Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-06-22
MYSTERIOUS CASE
OF CAPTAIN CARTER
Convicted and Sentenced Over Two
Years Ago, He Still Remains
Unpublished.
ROBBED UNCLE SAM OF 100000
Verdict Approved by Thirty Mill.
tary and Legal Officers, But
Some Powerful "Pull'' Has
Baked Justice.

Washington, June s2.-The Wash
lngton Post prints the following:
Over two years ago Captain Oberlin
NJ. Carter, an officer of the engineer
corps, U. S. A., was convicted of steal
ing over $2,000,00O from the govern
ment and was sentenced to fine of
$4,000, three years imprisonment and
dismissal from the army. Punish
ment has never been meted out to
him, but from the time of the trial he
has been strangely protected.
Over thirty officers of the govern
ment, military and legal, have re-
viewed the case and have agreed that
the sentence was proper one. To-
day, however, Captain Carter wears his
uniform and draws his pay, as he has
been doing ever since sentence was
pronounced upon him. From the
court-martial up to the highest au-
thority in the land the papers have
gone. The secretary of war, after
some delay, gave his approval to the
verdict, and final action remained with
the president. Long since the papers
We're sent to the attorney general for
review. A brief was asked of Carriers
counsel. When this had been fur
nished, reply was required from the
judge advocate generals office. Now
that this has been given there are to
be "hearings." In other words, the
case of Captain Carter, With its mys-
terious influences behind it, seems as
far from being settled as ever. Per
haps the belief thai ii it remains UNI
disposed of for a month or two longer
the statute of limitations will be
pleaded may have something to do
with this unaccountable and suspi-
cious delay.
Captain Carter was for fourteen
years in charge of the improvement of
the Savannah river and adjacent WA
that time he expended nearly $4,000
600, of which $3,50O00O was ON the
Savannah river alone
Spent Money Freely.
In Savannah he lived like prince.
He spent more money than any other
man in the city,. He wore four or five
suits of clothes each day, fashionable
and costly, and owned carriages and
horses and yacht. People wondered
how captain in the army could afford
to be so eNtravagant, but he met the
whispered inquiries by saying that he
was supplied with money by his faith
er-in-law. BY and by he tired of Sa-
vannah, and had influence enough to
be appointed Il member OF the Near
aqua canal commission. One of his
letters, read during his trial, showed
that he expected about Sl7,ooo,ooo
ct NO
and he wanted to get his share
Then from the canal commission he
was appointed military attache to the
American embassy at I.ondon-for his
pull seems to have been unlimited.
But the foreign mission was the
cause of his undoing. Captain Gill
lette was ordered to succeed him at
Savannah. Carter met Gillette in New
York and was oyerjoyed Among
other things. he offered Gillette his
furnished house in Savannah, rent
free, for an indefinite length of time.
Gillette, cold bIooded and experienced,
wondered at this remarkable liberality
and declined
Gillette went to work in Savannah.
One day he went down the river to
examine a retaining wall, which, ac-
cording to the map, had been com
pleted and paid for by the government.
The wall was not there. Shortly aft
erward he inspected some work which
called for the use of log and brush
mattresses, for which thousands of
dollars had been paid. There were no
mattresses there. Their acceptance
and approval, which had been vouchcd
for by Captain Carter, were fraudu-
lent and false i'm every particular.
Evidences of dishonesty multiplied.
Gillette was compelled to ask the au-
thorities here to order a survey of The
work supposed to have been done, in
order that he might not share the re-
sponsibility of reaching fraud.
A board of engineer officers from Cap
tain Carriers own corps-composed of
Colonel Gillespie, Major Adams and
Captain Black, although decidedly adj
verse to an exposure, unanimously
agreed that a court-martial must be
held. Among the records of the office
was a box marked personal and Pri-
vate.' 1T was opened. 1t contained
no personal papers, except half doz-
en- letters from Carriers sister. These
We're not read, but with them were
found strictly official papers, which
should have been in the files; also
bank books, some showing deposits
as high as $4,000 at time; copies of
letters received and sent by Carter,
and showing his connection with the
Atlantic Contracting company, and
his certificate OF stock in that corpor-
alton, which, it is hardly necessary to
add, was given the contracts for all
the dredging.
The court-martial met. 1t was pre-
sided over by General +. S. Otis. now
in command in the Philippines. There
were fifteen officers of the court, Sc
lected from all branches of the serv-
ice, every one of whom was personally
acquainted with Captain Carter. The
accused officer had six lawyers defend
ing him. Among other things, he
pleaded the statute of limitations. Al
though this plea was regarded as an
admission of guilt, it was sustained
by the court, and only occurrences
happening within two Years were CON
sidered. nj These were so numerous,
however, that there was no trouble in
reaching u verdict of guilty, with the
sentence already stated.
His Method of Operating.
Carter was not only stealing on a