Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-27

trial of an officer for acts removed more
than two years from the time of making
charges. 1t was not necessary for him to
plead this statute, in view of the statute
which prohibited any such trial. He had
pleaded 1t sixteen times on the advice of
counsel. One officer had come to the coun-
sci and said.
MY God. why did you allow Carter to
plead the statute of Imitation
But it was not necessary for him to plead
the statute. which should have operated
anyhow. because of" the law.
Mr.. MacVeigh continued.
Il have no doubt that Capt. Carter was
convicted from the moment he pleaded the
statute of limitation
In regard to the contract of September,
1896, by which ii was declared. extortionate
profits had been made by the contractors.
counsel asserted that Captain Carter was
In no way responsible because the law
CURED MIN to let the contract to the lowest
oiader There were three responsible bid
ders. and he was faced with the necessity
OF lettns the contract or disobeying the
law, this contract being confirmed by his
superior officers. That cleared him. and he
could not be held responsible for any excess
sive profit which the contractor might
make.
In Case of Fixed" Contract
The Attorney General asked whether it
would not be competent in the opinion of
Captain Carriers counsel to hold Captain
carter responsible if it shown that the
contract was so manipulated that a certain
bidder would be sure to get ii and make
excessive profit.
Counsel contended that when the bids
We're received, according to law Captain
Carter had nothing to do except to award
the contract to the lowest bidder and no
reason could be shown why it should not
have been awarded.
Mr.. MacVeagh said he had heard that a
large army contract had been let in New
York recently on a single bid. 1t might be
that that bid was low enough, but he hoped
it would Tot prove true that there was but
of he .ri.i
cism.
Was it possible that Colonel Peter c.
Hams and General Craighill would have
approved this contract for 81 a yard for
the mattresses involved, when it would
cost only . cents?' asked Mr.. MacVeagh
These prices, he said, We're lower than
the government had formerly paid. The
engineer officers were not to examine into
the case to see what the contractors We're
to make out of this work.
Recess Taken.
At 1 o'clock an adjournment was taken
until 2 o'clock
At o'clock Mr.. MacVeagh resumed. He
said the enemies of Capt. Carter could
have secured reputable witnesses, but their
testimony rested chiefly upon the testimony
of Arthur S. Cooper and a man named
Sterling. He reflected severely upon Coop
ers veracity and said that not only was
he used as a witness but he was recalled
ten times. His testimony was humorous
his remarks on specific gravity of stone
used in the contract. He had said he did
things he knew We're wrong because he
was ordered to do so.
In the DreyfuS case a witness had been
called who Swore he was a descendant of
Servian kings, and was allowed to testify
that he thought Dreyfus was guilty. Mr..
MacVeagh declared that he was as good
witness Cooper.
Hale had been called to testify and was
one of the main witnesses. He testified as
an expert civil engineer, yet. Mr.. Mac
Feagh asserted, his ignorance was great
that he testified that he did not know the
difference between a square yard and
cubic yard. This proceeding would have
been humorous in the extreme had it not
been that a mans reputation placed
in jeopardy by it.
AS to the statement that Capt. Carter
had given but twenty days for advertising
of the contract of 1896, Mr.. MacVeagh said
there were fortynine instances from 1870
to 1897 i'll which contracts had been let and
in which the time for advertising was less
than twenty days.
Mr.. MacVeagh was continuing his argu-
ment when The Stars report was closed.