Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
DECISION IN CARTER'S CASE
1t is Believed That t Will Be Announced
Very Soon.
Comment on the Attorney General.
One Erect of Delay.

Il is believed in official circles that the
return of the President and Attorney Gen
eral Griggs will be followed by an early
announcement of the Presidents decision
in the case of Capt. Carter. The dissatis-
faction of the public ever the delay in the
case is becomns SO pronounced that it is
thought the President will decide to act
soon.
The present status of the case is that
Capt. Garter has been found guilty by a
court-martal of fraudulent practices In
connection with government work and SEN
fenced to dismissal from the army, fine and
Imprisonment. The President can approve
or disapprove these findings, or may re-
NIT portion of the sentence. To guide his
course. the President has submitted the
case to the Attorney General for his opin-
ion as to the justice of the court-martiai's
action.
The Attorney General has taken so long
to go through the case that the public
interest has been excited as to the cause
OF the delay. In partial explanation, it has
been suggested that the Attorney General
was collecting evidence upon which to
prosecute others who were connected with
the work.
This would presuppose that he believes
Capt. Carter is guilty. and that there are
accomplices. Capt. Carriers friends how
ever, who are stoutiy protesting his inno-
cence. claim that the Attorney General has
discovered that Capt. Carter was the tool
OF others. and that the government is now
after the real culprits.
Within the past few days there has been
a notable revival of the pleas of Carriers
innocence and pressure is being brought to
bear to attempt to work up public senti-
ment in favor of the officer a prosecuted
man. Unlimited means seem to have been
available for Carriers defense. An official
OF the government was asked by a Star
reporter why such desperate attempts were
being made to free Carter
We'll, his family are wealthy people, and
they naturally want to see him cleared.
But back of that influence. it is a matter of
heavy financial concern to some that he
should not be convicted. The men who
were accused OF defrauding the government
are alleged to have cleared something like
S2,@o,oD in the deal They are responsible
men, and If the conspiracy is established
some OF the money might be recovered in
an action at law. With such a large sum
at stake 1t is easy to see how it will pay
them to spend money in defense. If Garter
gets Off, the charges of conspiracy and
fraud will fall ana the contractors cannot
be sued
1t has been alleged in certain quarters
that If the President should delay much
longer the statute of limitations would run
against further proceedings, and prosecu-
ton of the contractors would be impossible.
1t Is claimed by the government that the
ultll
July. 1900. SO that there is yet plenty of
time for legal proceedings.
1t Is pointed out. however, that the worst
effects of delay will be the difficulty in
getting the witnesses together again, IL
further prosecutions are attempted. 1t is
said that some of the important witnesses
are dead, many. of them scattered
throughout the country, and that it would
be hard to trace them when they should
be needed. The river and harbor work
too. Is deteriorating in the course of time
and it would be difficult to secure the evil
dence which guided the court-ma rtiaI The
members of the court visited Savannah
ana an. inspected the actual operations on
No credence whatever is placed by we'll
informed persons in the allegations that
the Engineer Corps has been derelict in
the prosecution of Capt. Carter. The rec
ord shows that the engineer officers have
moved with celefity In the case. and there
has not been a moments unnecessary de-
Jay IN their handling of the matter.