The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-27
CALLAHAN
Had Permit to Re-
move Bodies.
CRITICISMS UNJUST.
Full Facts in Controversy
First Made Known.

of the fact as stated by an unreliable
Worcester paper. that Charles NJ. Call
lahan had received a permit after Sec
rotary of War Alger had turned down
both Senator George F. Hoar and Con-
gresham Gillette, were unjust criti-
sisns. and it is now proven that Chas.
M Callahan was given transportation
on the transport Berlin and allowed to
bring back the bodies of Desmond,
Kyle and Sullivan on q permit secured
by Congressman John FITZGERALD from
the secretary of war, Dec. 9. Seven
teen days before Secretary Alger told
Senator Hoar and CONGRESSMAN GIL
lette that no more permits would be
granted to any one and that the gov
eminent would eventually remove all
bodies In their own way at their own
expense.
Mr. Callahan's papers that were
printed in facsimile in another pener
Monday morning, and copied to a con-
siderable extent by Springfield, Holyoke
and North Adams papers, and dated
Slter secretary Alger had refused the
massachusetts, senator and congress-
man the desired permission. We're NOT
the original permits, but sinnlv an IN
dorsing passport by the authorities at
Santlaso-a plain statement that they
iiad read the order of their superior-
the secretary of war. Army red-tane
required them to do so, and it stands
70 reason that they would not have
uone SO If Mr.. Callahan had not had
the necessary permit.
The O1.io-i,, oil
II IL mad been the public would have
Immediately seen that Senator Eoer
ana congressman Gillette had met sec
[etary Alger IL days after he had signed
SaIlahans permit for Congressman
5ltzgerald and four days after Presi-
Dent McKinley's cabinet had held n
meeting at the capitol and decided nor
~ grant any more permits to remove
bodies from Cuba.
At that cabinet meetinp n wos 10
| cided to send an expedition Feb and
that was the real reason why the cit-
zehs committee were told through their.
representatives, that all consideration
Wouiu pc SHOWN them when the time
| came when the government was nre-
pared to attend to the matter
1nese marsh and untruthful criti-
g IJ dld gross injustice to Senator
hoar Congressman Gillett. the cit-
liens committee and incidentaIlv sec
rotary Alger. 1t placed all the gentle
men concerned in a bad light and
looked as II the national representa-
tlVes from Massachusetts had neglect
ed their constituents interests.
| a story of how the permit was Sc
| cured and the time it was secured will
make interesting reading and will ex-
pam matters understandingly.
The friends of Desmond and TSvte
VINO reside in Natick, wanted to bring
PACK their dead boys and bury them
beside their ancestors as soon as pos
slble. They had little confidence in
the governments making a move for
many months, SO they visited Boston
and sought the aid of Congressman
Fitzgerald who is noted for his inter-
est IN the volunteer soldiers The con-
| gresham said that he would do all he
possibly could to get the secretary of
wars permit, and he secured the much
coveted document Dec. 8, and it was
placed in the hands of the Natick peo-
pie few days later.
On Sunday, Dec IS, the relatives and
friends of Desmond and Kyle came &c
Worcester. They had heard Of the sue
| cessful trip made by Undertaken Frank
| Sessions and Fred P. Dean to Cuba s
shores, and they visited Mr. Sessions
| and told their desires and asked him to
return to Cuba and secure the remains
| of their loved ones.
Mr.. Sessions did not care to go again,
but he told the people from Natick that
| G. M. Callahan had been approached
by the sister Of Henry Sullivan of the
Emmett Guards, and that Mr. Callahan
he thought, would be willing to under
take the journey.
! Mr.. Callahan was called into consul
tation, and when he found that the ne
cessary permit was in the hands of the
| Natick people he consented to take the
trip.
| The document called for the removal
of the bodies of Desmond and Kyle
only, but before Jan. 81 the document
was sent to Washington and returned
with the name of Henry Sullivan in
serted
c. M. Callahan started for Cuba with
three caskets before Christmas day,
and when he arrived there he visited
Maj Gen Wood and showed him Sec
Ayers permit. He read 1t over and
wrote the following letter, which, 1t
seems, any sane man would readily UNI
derstand, was an endorsement only.
The letter reads as follows:
| Removal approved, with the under
standing that the remains are to be
Theoretically sealed in metallic caskets.
by command of
| Mai Gen. Wood"
erals adjutant, and the morning paper
evidently purposely left off the date,
which was about the same day that
Senator Hoar and Congressman GIL
lette saw Secretary Alger.
Cuba is many miles from Washing
ton, as the crow flies
The other endorsement was signed
by the acting assistant surgeon Of the
United States army at Santiago, Fred
erick j. Combe, after his superior, the
| chief surgeon of the army, had seen
! Secretary Ayers permit. That docu-
ment read as follows:
i II certify that the removal of the
remains Of Henry Sullivan late pri-
vate Of Company G., Ninth Massachu-
setts volunteers, IL properly dislnterred,
will not endanger the public health.
4 "(Signed) Frederick J. Combe."
and dated Santiago, Dec. g.
The names of Desmond and Kyle are
not included in this document, which
clearly shows that their names were
upon the original permit secured by
| Congressman Fitzgerald Dec. 8. and 1t
was Enthusiastically taken up by Gen.
Woods adjutant, as the United States
officers in charge OF the fields where
! soldiers are buried. would not be al
lowed to execute orders issued by
Secretary Alger, unless endorsed and
countersigned by the commanding gem
eral or by his order.
The above proves beyond shadow
Of a doubt that no permits were grant
ed after the Natick people secured
theirs for Desmond and Kyle and
through Worcester peoples influence
for Henry Suliiyan's remains.
Frank Sessions. In an interview with
q Spy representative, said.
The relatives Of Desmond and Kyle
met in my office Dec. IL. which fell
on a Sunday. They had a permit for
Tlaarnnrnd and Kvte,R hndlAa u,hich thav