Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-26

III the members were present.
The accused, General Eagan, arrived at
the hotel early. and was in consultation In
the public parlor with his counsel, Mr..
Worthington, and Col. w. l.. Alexander of
the commissary department of the regular
army who was in General Eagan's office at
the War Department. The colonel remain
ed with the general all of yesterday and ac-
companied him into the presence OF the
court this morning.
General Butler and Colonel Guenther were
the last members to arrive. When they
were seated, General Merritt, president of
the military tribunal said:
The court will come to order. Proceed,
Mr.. Judge Advocated"
MAY it please the court" began Colonel
Davis, the judge advocate, with the offer
ing in evidence of the extracts l read yes
terday from General Miles testimony be-
fore the war investigating commission, the
prosecution closes"
Mr.. Worthngton, attorney for General
Eagan, arose
Il will read if it please the court. and of
fer in evidence, several letters. kilograms
and contracts. w--ch were made exhibits
by General Eagan when he appeared be-
fore the investigating commission" said
Mr.. Worth;ngton.
The papers We're passed over briefly, and
the first witness for the defense was sworn.
The witness was Colonel Alexander.
Col. Alexander Testihes.
81 am a colonel and commissary of sub
sistence of the United States army. I am
on duty as assistant to the commfssary
general" Col. Alexander gave this de-
scription of himself and duty in response to
the usual question by the judge advocate.
Col Alexander said he returned from ia
maca the day Gen. Eagan testified before
the war Investigating commission. He was
not in the city when Gen. Miles testified.
Did YOU see Gen. Eagan before he went
TO the rooms where the commission was
in session." asked Mr.. Worthington.
Il was in his Office replied the witness,
less than an hour before he went before
the commission. He was to have appeared
there at II o'clock. but did not leave his
office in the War Department until twenty
minutes past that time
What was the cause of that delay?"
Gen. Eagan was delayed in searching for
numerous papers. He seemed greatly ex-
cited"
Was there anything unusual in Gen.
Eagan's demeanor or conduct that morn
ing?"
Yes. sir He seemed greatly excited. as
l have just said Rarely have l seen a man
laboring under such intense excitement
He tried to calm himself at times, SO he
would be in proper condition to appear be-
fore the commission on the conduct of the
war"
Describe as nearly as you can, please,
the generals conduct
Col. Alexander replied:
Gen. Eagan's Terrible Excitement.
He was handling his papers nervously,
and his general demeanor was such as to
make it apparent to any one he was under
some terrible strain. When he left the Of
fee to give his statement to the commission
asked Col. Davis, who was present, If the
general had been Ill during my absence
Col. Davis replied No and explained that
he was under an intense strain on account
of the charges brought against him."
w nat Is Gen. Eagan's usual condition.
He is usually calm and colected-just
the opposite of what l have described"
Col. Davis, the judge advocate, took up
the cross-examination.
Did you see Gen. EagGn's written state
ment before he appeared before the COM
mission?
"A portion of it, yes, sir"
Did Gen. Eagan consult any one while
he was engaged in preparing his state
meut?'
Not to my knowledge"
Col. Alexander was excused.
Col. Geo. B. Davis Story.
The naxt witness was Col. George b.
Davis of the regular army, and first as
sistant TO Gen. Eagan in the commissary
department.
Il have known Gen. Eagan intimately for
some time" began the witness, in his Of
flee being closely related with him. We
live near one another and by reason of this
partment."
The witness was asked TO tell somcthing
of the condition of Gen. Eagan before he
appeared before the war commission. Col.
Davis told an Interesting story, running
as follows:
When Gen. Eagan read in the nsws-
papers Gen. Miles tes stimony before the
commission appointed by the President to
inquire into the conduct of the war, he be-
came excited. This excitement was intensi-
fed when Gen. Eagan was furnished with
an official copy of Gen. Miles statement
verifying the newspaper accounts He was
so much excited in fact, he did not pay the
usual attention TO the duties of his Office
He did not seem able to get down to the
routine business. He would not examine
the papers L brought him, but would ask
me II they were correct and then sign
them.
"One day Gen. Eagan came to me and
said:
Is everything going all right in the Of
nee! Are the camps and transports all sup
Piled properly? Since this matter has come
up l cannot concentrate my mind on rou-
tine affairs. am so worried by the charges
brought against me 1 cannot attend to nv
duties properly
Il told him. continued the witness. "I
was looking out for everything"
Col. Davis told of Gen Eagan debating
his now famous statement to a young wO-
man stenographcr in his office, and then
said:
Gen. EaGan Urged to Alter His State
ment.
when Gen. Eagan showed me his state