The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-16
ON THE LAST SPECIFICATION.
COURT MARTIALs SESSIONS REsUM-
ED IN SAVANNAH.


sterly on the Stand-saSs That Has
Been the Custom Ever Since He
Has Been Here-Lavyer Blair Says
the Defense VIII Prove Capt. Car.
ter Had Two Horses.
The court martial. before which Capt. o.
NJ Carter is on trial under numerous
charges already familiar to the public, re-
suned its sessions in Savannah yesterday
at u o'clock noon.
AS was stated in the Morning News, the
banquet hall of the De Soto had been Sc
cured and in the northern end tables were
arranged for the members of the court, the
court facing TO the south. In the center
Just in front of the president was the table
of the Judge Advocate at which were Col
Thos F. Barr, Capt. Chas. Mcclure and
Capt c. e. Gillette. The table at which
sat the accused and his counsel was to the
east and just in the rear of that occupied
by the Judge Advocate.
In the southern end of the room were
seventy-five or more chairs for the au-
oience, and when tha court convened, they
were about half filed. Some ten or twelve
ladies were present and were much inter-
ested in the proceedings.
When the court met at II o'clock, Col.
Barr read a telegram from Capt. Richard
p. Strong, a member of the court. saying
he had been delayed somewhat and would
arrive in Savannah at 1890 O'Clock. Col.
Barr therefore asked an adjournment un-
til l o'clock which was taken. AT that
time Capt Strong had arrived and was in
uniform, and the court began its session.
Chief Clerk ]. W. O. sterly was first
called to the stand, as had been expected.
MIR Sterly first identified a large sheet
showing all the contractors and prices for
materials, reference to which has been
made before, and it was introduced in evil
dence.
Mr.. Sterly was next asked IL he had
found what the 1882. 10 received from AL
fred Hirt on account of the retention of
the diving suit belonging to the snag boat
Toccoa, had been spent for. MIR. Sterly
said he had gone carefully over the mat
ter. but had been unable to determine
what had been done with all of the money.
He knew that he had refunded $3.50 to
Capt. Carter and that he had paid IS for
a subscription to the New York sun, put
what the balance of the money had been
spent for, he did not know, as all the bills
had been destroyed.
Col Barr then offered in evidence Capt.
Carriers retained voucher No. 3d. dated
December. 1896. which was a pay roll for
work on Savannah haTbor and othef mat
tiers.
s.,rhis paper" Mr.. Blair said, sis one
of the retained vouchers of Capt. Carter,
taken with his other private papers and
il is evident that it has been tempered
with, there having been an erasure of
the o. X. mark and the initials of this
witness. We ask, therefore, that the
Judge Advocate produce the original from
the records. of the war department"
There is no evidence" Col. Barr said,
''that this paper has been tempered with.
1t does not show anywhere that any era
sure has been made. 1t is possible there
may be initials on the original. but this
paper does not show that IL ever contain
ed any"
After reading the voucher Col. Barr
asked:
what connection have these bills with
this pay roll?'
1.-THE amounts in those bills" was the
reply, ARE found in the voucher
The witness then read the bills, which
showed small payments for some little
electrical appliances, slight repairs to the
steamer Angler, articles that were needed
such as repairs 10 chairs and other fur
niture in the Office. The amounts ranged
from so cents to 81 or s., and the total az
charged in the specification taken up was
$3.50. The men who furnished these ar
ticles and made the repairs stated, were
paid as laborers and signed the pay roll
as such.
MIR. Blair produced a certified copy of
the original pay roll from Washington, on
which appeared the initials, y. w. o.
S." in pencil. These were the initials
which Mr.. Blair said had been erased
from the retained voucher. Col. Barr
took the certified copy and said he would
Introduce 1t in evidence. 1t was marked
exhibit 401, the number having been run
up considerably during the sessions of the
court in New York. The initials, w. G.
A, were also upon the certified copy,o
MIR. Sterly said as a matter of fact his
initials had never been put on the re-
tanned voucher, though he did usually put
them on the vouchers which were sent
to Washington. He put his initials there
to show ne had checked the account and
found it accurate. The accounts con-
nected with the voucher were put in evil
dence
Mr.. Rose, in beginning the cross-exam-
ination, called for exhibit 4O1, the certified
copy of the pay roll. The bill of p. II.
Cotton for work on the Angler was ceru-
fled TO be correct by Inspector T. ]. Dan
iels.
If the bill had gone through the regular
way, the witness said, there would have
been two bills, two vouchers, and a check
would have been issued to him after he
had signed the vouchers
"Who made these vouchers out and
looked after them in 1852" MIR. Rose asked.
II did" was the reply.
1T was less work TO make out one
voucher and have it signed in this way,
was it not?'
Yes, sir" was the response. The check
was made out TO him, the witness said,
and he paid out the money. He did not
know whether the check was drawn before
the men signed the pay roll or not.
II was in pursuance of his Instructions.
the witness said, that he put Cottons
name on the pay roll with that of others.
lie said he had general instructions from
Capt. Carter to put such small accounts
on the pay roll.
II have been in Savannah twelve years"
he said, land that has been the general
practice pursued during that time"
The witness said on the redirect exam