The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-08-31
THRIVING ON DISGRACE
THE LUXURIOUS, CARE-FREE LIFE OF
CAPTAIN CARTER.
SpendsHisT Time in a NewYork Club, Dresses
Perfectly and Celebrated as "Good
Fellow"

AVALSNlAJ anu NCACbAdlCu do SuOu
Fellow"
This is the way Capt. Oberlin H.
Carter, who IS proven to have defraud
ed the United States government out of
81 500, 900, who is under sentence by
court martial from dismissal from the
army, and to the publication for five
years of the story of his disgrace, lives
in New York City from day to day.
Capt. Carter's title, says the New
York World, that Of captain of en-
gineers in the United States army; his
crime, the systematic forgery of war
rants upon the National treasury for
work that was never performed in con-
nection with the improvement of the
harbor off the city of Savannah. Four
hundred and sixty-two days ago he was
found guilty by court martial and sem
fenced to dishonorable dismissal from
the army. But for some mysterious
reason the sentence has not been exc
cuted
The findings of the court are now in
the hands of the attorney general, and
there is apparently no prospect of de-
cision from him regarding the legality
of them before the statute of limitations
interevnes and saves Carter from pay
ing the penalty for his crime. Presi-
dent Mckinley could compel the carry
ing ont the sentence, but so far he has
not shown any inclination to do so.
Yesterdays advices were that Attorney
General Griggs, who has the papers in
the case in his hands, would wait an
indefinite time for the return from
Europe of Carter's counsel, Wayne
McVeagh, who is ill.
Capt. Garter bears his disgrace light
| ly. At the New York Athletic Club,
where he has room, he is celebrated
as being "good fellow" witty, genial
and generous. He dined there Wednes-
day night in the cool dining room,
through which the breezes from Cent
raj Park blow refreshingly. He was
dressed as any gentleman of unlimited
means and leisure ordinarily dresses
for dinner. The cut of his dinner coat,
waistcoat and trousers was indisputa-
bly, the work of tailor who knew his
business. The set of his dress shirt,
adorned with pin point pearls, left no
doubt of his excellent taste in dress
matters. A tiny, carleSsly tied black
satin tie was looped at just the proper
angle around high stand-up collar.
The captain is fine figure of man,
FIVE feet nine inches tall, weighs about
1865 pounds, and his easy movements
suggest athletic experience. His head
is round and well shaped, his hair is
black and clusters in little curls all
over his head. He has a dark brown
mustache. He is esteemed most af-
fable and entertaining man by his fell
! low members. For the last two months
he has been the most conspicuous figure
at the club house--in the cafe, where
the best of wines and cigars are to be
had; in the billiard room, where is skill
with the cue has won him praise; in the
marble swimming pool, where he is as
much at home as he is on the horizont-
al bars in the gymnasium.
The captain has been q nonresident
member of the club since 1898, and
among the oldest set of members he
was we'll remembered when hereturned
a few weeks ago to take up his resi-
dence there. In the old days he ex-
celled in most of the gymnasium work,
and although he had grown little
stouter and sitter in his joints during
the interim he showed greater pro-
fciency in some of the sports on his re-
turn than he had before. He fell easily
and naturally into the ways of club
ife. He related no end of good stories
with which many members of the club
are regaling friends are not so fortu-
nate as to meet the captain personally.
He contributed number of welcome
suggestions concerning palatable drinks
he had learned to concoct in the South
while he was defrauding the govern
ment. His skill in making salad in
spired loud demands for his presence
ut the tables where the most exacting
Of the club epicures dine.
The captain is apparently not in the
least troubled by the prospect of an i'm.
mediate dismissal from the army. Tt
those members of the club with whom
he has talked he has expressed the op,
inion that his influential friends car
save him from meeting the sentence
imposed by the court martial before
which he was tried. He does not tel
who these friends are, but he intimatei
broadly aud with admirable confidence
that they are in high places and repre-
sent the strongest influences of boil
political parties.
He comes and goes when he pleases
unhampered by any restriction whatso
ever, as freely and much more grace
fully than most OF the other member
of the club who are not accused o
stealing a million and half dollars. H
is late riser, and when he appears il
the breakfast room within an hou
either way of II o'clock he appears th
clean-cut, well-tubbed and barbere,
gentleman of leisure who fits so proper