The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-25

language with reference to Major Gem
eral Nelson A. Miles. commanding the
Miles charges that (meaning timed
fresh beeD was furnished as a pretense
of an experiment he lies In his throat,
he lies in his heart, he lies in every hair
of his head and every pore of his body,
he lies wilfully, deliberately, Intention
ally and mal1ciously.
I'm denouncing General Miles as a liar
when he makes this statement, 1 wish
to make it as emphatic and coarse as
the statement itself. wish to force the
lie back into his throat, covered with
the contents of a camp latrine-''
This at Washington, D. c., January
r. 1899.
Charge 2-Conduct to the prejudice
of good order and military discipline
Specification-In that Brigadier Cen
eral Charles P. Eagan, commissary gen.
eraI of subsistence, United States army,
did while testifying as a. witness before
the commission appointed by the presi-
dent to Investigate the conduct of the
war department in the war with Spain
summit and read a part of his testi-
mony, certain written statement in
which he did make use of, and thereby
publish the following grossly abusive
and unmilitary language with reference
to the major general commanding the
army namely: eff and when Gen. Miles
chrageS that 1t (meaning timed fresh
beeD was furnished as a 'pretense of
experiment. he lies in his throat, he lies
in his heart he lies in every hair of his
head and every pore of his body; he lies
wilfully, deliberately, Intentionally and
maliciously. If his statement is true
that this was furnished under pretense
of experiment then 1 should be drum
med out of the army and incarcerated
in state prison. If this statement is
false, as I assert 1t to be, then he should
be drummed out of the service and in
carcerated in prison with other libel
ers.
His statement is a scandaIous libel,
rejecting upon the honor of every Off
GER in the department who has contract
ed for, or purchased this meat and es-
pecially and particularly on the COM
missary general-myself.
I'm denOuncing Gen. Miles as a liar,
when he makes this statement, 1 wish
to make it as emphatic and as coarse as
the lie back into his throat, covered
with the contents of a camp 1atrine.
Il wish to brand it as a falsehood of
whole cloth, without particle of truth
to sustain it, and unless he can prove
his statement he should be denounced
by every honest man, barred from the
clubs, barred from the society of decent
people and so oStraciSed that the street
bootblacks would not condescend to
speak to him, for he has fouled his own
nest, he has aSperSed the honor of a
brother officer without particle of evil
dence or fact to sustain in any degree
his scandalous, Iibelous, malicious false
hood, viz: That this beef or anything
whatever was furnished to the army
unOer 'preIenSo OF an experiment.
This at Washington, d. c., Jan. u,
1899"
PLEADS: mot GUILTY."
During these preliminary proceedings
Gen. Eagan exhibited no signs of nerv-
BUSINESS but the expression of his face
and his manner clearly indicated that
he realized that the trial involved con-
sequences to him of the gravest charac-
ter. While he stood listening to the
charges and specifications, his face
seemed somewhat paler than usual At
the conclusion of the reading, on being
requested to plead to the specification
to the first charge, he said: mot
guilty; not denying, however, that the
specifications set forth correctly part of
the language used
To the second charge he pleaded mot
guilty" The judge advocate then arose
and said that the case in hand was
peculiar one, but presented no unusual
difficulties. The accused had seen fit to
add to his plea of not guilty, some
words tending to qualify it, but he did
not think the plea relieved the court
from the necessity of proving the facts
alleged.
Judge Worthington responded brief
ly and explained why the qualifying
words had been used upon his recon-