The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-04
IT WAS A WILD STORY
Blair Denies That Otis Is Charged
With Perjury.
A PARALLEL 10 DREYFUS
Singled Out for a Victim by the Pro-
motors of the Nicaragua Canal
Scheme-Jealousy Actuated
the Court Martial.

Chicago, Sept 3.-The Chronicle to-
morrow will say: Publication of the
proceedings of the Captain Oberlin M.
Carter court martial, whose verdict is
in the hands of President Mckinley for
approval or rejection, has been the
cause of a number of sensational state
ments during the past week, the widest
of which is that Frank P. Blair, coun-
sci for Captain Carter, has charged
General Elwell S. Otis, now command
ing the army in the Philippines, with
perjury and subornation of perjury in
connection with the statement. In con-
nection with the statement Mr.. Blair
has been quoted as emphasizing the ac
cusations.
Il have made no such charges against
General Otis" said MIR. Blair last night
"A reading of the affidavit does not,
by the furthest stretch of the imagina-
ton, support such a statement as has
appeared as coming from me. The affi-
davit was filed with the president along
with others last fall, when the review
of the proceedings was referred to Sen
ator Edmunds.
THE affidavit was filed as an es-
sential part of the demand for a setting
aside of the verdict and simply states
that one night at the De Soto hotel, Sa-
Vannah, Ca, during the sitting of the
court martial, l overheard Judge Advo-
cate Thomas Barr read some documents
to General Otis and Colonel Gillespie Of
the court martial, and concluded by
saying he would read it to counsel, and
General Otis remarked: That will be
good The affidavit was proof that
the two members of the court martial
had exceeded their province in discuss
i'm IN wi
ney. In legal proceedings such an act
Is sufficient to throw out the verdict of
a jury and the court martial is only
jury"
"Mr. Blair also repudiated having
made such statement. Il never talked
with the president about the affidavit"
he said. Il do not even know if he read
it. The story is absurd The affidavit
was filed to show the prejudice of the
political court martial. My accusation
against General Otis goes that far and
no farther. i believe that he was in
fiuenced in his Judgment in the matter
by something or somebody outside of
the evidence. That is evident to any
reader of the evidence.
Il believe Captain Carter is the VIC
tim of a conspiracy to degrade him. 1t
is an American parallel to the Dreyfus
case. The same general features are in
both cases. The accusers and prosecu-
tors OF Carter are or the general stan
of the army, as are those of Dreyfus.
Jealousy has actuated the majority of
the men on the Carter court martial.
Secret conferences, such as that set out
in my affidavit, were the Illegal methods
to secure the conviction of Captain Car
ter"
Mr. Blair intimates that Carter was
singled out as victim of the wrath of
the men who have been promoting the
Nicaragua canal scheme.
Garter was named a member of the
canal commission to investigate the
exact conditions of the scheme" added
Mr.. Blair. He was selected because of
his known engineering ability. At the
Army and Navy club at Washington
he said he proposed to get at the bot
tom of the scheme and show 1T up. He
was then sent to England as military
attache of the American embassy. .On
| his return he was placed under arrest,
| charged with defrauding the govern
| ment.
Il believe that if he had never an
| nounced his intention to prick the plans
! of the promoters he would not have
| been accused"