Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-03
THE CARTER TRIAL.
OF THE CAPTAIN
OF ENGINEERS.
CHARGES OF EMDEzzLEMENT.
Tending to show Forgery
I'm the Papers Connected With the
Making of Contrncts-Conrad N.
Jordan n Witness.

NEW 1Olk, Ma1cn line COURT
martial convoked to try Captain o. NJ.
Carter, Of the Corps OF Engineers. United
States army, on charges OF conspiracy.
embezzlement, and conduct unbecoming
an officer. convened in the Army building
here to-day. Colonel Thomas Barr, as
sistant judge acknowledgement stated
that he would offer in evidence vouchers
payment for work done from January to
June. 1885, in the Improvement of Cum
berland Sound, Georgia, and at other
times. and he would introduce in connec-
ton Herewith oral testimony.
The first witness called was Conrad y.
Jordan, ex-Sub-Treasurer of the United
States. in this city. Mr.. Jordan identified
a large number Of checks drawn by Cap
tain Carter on the Sub-Treasury to the
order of contractors employed in doing
the work OF Improvement in Savannah
harbor and at Cumberland Sound,
Georgia. Some Of these checks were
drawn to the order Of Arson NJ. Bangs,
but the greater number TO the order of
John +. Gaynor, president. or Edward II.
Gaynor, treasurer, Of the Atlantic Con-
tracing Company. The checks were for
amounts varying from SIS 10 $4,000. The
aggregate was not stated, but must have
been a couple Of hundred thousand dol
lars.
Mr.. Jordan was briefly cross-examined
by Frank p. Blair, of Chicago, one of
Captain Carter's four counsellors, whose
questioning was directed TO show that
some of the checks might have been paid
To bank runner, or to some other per-
son not nominated I'm the check.
Mr.. Jordan admitted the possibility of
this, but denied the probability Of such a
thing
The object of Mr.. Jordan's testimony
was to establish the payment OF moneys.
and the identity of persons who received
the money, In connection with the work
which was in charge of the defendant
It's special pertinence lay in the fact that
Captain Carter is accused of having held
stock in the Empire Construction Com
pany, which, as charged. was subse-
quently metamorphosed into the Atlantic
Contracting Company, which, by or
through Captain Carter. was awarded
the contracts for nearly all the S,OOO,O0O
worth Of work done under his super
vision during the last ten years.
TESTIMONY AS TO HANDWRITING.
David n. Carvalho, an expert I'm hand
tain papers presented as exhibits in the
case, which had been given him for eX-
animation. Some Of these were bills
presented by the Atlantic Contracting
Company, and signed by Edward III. Gay
nor Carvalho testified that in all of the
cases the Gaynor signature had been writ
ten by the same man.
On two receipted bills, Mr.. Caryalho
said the Edward H. Gaynor signature
Ia1 1,tyt I. xvh
wrote the name on the bills when pre-
scented.
Continuing the witness said that the
signature of Edward II. Gaynor, trea-
surer. on a receipt for $500 1880 being
genuine and admitted. all the fifteen sig
natures of Edward II. Gaynor on the
monthly bills were forgeries or simula-
tions of Edward II. Gaynors hand
writing. An exhibit containing the adj
mitted handwriting of Michael A. Con-
molly, commissioner, was taken up for
comparison, and from a study OF this Mr..
Carvalho said that the fifteen forged or
simulated signatures of Edward II. Gay
nor were written by the same person who
signed himself Michael A. Connolly, com
missioner.
Mr. Connolly was Captain Carter's pri-
vate secretary and held the office of
United States Commissioner at Savannah.
for work on Cumberland sound in 1894
by Arson NJ. Bangs. was filled in by
Michael a. Connolly, in his opinion.
on one of the pages Of this proposal
the signature of w. 7. Gaynor, which
was certified and sworn TO before Michael
A. Connolly, the witness said. was i'm the
handwriting of Michael A. Connolly. A
proposal for work at Fort Clinch, Fla, |
by William II. Walsh, Mr. Carvalho said, |
was filled in in the handwriting of John /
f. Gaynor Mr.. Walsh, the prosecution /
has held, was an employee Of the Gay |
nors at the time he bid on this work. |
rhe guarantee bond of william II. Walsh,
the witness said, was made out in the
of John +. Gaynor.
Two signatures Of Arson NJ Bangs were
declared to be genuine. and another was
10 be the handwriting OF
Michael A. Connolly.
me endorsement, William II. Walsh,
IN the back of a check under the words
Pay to the order of John +. Gaynor,"
Mr.. Carvalho said. was not I'm the hand
writing OF William III. Walsh. He could
rot say whose writing it was The words
above the signature were written by Colo
lei Gaynor.
The proposals of =. Sanford Ross and
he Savannah Dredging Company for
lredging in the Savannah civer, the first
If which was al IS cents. and the second
It 1871 cents, were presented.
TWO BIDS IN SAME INK.
Mr.. Carvalho said that the prices in the
wo bids had been filled in with the same
nix. He deduced this from a comparison
# the word eighteen" in both proposals.
There was a similarity between the hand
writing. but he could not say the words
rad been written by the same person.
)ne of these bids was that which Presi-
lent Jacob Paulsen, of the Savannah
Dredging Company, testified was written
W a clerk I'm his office.
In a supplemental article OF agreement
or dredging in Cumberland Sound, which
vas not approved, all the signatures were
Mr.. CaTvalho said, except that
IF William +. Gaynor. which. the witness
said was in the handwriting Of Michael
A. Connolly.
A contractors bond, under the big con-
ract for 500. OO0 upon which Arson NJ.
Bangs and Eugene Hughes were sure
les for the Atlantic Contracting Com
1any, Mr.. Carvalho said was written by
Michael A. Connolly, including the name
IF w. T. Gaynor as an attestant OF the
document Several words and figures in
the document, however, were not in
handwriting.
The signature on a bill Of Arson NJ.
Bangs. for work on the contract of 1894
n Cumberland sound. was a forgery, the
witness said. The same was true, he
stated. OF Mr. Bangs's signature on the
receipt and on a subsequent voucher in
he same work.
All of the vouchers connected with this
york from December 1894 10 June 1895, |