The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-18
Personnel of the Court Not Yet
Made Public.
M'KINLEY TAKES ACTION
Conduct Unbecomtng an officer and g
Gentleman the Charge He Will Prob
ably Have to Answer-His Re-
vised Statement Made

regular meeting to-day that he had de-
| termined to court martial Eagan Al
ger was not present at the cabinet
meeting. but with Adjutant General
| Corbin was al the white house in con-
ference with the president on the sub
Ject just prior to the cabinet session
The order for court martial proba bly,
| will be made to-day.
Just prior to the cabinet meeting
Miles made rather unusual call upon
two members Of the cabinet, Hay and
| Long. He had just returned to the city
from New York, and when spoken to
with reference to the Eagan case, ad-
hered to his original declaration that
this was not the time for him to act.
| if at all, leaving the implication that
! if the commission did not act or the ad-
| ministration, it would then be time :or
him to take some steps.
Contrary to the general expecta ton,
| no announcement of the personnel of
| the Eagan court marital was made az
| the war department up to the close Cf
business this afternoon Adjutant Gen
| eral Corhin, at the last moment in re-
ply to a question, said that he mad
| nothing whatever to make public
| touching the IIagan case.
| Secretary Alger was absent from the
war department all of the afternoon
and just before the close telephoned
| that he would not return to his office
during the day. He spent the morning
at the white house. and leaving there
| just before the cabinet convened, went
| to his house with Adjutant. General
Corbin and remained there. 1t was
| supposed that he was perhaps arrang-
ing some of the details of the court
but this was only guess. The seCre-
tary is going to New York at midnight,
so that unless he acts upon this matter
before his departure. there may be de-
lay until his return. The fact that Sec
retary Alger was not present at the
cabinet meeting, was seized at once as
a sign of trouble in the cabinet and
soon there were rumor of dissensions
and the intention on the part of the
war secretary to resign. There was no
foundation for these, in fact, and Sec
retary Alger's colleagues promptly and
emphatically denied them as soon as
their attention was drawn to them.
In the absence of the announcement
of the detail for the court martial
there was a good deal of speculate
as to its composition. General practice
is for a majority of the court to con-
of the defendant. This would make
the task of selecting a court a hard
one, because it is necessary to find a
sufficient number of general officers
ranking with a brgadier general to
up desirable court But latitude is
permitted the appointing authority in
such selections, as the ninth article of
war reads: mo officer shall, when it
can be avoided, be tried by officers
inferior in rank" 1t will be noticed
that the phrase ''if it can be avoided"
leaves opportunity for the appointment
of junior officers. The mention of
General Merritt's name as president of
the court martial is due to the fact
that he is the only available major
general in the regular army, the 9TH
ers being General Brooke in Cuba and
General Miles, here, neither being re-
sarded as available. The friends of
General Merritt are hoping that he will
not be selected, fearing that he will
be accused of prejudice by one or per
haps both sides. The penalty for the
offense for which General Eagan prob
ably will be tried, conduct unbecoming
an officer and gentleman. Is one of the
most severe known in the army, be-
ing dismissal.
Article 81 reads: ANY officer who
is convicted of conduct unbecoming an
officer and a gentleman shall be dis
missed from the service
If the court martial shall fnd Eagan
guilty, even with eXtenuating circum-
stances. they must attach this SEN
tence, and then the only hope for the
officer would be in the exercise of elem
ency by the president. based, perhaps
upon the courts recommendations
The war investigating commission to-
day stated that the amended state
ment of Ea gan would be made public
and the newspaper men We're allowed
access to it. Eagan has eliminated all
the Objectionable language. and the
phraseology has been altered frequent
ly. Eagan, while referring to Miles as
senior general resents any assump-
tion of Miles superiority, and asserts
he CEagan) is as good, as old and as
experienced soldier as Miles
He also criticised the latter's attack
on the beef industry as Infamous. 1t
Is believed so far as the commission
is concerned the incident is now closed |
General Eagan begins his new state |
ment by stating that he holds in his
hand the official copy of the statement
made to your commission by the senior
general of the army, Major General
Nelson A. Miles" He details the amaze
ment and surprise he experienced when |
informed that General Miles had select
ed Major Black, "a volunteer officer, |
totally devoid of experience, in the sub |
sistence department." as his staff COM
misary, instead of Major Osgood, who |
was first chosen for that position by |
General Miles. He refers to "a very or |
dlnary. commonplace telegram" sent !
by General Miles to his adiutant gem |
eral here in Washington about June :.
inquring what substance stores We're |
at Tampa.
General Eagan says he made formal |
written reply to this, but was amazed |
next morning to in tha OpwSnnnprS