The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-21
CARTER COURT MARTIAL.
Assistant Inspector Cooper Mas on
the Stand.
CHARGES ARE VERY SENSATIONAL,
The Amount Involved is More Than
Three Mutton Dollars. Growirs
Ont of Harbor Contracts.

tilt iHsFcctVsN toVItI WAS on the stNnu, iic
has been employed in the Savannah dis
Iirict office for thirteen years, His prins
cipal work has been IN the Savannah hsr-
hor. He did surveying ana inspected the
work OF construction being done under the
contract. The mattresses placed IN the
Savannah river by the Atlantic Construc.
ton company under the contract OF 1876
we're OF brush, They were third design
mats. The third design, he said, called for
facings. out the mattresses he SAW were
one mat The mattresses did not entirely
comply with the requirements the top
Igrillage was not exactly correct. The
brush was not trimmed and he did not see
any mattresses so into the river that filled
the requirements OF section 8.
i The judge advocates asking Witness II he
had received any Instructions relative to
i The style OF mattresses 10 be accepted,
| When he came here he said he found such
mattresses he described being sunk. He
! was told that these were acceptable to
Captain Garter. The cost per square yard
Of the mattresses used, he said was about
9 cents
| He did what he thought wrong, he said,
to hold his position
Several OF his reports were introduced 10
show that he had made Measurements with
/ regard TO certain features OF the work
| The cross examination will be resumed
| tomorrow.
| The charges against Captain 0hcrlin NJ.
| Carter of the regular army, now hcing In
vostigated by court martial nj Savannah,
are of the most startling kind. They re-
count the most astounding allegations OF
rascality that have been brought against
an army officer in the history vi lhe
! government.
| The total alleged dcfalcatlon amounts
| TO over 50, 900, 00o Captain Carter once WAS
! military uttache of the American legation
| in London and later was a member of tne
| Nicaragua canal commission. The cap
tains opportunities for doing crooked
| work have been almost unlimited.
| The first charge OF the war department
| is that the accused Intending to defrnud
the United States and to aid the ATLANTIC
Contracting company, corporation ana
John L. Gaynor, Arson NJ. Bangs and othar
persons. did, on or about August !, 1897
and thereafter TO June s, 1896. with Tue
corporation and persons named unlawr
fully combine and cnnsptrc 10 dcffaud the
United States OF large sums Of money by
aiding the corporation and persons to 0O-
tain the allowance Cf certain Fraudulent
chains to the taotal amount of s2,a5b .e56, 81 !;
and being the officer Ct the Upitod States
in local charge OF the river aud harbpr
district usually called the Savannah dis
triot. did, with the knowledge and consent
of the said other parties named, so adj
vortisc for proposals for contracts for GER
tain works Of improvement in Cumberland
sound, Savannah harbor, Ca. Jekyl Crook.
Ga. Altaniaha river Ga. Darien tiarbor,
Ga. and inside water route between Sa.
vannnh, Ca, and Fernandina, Fla. and
so manage and conduct such Advertising
aud the matter OF giving cut Information
IN regard 10 the contract to be let and
tho matter OF recniyng proposals and
awarding the contract as TO enhbie the
said parties to secure the contracts for
the work. And in pursuance Of this coli
spiracy the said parties put into said warh
certain mattresses, stone and other ma
terial which were different in kind aud
character from those contracted for and
very much less costly 10 the slid parties.
as well as OF less value TO the United
States which Captain Carter received ana
accepted for the United States and caused
to be paid for out of the public money.
Specification contains identical charges,
involving conspiracy with the same parties
In contracting for work done In the harbDr
OF Savannah. Ca, and Cumberland Sound
the dates of advertising for proposals, Fer
Torrance Of contract aud payments being
from June g. 1896 10 August /, 1897.
Another charge Is causing false ana
fraudulent claims 10 be made against the
United States IN violation of The sixteenth
article OF war, IN that Captain Carter lid
cause to be made certain Ease and frauln--
lent claims against the United States, auh
In favor Of Edward II Gaynor ten youch-
ers. covering total sum of sl62 245.SS The
fraud charged consisted In accepting mat
tresses stone and other material Of IN
ferior quality. "and BIZ receiving and ao
cepting and paying for the same as OF the
kinds and qualities contracted for, and ny
falsely certifying 10 the correctness OF inc
said vouchers, well knowing that the mat
tresscs stone and other material charged
for I'm said vouchers az having been fur
pished. had not III fact been furnished
Specification contains identical charges
OF conspiracy with the Atlantic Contracting
company. with thirty-four vouchers ac-
campaigning; total amount 81 1924. 0S2 81 10
cality, Cumberland Sound; dates, 1882
1855
Specifications TO inclusive contain
similar charges stating smaller sums. 9th
er specifications simply point out that Can
tain Carter was, IL the charges are true.
guilty OF dishonest practices.
The developments have caused tremen-
dous sensation in army circles. where the
captain is well known and where he has
been popular.
Captain Carter is one OF the most bril-
liant ard accomplished officers or tho army.
He has been IN public life seventeen years.
and few years passed without some ad-
vance In his station and honors. He is
immensoly popular as society man, but
his reputation has always been that bust
ress was 10 have precedence 81 pleasure.
He was born at Patriot. tiallia county,
Clio In 1855. He was appointed on recon
mendation OF Secretary shernian to Visit
Point In 1876. He was graduated IN 1880.
with the highest general aYarages and was
on duty from 1850 to 1882 al Wliletts
Point. y Y He subsequently spent some
time in Colorado and New Mexico
October ~ 1884. be WAS assigned to the
harbor work AZ Savannah. Ga. He wac
succeeded In charge by General II. l.. ABB
lot, but reaasiimri charge again In 1853
lie was promoted To the grade Of captain
In 1891
IN 1895 he represented the war depart
nenf al Zurich III The military internation-
al congress. In tilr same year he was de-
tailed as aid de-eamp to General Miles. In
July, 1897 he WAS detailed as military at
tache al the American embassy. London
bur accepted lattr, an appointment on the
Nicaragua canal commission.
THE MERRY MURDER