The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-03
PLEADS BEFORE PRESIDENT.
MIR. WAYNE MACVEAGH ARGUES
FOR CAPT. CARTER.

President Mckinley at the Point of
Making His Final Decrce-He be-
ing the Court of Last Resort, VIII
Re-Weigh the Evidence and Rem
der nm Impartial Verdict-The Fa-
nous Check Book Disclosures Are
Not Explained I'm Capt. Carter's
Favor.
Washington, Nov. 2-President McKin-
ley listened yesterday TO an appeal from
Capt. Carters attorney. in that now fa-
nous case, and to-day he heard the army
side of the case.
The President does not propose to be in.
nuenced by social or political considera.
tions, and he has frankly informed all the
interested parties that the case win be
finally adjudged upon its merit, without
fear or favor
IL may be stated without fear of cons
tradiction, that the President does not in-
tend to delay final action upon this i'm
portant case until after the election, as has
been reported. He says there Is absolutely
no politics involved, 80 far as he ls con-
cerned. and a decision may be expected
Immediately In view of the interest CEN
| terng around Capt. Carter and his en-
| gineering transactions In the harbor OF
| Savannah, the President feels II incumbent
upon him, the court of last resort in
a court martial case, to reweigh well all
the evidence submitted and the circum-
stances involved In this remarkably sen.
satlonal military trial.
As has been stated previously In these
dispatches. the President consented to
hear statements from Capt. Carriers
friends In behalf of plea for a mitigation
of portion of the sentence of the court
martial. The hearing was arranged with
the greatest caution and secrecy. Thera
was no correspondence between the parties
interested and the President, but the de-
tails of the hearing were arranged at
personal interview with the President and
one of Capt. Carters most potent spon-
sors.
Yesterday Mr.. Wayne MacVeagh, FORM
| erly attorney general of the United States.
now the principal attorney for the Penn
| sylvania Railroad Company, appeared at
| the White House as a pleader for Capt
/ Carter. Mr.. MacVeagh was recently re-
tanned in the interest of Capt Carter, but
he Is thoroughly familiar with the pro-
ceedings in the case. He was originally
selected to review the findings OF the court
for the government as a special attorney,
| but by his retention in the defense OF
| Capt. Carter, rendered the choice OF an-
| other eminent lawyer necessary. Accord
ingly, former Senator George NJ Edmunds
| was designated to examine into the legal
features Of the case and see whether there
had been any confusion OF civil and mill
tary law in the findings of the court mar
| tial. The President listened for over two
hours 10 the argument of Mr.. MacVeagh,
who invoked all his well known el0quence
and legal ability to assist the President
in finding plausible grounds ON which to
base a possible mitigation of the severe
| sentence imposed upon the accused.
To-day the other side, or army side OF
the case, was heard, and the President
| Is about ready to make up his final decree.
A well known official who has been
deeply Interested In this case, and who ~
In a position which entities him to be
somewhat familiar with the facts inv0lv-
ed, says the friends Of Capt. Carter in
the service have come reluctantly to the
conclusion that he is not being persecuted
to the extent claimed by his paid attor-
neys. This official went on to say chat
the President and all of Capt. Carter's
best friends were confronted with damag-
ing evidence of Capt. Carters private
check book which his successor at Sa-
vannah, Capt. Gillette, accidentally found
among the official papers belonging TO
. !
with the Savannah harbor improvement.
That check book and some Of the entries
IL contained figured conspicuously In the
case from the beginning OF the proceed
ings and Mr.. Wescott, Capt. Cartcrs
father-in-law, alone, was qualified TO ex-
plain away the peculiar circumstances
surrounding that check book Mr. Wes~
colt, for reasons best known to himself,
declined TO appear as a witness In behalf
of his soldierly son-in-law, and when the
trial came on he went off to Europe.
Some of Capt. Carter's best friends ana
warmest advocates have never ceased to
regret the unfortunate circumstance OF
the checkbook and the failure OF Mr..
Wescott TO testify in the case. There Is
another disagreeable feature OF the case
which army men cannot quite understand.
They cannot reconcile Capt. Carter's pro-
testations of innocence and a demand for
fun and thorough investigation OF the
charges against him with the line of de-
fense he took up and his pleading tho
statute of limitations, so that the court
martial was restricted from going back
more than two years.
I 1t Is claimed by army men generally that
II Capt. Carter was guitless of the ac-
cusations brought against him, he should
have waived the right TO plead the statute
OF limitations and thrown his public and
private record open to the court from the
beginning 10 the end of his connection
with the Savannah Improvement His rep
utation as q soldier and a gentleman
would have been perfectly secure In the
hands of the officers who composed the
court, which eventually found him guilty
by a unanimous vote.
These are some Of the circumstances
which trouble those who are disposed TO
stand by Capt. Carter, Notwithstanding
the fact that ne was convicted first by a
court of inquiry and finally by a court
martial OF brother officers, who would
have gladly spared the service such a
scandal as now clouds the record of one
of the most brilliant members Of the en-
glneers' corps.