The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-07
The CARTER COURT MARTIAL.

"a UthHce AT a. rev similar Cases of
West Point Graduntes-High Class
Standing and Distinguished Hon.
Ors of the Convicted Parties.
Pine Crest villa, Fla, Oct CA good
deal is being said in the newspapers about
the severity of what is said to be the
verdict in the case of Capt o. VI. Carter.
While courts martial, like all other Garth
ly tribunals, are liable to err, and DC fire.
quently give unjust sentences, in the main
they meet the purpose for which they were
created. The Carter case is by no means
the first one in which 1t seemed to many
PERSONS tHat the penalty imposed was TOO
heavy for the real offense proven. There
were soIoe features in the Garter case
which called for severe punishment In case
he was found guilty. He was a star grad
uate at the head of his class az the West
Point Military Acaoe my, had been highly
honored in many ways by the war depart
ment, and when guilty of the offenses
charged, was holding a very responsible
position for so young a man.
Sun, other star graduates have dishon-
ored the service in a more open and dis
graceful manner. The case of Mai. John
X. WATSON of the pay department. is a
striking case. He graduated a the head
of the class of 1871, and had attained even
higher honors than fell to the lot of Car
ter. After serving In Japan. on leave of
absence nearly year, he resigned in 1872,
and became colonel in the Imperi1l army
and professor of engineering in the I'm
perial University. F or gallantry in war he
der Of Merit of Meidje, with the decoration
of the Rising Sun" of that order
And thus honored and trusted he came
back to this country and was made a pay
master in the army. A few years later
while on duty in the West, Mai. WATSON
robbed, bound and gagged himself In such
manner as to create suspicion against
him that led to his conviction. He was
dismissed from the army in disgrace and
confined in Fort Leavenworth military
prison. Owing TO his distinguished serv-
ices and the fact that he had married into
a prominent family, his devoted friends
finally secured his release from prison.
Another case of a similar character
(1nanciaD to Carriers and Wasson's, is
that of Brig. Gen. Samuel Wragg Fergu-
son, c. S. A., who graduated at West
Point, with Gen. e. P. Alexander, in 1857
resigning as lieutenant of dragons u, s.
A., in 1861, to join the confederacy In
1876 he became connected with the Missis-
sippi leVee commission and while serving
as such became defaulter for about $50
coo of public money. OF COURSE, he was
not an army officer then, but am noting
cases of West Pointers, and his shows that
they sometimes handle public funds very
carelessly, if not IN a dishonest manner
Mai. Marcus A. Reno of Illinois who
graduated next to Ferguson (who was a
South Carolinian) and became distinguish
ed as an Indian fighter also had court
martial troubles, but they were the result
of immoral tendencies.
Lieut. Henry 0. Fllpper, u. S. A.. the
first negro 10 graduate at West Point,
after making a fine record as a soldier
was swamped by financial crookedness
and a court martial verdict dismissed him
in disgrace from the army, although num-
bers of white officers, guilty of greater