The record-union., 1899-01-27

tons since September 10Th last, and
testified that she took the dictation of
the Generals statement before the COM
mission. At the time General Miles
gave his testimony before the commits
sion General Eagan was greatly ex-
cited, and while he was debating his
statement he walked the floor in an
excited way It had never been his
habit to walk the floor while dsctating.
The statement was not fully completed
until the day it was presented to the
commission She saw General Eagan
only a few minutes before he left to APP
pear before the commission, and he was
then in such a nervous state that his
hands strembled. The witness thought
that the General had never been able
to read the statement through as a
whole, from the time it was begun
until it was read to the commission.
Mr.. Rogers, clerk in the office of the
Commissary General, was the next
witness He had been in the office
since 1891, and since General Eagan
came to the Office he had seen him fire.
quently every day After General
Miles statement had been made public
General Eagan's appearance had
greatly changed. He looked haggard
and worn and at times was greatly ex-
cited Witness thought that General
Eagan had come to believe that public
sentiment was strong against him and
that the public had accepted General
Miles statement as true, and this Wor-
ried him greatly. AS the days passed
his nervous disturbance greatly in
creased until he appeared before the
commission. On one occasion the wit
ness went to General Eagan's desk and
spoke to him on a matter of office bust
ness. As he approached the desk, the
General said, apparently to himself:
II am murderer and for gain.
This he repeated several times in an
absent-minded way. He did not APP
pear to notice the witness.
General Eagan himself was the next
witness. He said he entered the vOlun-
teer army in 1861 and in 1866 was made
a Second Lieutenant in the regular
army He then briefly gave history of
his military career, which included sew
eral campaigns against the Indians. He
received a wound in. the Modoc war, for
which he received a brevet. During the
war with Spain he had been in his office
had worked early and late.
He had given his testimony before
the commission under oath preferably
So He had first read General Miles
statement in the Washington papers.
For a long time he feared that he
might not be called before the COM
mission, but he finally received a sum-
mons to appear. Even then he was not
fully prepared, as his statement neces-
sarily involved the preparation of rec
ords,. etc. He had held a conversation
with the Secretary of War, in the
course of which he told the Secretary
that he desired to defend himself by
bringing proceedings against General
Miles, but was told that the immunity
granted by the President would prevent
any such action. Witness accepted this
as a fact, but he did not think this i'm
munity covered the newspaper inter-
views, in which General Miles had by
inference declared him to be murderer
for gain. Witness said he became
greatly excited. This statement Of
General Miles, in the opinion Of thd wit
ness, had taken away his (Eagan's)
character He could not proceed against
General Miles in the courts or other
wise, and he felt he might be better
dead in the gutter. During this recital
General Eagan's eyes filed with tears.
His voice trembled and he spoke very
feelingly.
His honor as soldier, he continued,
had been attacked, and a soldiers hon
or should be as sacred as the honor of
a woman. He had kept his sorrow to
himself. He had kept away from the
clubs, and very soon he found he could
not sleep. He felt that the people of
this country had come to believe that
he is a dishonest man. but I am an
honest man." said the General, with
feeling,-" and I believe that no one who
knows me will believe that I am a dis
honest man. My record is clean, my
uniform is unsullied, but have been
slandered and wronged."
In answer to a question by his coun-