The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-27

| been uttered against me. l felt that my
| duty was there. and decided to hurl the
| charges back in such language that the
people would believe me. l could not eat;
| l could not sleep. / felt that must do
| something to make the people in the four
| corners OF the earth believe me an honest
| man on hearing my words. l think all
who heard my words do now believe me
to be an honest man. That, sir, Is the best
| explanation I can offer"
Again there was impressive silence. The
! witness had exhausted himself in the in
| tensity OF his words. His breath came in
short gasps and the epaulets on his shoul-
| ders rose and fell like the courage OF n
stage hero. The situation was relieved by
| Mr.. Worthington, who proceeded to eX-
| anime his witness.
Declaration of Honesty.
! Mr.. Worthington-Dd you ever receive
anything. general, for the contracts you
made or in any of your other transactions
tor the army?
General Eagan, his hand lifted and his
voice trembling-On my honor, and before
| God, not one cent has touched my hands,
| nor believe, the hands OF any OF my su-
bordinates. Why, sir turning to directly
| face Mr.. Worthington), / have not enough
| money now to pay your counsel fees.
Mr.. WorthingtOn-What was your con-
]
board tthe Alger Relief Commission)?
| General Eagan-I went before the Com
mission feeling as l had for days. | had
put out a dignified statement to the press
and it was not believed. All these things
actuated me to say in strong language
something that would make people know
an honest man was speaking. The charges
made against me were so foul they burned
| me up inside. l knew that in the public
mind | was believed to be a murderer,
! gentlemen, for the sole purpose of gain.
| 1t was under these conditions that l went
| before the Commission (the Alger Relief
! Commssion) and said what | did.
Mr.. Worthingtcn-What was the extent
| of the financial obligations placed upon
! you?
| General Eagan-The appropriation for
my department up to December 81 last
was S26. GOO 600. We have disbursed be-
tween 100000 and $50 900 600. 1 was
| very happy to say to Chairman Cannon, of
I The House Appropriations Committee, sew
erai days ago that / would be able to re-
turn S5.O00,OOO or s600O,00O.
Mr.. Worthington-Is it not a fact gem
| eral that a man in a position like yours.
with millions of dollars to disburse, is
often tempted?
General Eagan-Every few days, sir,
| people come into my office backed by in
| huential friends and rich corporations and
| endeayor to get me to purchase all sorts
! of things for the army. l am a soldier,
| however; l have served with the soldier
on the field and l know that the army
ration is better for him than all these
| process foods l am importuned to buy.
1t was the statement that l had fur
nished this meat under pretence OF expert
| ment that excited me most / was not
| given credit for making an honest ex-
pertinent but was charged with furnishing
meat under the pretence of an experiment
| for the purpose of covering up corruption.
1t was in the hope that l could find some
way of refuting these charges of theft
| and murder by wholesale that / appealed
to the Secretary of War.
One Last Slug.
General Eagan could not forego one
slight slur against the general command
ing the army when he was asked if he
| (Eagan) had testified before the Alger
Relief Commission under oath. To this
he replied:
Yes, preferably So The words were
spoken with peculiar accent and had par
ticular reference to the refusal CT General
| Miles to be sworn before the Alger Relief
Commission.
| General Eagan also reviewed in consid-
cradle detail the events leading up to his
decision to insult the general command
ing the army, in defence of what he was
pleased to call his honor. He said he had
| been given to understand that General
| Miles was beyond the power of military
authorities, by reason OF the Presidents
promise of immunity to Alger Relief Com
| mission witnesses. and in saying this the
| accused. by accident, convicted himself of
having planned his insult to a superior
! officer, with the firm belief that he, too
could take refuge behind the Presidents
| guarantee He used these words:
| Il believed that immunity would BE-
| IN and anvhniv fhpra'
tmeaning the Alger Relief CommissiOn).
but did not suppose that immunity could
be claimed of newspaper interviews"
The prosecution desired little of General
Eagan and directed at him fewer than u
dozen questions. The court displayed no
| intention to question the witness and the
accused officer retired to his seat beside
his counsel
Pictures and Clippings.
Mr. Worthington then arose to address
the court. He submitted without question
numerous newspaper clippings and cartoon
toons some of them of unusual severity
and all of these, ne affirmed, had unduly
excited the defendant. In fact, the press OF
the country, it seems. had more to do
with producing that intense excitement
pleaded in excuse By the accused for his
conduct than anything else. than even the
embalmed beef charges of the general
| commanding the army. Iney nau SOhu-
ed him TO desperation. and urged him 10
take that course for which he was now
being tried.
After having read to the court a num-
Der of these clippings and submitting to
its gaze some OF the cartoons that had
exercised the most belligerent influence
over the mind of the defendant, Mr.
Worthington paused and asked permission
to submit the rest for the future reference
of the court. The desired permission was
granted for lack of dissent. and good
sized stock for press clipping bureau
was forthwith handed over to the official
stenographer.
Having finished this business Mr.. Worth
ington announced that the defence must
pause. since the other witnesses it desired
to present were detained on other and most
important business.
"One of these Mr.. Worthngton said
the Honorable Secretary of War. is now |
understand. testifying before the Com
mission to investigate the conduct of the
war tthe Alger Relief Commission) and
cannot present himself here for that rea-
SON.
The prosecution reafirmed that it was
done with the case for the present and the
court was then declared adjourned until
10 O'Clock this morning.