do not know where they are. The
papers left my hands more than three
months ago. They went TO. the Secretary
of War
Inquiries at the Secretary's office were
fruitless None of the officials knew
where the Carter court-martial papers
were, and one high attache did not even
remember the month in which the trial
took place ~
Il suppose" said one official that the
documents are in possession of either,
Secretary Alger or the President 's,u. 81
When asked If fl was not unusual for
seven months to be allowed to elapse be-
fore action was taken IN a case of so
mucn importance and gravity the official
merely shrugged his shoulders.
Acting Secretary Meiklejohn said that
the documents in the Carter case were in
possession of Secretary Alger. He added
that the great press Of official business
incident to the war had prevented action
being taken in the matter.
One official said the papers were secure
ly locked in Secretary Algers safe.
There is considerable anxiety to know
what has become of the official papers
in the case. 1t is by no means certain
from the best information obtainable
whether they are in Secretary Algers
safe, his pigeonholes, his inside pocket,
or buried in some deep, dark vault in the
department. Army officers insist that the
documents should be produced and acted
upon. They also say that the fact that
some of Carter's misdoings will add addi-
tional scandal to that already heaped up
in Mr.. Alger's domain should not infu-
ence action in the case.