The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-19
DEFENSE RESTS ITS CASE.
CAPT. CARTER THE LAST WITNESS
IN HIS OWN BEHALF.


westcott to Cant. Carter Ruled out
by the Court for the Third Time.
Deposition of Robert W. Taller
Not Admitted-Pay Rolls, Forage,
Fort-Keepers, Etc, Again Touched
on.
1t appears now that the labors of the
Carter court martial are drawing rapidly
to a close. The defense rested its case
yesterday, and the Judge Advocate will
now bring up whatever he has to present
In the way of rebuttal.
Capt. Carter was the last witness on
the stand in his own behalf A deposit
ton by Mr. Robert w Taller of New
York was offered in evidence but was
ruled out by the court, on the ground
that It related to matters for which Mr..
R. f. Westcott was a competent witness.
and that he should be presented for cross
examination.
Col. Barr concluded his cross-examina-
ton of Capt Carter within about half an
hour after the court convened, and Mr..
Blair took up but a short time with the
= redirect. Altogether, Capt. Carter has
been on the stand nine days, nearly seven
of which were taken up by the cross-ex-
animation. II is not known whether the
defense will put up any other witnesses
or not, but they have been granted the
privilege of putting on another if they
see fit.
The rebuttal testimony will begin this
morning, and it is understood will not
take more than two or three days at the
outside. The same length of time will
probably be taken up with the speeches
in summing up and now it appears the
chances are that the court will get the
case about next Monday or Tuesday
Col. Barr, at the opening of the session
yesterday morning, asked Capt. Carter
a few questions relating to private mat
ters suggested by check stubs in the
Union Trust Company check book. They
related entirely to Mr.. Westcotts per
sonal affairs.
There were more than 100000 worth of
securities in the safety deposit box at the
New York Safe and Deposit Company.
He did not give Mr.. Westcott a receipt
for them; Mr.. Westcott never asked it of
him. He kept Mr.. Westcott posted, how
ever, with regard to what was done. The
power of attorney given him by Mr.. West
colt included the permission TO draw
checks.
Col Barr brought up again the bill 10
which note of MIR Sterly's was attached,
giving his ideas with regard TO 1t. Col
Barr produced the voucher for the mate
rails involved, showing that Mr.. Sterlys
memorandum was practically Identical
10 lt1r,1 M Gter
ly's ideas, according to Capt. Carriers in
structions. Capt. Carter said he approved
and certified to the voucher
Col Barr here turned the witness over to
Mr.. Blair having had him under cross
examination for just six days. The cross
examination was begun on Monday, April
TO- and was concluded yesterday shortly
before noon.
Mr.. Blair first asked Capt Carter about
the time rolls in connection with the al
legged Illegal payments made by r. John
son to certain men not employed. John
son, who was master of the Toccoa, certi-
fed TO the correctness of the time
rolls, and the pay rolls were
based entirely upon the time rolls 1t WAS
necessary to accept the statement TO the
chief of a party as to the correctness OF
the time rolls, and he had no other means
of knowing whether the pay roll was cor
Burnett to johnson, asking johnson TO
put on the pay rolls two men who did not
belong there.
Mr.. blair took up several other pay rolls
producing the time rolls from which they
were made out and showing that the two
corresponded. The time rolls were all GER
titled to by the assistant engineers In
charge of the respective works, and the
pay rolls Were made up from them.
h. all
he said, was about S1s or 50 for each horse,
but the cost of keeping them was twice or
three times that amount
so far as the vouchers claimed to be
irregular are concerned, who got the
money from these vouchers?' Mr.. Blair
asked.
II do not consider them Irregular"
Capt. Carter said.
81 said claimed to be Irregular. 1 asked
who received the money under such cir
cumstances?"
why the man who signed the voucher"
Then If materials were commuted into
labor. did the government get the bene-
mt of those materials?'
Certainly; always"
There was no way by which you could
possibly be benefited through such vouch-
ers was there?''s
Certainly not
was tHeTe any other OBJECT IN so maxi
Ing out pay rolls committing materials
into labor than that the chief clerk who
had TO make them out might save time ?"
That was the object as I consider It,
There may have been also the reason that
he wanted to make out his vouchers in
the simplest form, so there would be no
doubt about their passing inspection"
The fact that Newmis was known as fort
keeper of Fort Oglethorpe prevented dep
relations, he said, that might otherwise
have been made. Newmis received no 9TH
er pay from the government.
All of the money paid out to the con-
tractors In the district was paid on The
certificate on honor of the inspectors and
assistant engineers. and was afterwards
checked over by the clerical force in the
Office.
Miss NJ. n. Lewis of Landsdown, Pa.
was paid $50 for translating a part of a
French work, which was afterwards print
ed'by the government, and distributed She
was put on the pay roll as a recorder. 1t
was not necessary that she should actu-
ally be in Savannah at the time. This
work was read before the international
convention, held TO discuss the testing of
engineering materials, which Capt Car
ter attended. When asked how his cx-
an fri.