Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1899-01-26
General Eagan Pleads "NOt Guilty"
10 the Two Charge, Made
Against Him.
HIS COUNSEL MAKES
A GENERAL STATEMENT.
Declares Eagan Cannot Be Convicted
as lIe Had a Special Right 10 Use
the Language lle Did BE-
fore the Commission.

Washington Jan % The board oi
army officers d,-ignated by the socre.
tary Of war 20 sit on courtmartial In the
case ~ Edgsdier General Charles J.. 7
Eagau. c1mmi-sary general of -ub.ist-
encr charged with conduct unhecoming
au officer and gentleman. and clnduc;
90 the prejudice o. good order and mil
iury discipline iu connection with h.s
testimony before thc war iuyougaung| /
commission met Boo the rci parlor Of thc /
Ebmtt House 90 10 oocloek this morning /
and almost Immediately Major General /
/ Wesley Merritt Nlar General jaime.
ID Wa1e Maias General ST. g. Euf.T .
Major General S d VI Young. Brig
adler General ROYAL 4 Frank BrigadIer
/ General George " Randall Ergadicr
| General jacob Kline Ir.alier General
Richard Cmm Colonel Peter G.
/ Hmn.s Colonel George Gillespie. Col
| Charics e. sutter Colonel Francis l.
| Guelthar aul Lieutenant Colonel George
B Davis mcmb... u the court whoap.
paarel in Com lr--- uniform. were seated
about the long table placed lougthwi.e
the room General Merritt president OF
the court occupying % -eat 90 the head
40 just 100 O'Clock Colonel Davis called
/ thcrnIl iu court all memhor- responding
90 their names As Doe concluded Cen.
/ Eamu appeared with his counsel A. T.
I Wor,hiugtu. formerly United States
I district attorney Or tha District OF Coz
. iumHa and to1s -eais uur the judge
. advocate 90 the foot OF thc table Gen
| Eagu also wore the drrs. uniform of'
/ Dis rank Almost Immediately Colonel
Davis arose and introduced General
Eagan and DDS counsel and then proceod.
|ci 90 read the orlar for cluscu.ug the
court
The judge alyoelie when this wa,
concluded tumcdto General Eagn and
inquired whether hc objected 90 amy
members of iha court az designated by
. the order General Eagan replied Il
do not The members Of the court
then arose and took the usual oath on
being requested to plead 90 the spec.hca.
tiou- In the hrst charge be- said "Not
guilty, not denying however. that the
specifications set forth correctly part oi
the language u.el To the second
charge. hc replied Not guilty"
Whatever said Mr. Worthington Of
the defense the court may think Of the
propricty Of the language used 10y Gen
cral Egan before the war investigating
commission. there is mo- doubt IN his
lWorthiugton- mind that he was fully
protected In using that language by che
laws Of the land Ia no court, civil or
military ho said could the accused b.
held accountable forsuch language. even
II it could bc shown ,hc speaker was ac
tuated hy malice In addition 90 this
the president Of the United States had
instructed the war investigating com.
mission 10 announce publicly that wit.
uc-.cs before that tribunal would b,
given immunity Tor whatever thcy
might testify This was the solemn
promise given by the United State, auI
the counsel had no doubt that the courI
would find that General Eagan coult
not under the circumstances hc held 9,
a military court martial for this Ian
guage.
General Miles he said. had appearc,
before thccommis.iou about thrccwcck
bofop General Eamu had made h
statement and uu thoocca,on had mad.
most serious and weeping charge
against many Of his sulordiuat,s au,
particularly him and the commis,ar,
department Of the army. He had charg
ed General Eagan with being iucompe
tent and ncglectful OF his duties. an,
infproufir f hi,n fGenornl En