The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-12
CARTER COURT MARITAL FINDINGS
Little Doubt That the Captain Has
Been Convicted and Heavily Sem
fenced.

From the New York Post.
Washington, June 9.--Llttle doubt Is ex-
pressed anywhere In army circles here
that Capt. Oberlin M. Carter Of the En-
gineer Corps, has been convicted by the
court martial, which recently tried him for
conspiracy and fraud upon the govern
ment, and sentenced to a very heavy PEN
atty. probably including a considerable
term in the penitentary. The Judgment
roll will not go before the President for
review. however before the early or mid
die part of July. The judge advocate gem
eral of the army has had
1t under consideration for q
month, with still another months
work in prospect He has guarded his Sc
cret very closely; but the number Of other
officers who know what Carter's sentence
is makes 1t almost impossible to keep the
public in absolute ignorance of 1t.
The case Is said TO be the worst one that
has ever arisen In the annals Of the army.
the amount Of money lost by the govern
ment being said 10 foot up something like
100000 Carter's friends have been assid-
uous ip their efforts to save him from the
fate which now seems to threaten him. one
means attempted was to procure the re-
moval of the first review of the findings
| from the judge advocate generals office
to that of the Attorney General on a
charge that there were prejudiciaI IN
| 1uences at work against the defendant IN
the war department. When this failed for
| lack of proof TO substantiate II, they began
| paving the way for an appeal to the Pres
! ident from every quarter where political,
business or social pressure can be organ
! lied They are trusting to the President s
| good nature TO prevent the full weight of
! the courts sentence from falling upon the
| convicted officer. The Presidents power
In this particular is somewhat limited. He
| can, It is true, grant an absolute pardon,
| but II he consents to the imposition of
punishment al ALL II must be of the same
| character decreed by the court, though 1t
may be modified In degree. He may, for
example, reduce a term of imprisonment,
or make it constructive Imprisonment rath-
| er than actual confinement; IL the officer
Is to be dismissed from the service, the
| President may reduce the dismissal to sus-
| pension or the like.
! If the President decides to mitigate the
sentence in any way, he win have to do IL
| I'm the face of the most remarkable series
of Incidents, perhaps, ever preceding a mill
| itary conviction. 1t will be recalled that
| when Carter was first suspected, he de-
manded an Investigation by members OF
/ MS own CORPS, anu HH irregular DOdIu Oh
! three officers was convened. The report OF
| this board was adverse to the accused, and
| IL was decided TO put him formally on trial
before a court martial. Some unknown in
| fuence In Washington kept the matter al
! first out of the hands Of the judge advo-
cate general, and tool. Davis, pro
/ fessor of law at West Point, was designat-
/ ed to draw up the charges. In the form n
which he presented them they We're moi
strong enough to satisfy the Secretary OF
War, in view OF the serious character Of the
report of the first informal board They
were then drawn up afresh at the depart
ment. and the trial proceeded, with results
which, although not yet officially announc-
ed, are widely understood to be as stated
In an earlier paragraph.