Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-01
APPROVES CARTER SENTENCE
President Signs the Document-FiNe
Years in Prison and
Heavy Fine.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30.-The president
has approved the sentence imposed by court
martial on Captain Oberlin NJ. Carter, corps
Of engineers, u S. A., and formal order
was today issued from the war department
directing the execution of the sentence.
The verdict OF the court was as follows;
"And the court does therefore sentence the
accused, Captain Oberlin NJ. Carter, corps OF
engineers, United States army, to be dis
missed from the service of the United States,
to suffer a fine of $4,000, to be confined at
hard labor at such place as the proper au-
thority may direct for FIVE years, and the
crime, punishment, name and place OF abode
of the accused to be published in the news.
papers in and about the station and the state
from which the accused came, or where he
usually resides"
Following is tho formal approval of the
verdict:
"The findings of the court martial in the
matter OF foregoing proceedings against Cap
tain Oberlin M. Carter. corps of engineers,
United States army, are hereby approved as
to all except the following:
"Charge II, specifications T. s, and 10;
Charge III, specifications 8, 4, g. 6, 7, 8, IL
and 22, which are disapproved. And the SEN
tence imposed by the court-martial upon the
defendant, Oberlin NJ Carter, is hereby ap-
proved. EL1HU ROOT,
Secretary of War.
Executive Mansion, Washington, d. c., Sep
| tember 29, 1899.
"(Approved and confrmed)-
| WILLIAM M'KINLEY."
| Charges were preferred against Captain
| Carter by General John M Wilson, chief OF
| engineers, December 81, 1897. These charges
were made after the investigation by Board
| of I'm pgip oft ba ri, md bar un q
at Savannah, Ca, and other points in that
district which had been under the super
vision OF Captain Carter. The charges
| mainly consisted of declaration that Car
| ter had entered into a conspiracy with other
| persons to defraud the United States.
| 1t was alleged in the charges that Garter
| and certain persons had defrauded the
United States of from 81 900, 900 to 81, 900 900.
| The trial of the charges by court martial,
| over which General Otis, now commanding
in the Philippines, presided, lasted several
| months. The judge advocate of the court
was Colonel Thomas F. Barr and the court
itself consisted of officers in nearly every
branch of the service and of high rank. The
trial resulted in the verdict and sentence
which were approved today. The case has
attained widespread notorlety on account OF
| the financial and social connections Of Cap
| tain Carter.
No such consideration and no such amount
! Of time has ever been given previously in
| court martial The reference to the at
torney general Is also something unusual,
| but this action was taken, 1t Is said, to give
the officer every possible opportunity to
| prove his innocence. The charges which
| are disproved are Of minor Importance ana
| relate to smaller items of river and harbor
works, in which it was alleged Captain Car
1
main contentious Of the prosecution are sus>
| tanned
| NEW YORK, Sept. 3O.-Captan Oberlin
M. Carter was arrested today in this city
| by Assistant Adjutant General Simpson, who
came on especially from Washington for
the purpose. Captain Carter was taken to
| Governors island and handed over to Cap
tain B. ]. Roberts, commanding officer, with
| orders to keep strict guard and put Captain
| Carter in close confinement. Captain Carter
is now in one Of the upper easement cells
| in Castle William. He will be notified of
| his dismissal from the army and will be
] handed over to the civil authorities in New
| York.
| L. l.. Kellogg of the law firm OF Kellogg,
! Rose & Smith called upon Captain Roberts
and asked permission to see Captain Carter.
Mr. Kellogg refused to make a statement on
| behalf of Captain Carter.
Appended to the orders above is the fol-
| lowing: -.
"By direction Of the secretary of war, Cap
tain Oberin NJ. Carter, corps of engineers,
| United States army, ceases to be an officer
OF the army from this date, and the United
States penitentiary, Fort Leavenworth, Kan,
is designated as the place of his confinement,
where he will be sent by the commanding
general of the Department of the East, under
proper guard. By command of Major Cen
eral Miles. H. c. CORBIN.
| "Adjutant General"