Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-27
ON THE STAND IN HIS OWN BEHALF
YESTERDAY.
PLEADS GREAT PRovocATIoN
SAYS HE WAS GOADED TO MADNESS
BY MILES CHARGES.
Cried a Little While TestifyinE and
Made u Very Favorable Impress
sion-Witnesses Tell of Great
Excitement of Gem
eral EaSan.

WASHINGTON, Jan. -26-The feature of
the proceedings before the Eagan COURT
martial to-day was the testimony, dramatic
IN many parts. in its quiet intensity, of
Commissary General Eagan himself Not
more than fifteen or twenty people outside
of the court and dozen or SO newspaper
correspondents were admitted to the trial
rooms. Several witnesses preceded the
chief figure in the trial.
General Eagan listened intently to the
testimony of these witnesses and OCCASION
ally held brief whispered conferences with
his counsel. He was dressed In full uni
form. without sword, and his florid face.
white hair and mustache and soldierly
bearing recalled to many the late General
Sheridan, to whom he bears a distinct re-
semblance. His call to the stand this morn
ing was something of a surprise, as it had
been thought. il he testified at all, it would
be later. When his name was called. he
rose and. standing before the witness chair.
raised his right hand, took the oath adj
ministered by the judge advocate. and at
first related his army career.
As he proceeded in his testimony it be-
came apparent that the line Of defense
would be justification and extreme provo
cation, finally bringing on a serious nervous
condition which rendered the witness unfit
for business and made him to degree
irresponsible for his acts. The presidents
order Of immunity, it was also made evil
dent, would be relied op as applicable to
General Eagan's testimony before the war
commission and that, therefore, the court
martial had no proper jurisdiction OF the
case. When General Eagan began the
story Of General Miles aspersions on him
he raised his voice somewhat, and spoke
with great earnestness; though with per-
feet enunciation. In speaking of the criti-
cisms of the newspapers which he said had
been called forth by General Miles testi-
mony. his manner was intensely dramatic
and impressive. His eyes filled with tears
and his voice trembled and the impression
he left with many was decidedly favorable.
After the court adjourned, several MEM
bers shook his hand and in friendly way
asked after his health.
Colonel w. l.. Alexander, United States
army, OF the subsistence department, was
the first witness called by the defense. He
said he returned to Washington from ia
maica on the morning Of the day General
Eagan gave his testimony before the war
investigating committee. General Eagan,
he said, was hastily going over papers in
connection with his testimony and showed
nervously handled the papers and witness
had rarely seen man in such a nervous
condition. His manner was so exceptional
that he asked Colonel Davis, Of the COM
mssary department, who was present,
whether the general was not i'll. He had
been intimately connected with General
Eagan but never before had he seen him
in such a condition.
Colonel George r. Davis. assistant to
Commissary General Eagan. was the next
witness. He testified that he had been
very closely associated with General Eagan
during the past several months. He was
in his Office the day General Miles gave
his testimony before the war commission
and as soon as General Eagan saw the
published statement of his testimony he
became considerably excited and wrote to
General Miles, asking as to the truth OF
a published interview with General Miles.
As time went on, his excitement increased
to such an extent that he did not, and ap-
parently could not, attend to the routine
duties Of his Office. Later on, General
Eagan reached such state that he could
| not attend to any business.
The day before General Eagan appeared
before the commission, he read his state
| ment over to the witness, who urged him
to modify it somewhat, but he would not
| aASeVhr oho, Woihi5 uP dli4 QO"u Tic
room. said he would not change a word
of it. Newspaper clippings were constantly
being received criticising General Eagan,
| and these greatly increased his excitement.
| Some of these clippings carried the idea
| that General Eagan was a murderer, and
| that he had acted corruptly in sending unfit
F., food to the army. During these days, the
| witness said. General Eagan was wholly
| untitled to perform the ordinary duties Of
his Office. Up to this time the general had
been hard worker and never before had
| exhibited any signs of nervous strain.
In answer to a question, Colonel Davis
| SAID that General Eagan's conduct of his
office was perfectly honest and he had al
| ways had the good of the soldier at heart
more so than any other commissary gen.
eral of whom hs had ever known or
| heard.
| The witness, again referring to General
| Eagan's testimony before the commission.
said that he had not been consulted in its
| preparation. but at the generals request
had supplied some of the records. The
| general had asked him at one time as to
his Judgment concerning the argument he
| had prepared for the commission. and the
| witness had replied that it was a complete
| answer to the criticisms which had been
made against him, but he had advised that
] some parts of it be omitted. General
Eagan, however, was greatly excited and
witness thought he would bring the matter
to his attention more urgently the next
morning but witness did not then have a
good opportunity.
! General Eagan had told the witness that
he was prevented from proceeding in mil
itary fashion against General Miles by the
presidents order Of immunity to witnesses,
but that he hoped to be able to proceed
in the. matter in the civil courts.
| Miss Millard, General Eagan's stenog-
| rapher was then called. She had taken
nearly all of the generals dictations since
September 10. last. and testified that she
took the dictation of the generals state
ment before the commission. From the
time General Miles gave his testimony be-
fore the commission, General Eagan was
| greatly excited and while he was debating
his statement he walked the floor in aniex-
| cited state. It had never been his habit
70 walk the floor while debating. The
| statement was not fully completed until
the day 1t was presented to the commits
sion She saw General Eagan only few
minutes before he left to appear before