The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-27
GENERAL EAGAN VEPT
~Commissary Generals Narrowing
Recital of His Woes.
SHED TEARS IN COURT
DECLARED HE WAS AN HON
EST MAN.
General Miles Charges Had Driven
Him to Desperation, and he Felt
That he Had Been Branded as a
Murderer-Testimony Before the
Courtnartial.

Ccurtnartial.
Washington, Jan. 2s.-When the Ea-
a courtmartial reassembied today,
Judge Advocate Davis stated that he
wished to submit formally the testi-
mony of General Miles, IS read yester-
day. as an exhibit in this trial, and
with this statement, he said. the prose
cution rested its case.
Nrr. Wortbipgton. counsel for General
Eagan, read several exhibits in con-
neoticn with the testimony read at yes
terd&y's session Of the court. These
included the correspondence NC
General Miles and General Eegan,
through the adjCtant general, n which
the defendant asked as to whether the
interview published in q New York
81 n which General Miles IS
alleged 10 have severely criticised the
ceTnIlissafy generals department, was
authoritative. Extracts from the al
legged interview WeGe also read and
submitted as q part Of the record.
Colonel ". /. Alexander, Z 5. A,
Of the subsistence department, was the
first witness called by the defense. He
said he returned to Washington from
Jamaica on the morning of the day
General Eagan gave his testimony be-
fore the war Investigating commission.
General Eagan, he said, was hastily
going over papers in connection with
his testimony, and showed signs of
great excitement. General Eagan ner-
V0usly handled the papers, and witness
had rarely seen a man in such a ner-
vouS condition. His manner was so
exceptional that he asked Colonel Da-
Wis OF the conlmissary department, who
was present, whether the general was
not i'll. He had been intimately con-
nected with General Eagan, but never
before had he seen him in such a con-
dition.
General Merritt asked whether, to
his knowledge, General Eagan had
consulted anyone as to the substance
of his testimony to be presented TO the
commission. Colonel Alexander an
swered that, sO'far as he knew, Cen
eral Eagan had not.
ADVISED TO AMEND IT.
Colonel George B. Davis, assistant to
Commissary General Eagan, was the
next witness. He testified that he had
been very closely associated with Gen
aral Eagan during the last several
months. He was in the office the day
General Miles gave his testimony be-
fore the war investigating commission,
and as soon as General Eagan saw the
published statement of his testimony.
he became considerably excited, and
wrote to General Miles, asking as to
the truth OF an interview published
with General Miles. AS time went on
his excitement increased to such an eX-
tent that he did not. and apparently
could not, attend TO the duties Of his
office. The day before G5neral Eagan
appeared before the commission he
read his statement to the witness, who
urged him to modify it somewhat, but
he would not listen, and, walking up
n-l daxIn tho rnnr00 cold hi would nor
change a word of it. Newspaper clip
pings were constantly being received,
criticising Genera Eagan, and these
greatly increased his excitement. Some
OF these clippings carried the idea that
General Eagan was a murderer, and
that he had acted c|orruptly in sending
unfit food to the army. During these
days the witness said that General Ea-
gan was wholly untitled to perform the
ordinary AIties of his office Up TO
this time the general had been q hard
worker and neve- before had exhibited
any signs of nervousness.
EACANrS EXCITEMENT.
Miss Willard, General Eagan's stem
ographeT, was then called. She had
taken nearly all Of the generals d.-td-
tons since Sept. - last. Il testified
that she took the dictatiou Of the gen
erals statement before ire commits
sion. At the time General Mics gave
his Testimony D2:ufe tie commission,
General Easan Was greatly excited, .
and while he was debating MS stare
ment he walked tia Go0r - 3n excited
way. II had never been his habit 10
walk the floor while Gi-IadnS.
Ny. Rodgers, clerk in the Office OF
the comlnissary general, was TIE next +
witness. He had been IL the Office +
since 1881. since Genera Eagan
came to the Office he had seen Kim fre-
uueutIy every day. After General
Niles statement had been made pub
greatly changed. He looked haggard
and worn. and at times was greatly
excited. Witness thought that Genera.
Fagan had come to believe that public
sentiment was strong against him, ana
that the public had accepted General
Miles statement as true, and this wor-
ried him greatly. As the days passed, +
his nervous disturbance greatly in
creased. untl lie went before the COM
mission. on one occasion the witness
went ID General EaSan's desk n
smoke 10 HIM on = matter Cf Official
business. As he approached the desk,
the general said, apparently TO himself, /
Il am a murderer, and for gain
This he repeated several times IL an
absent-mfnded way. He did not appear
TO notice the witness.
GENERAL EAGAN TESTIFIEs.
General Eagan himself was The next
witness. He said be entered the voiun-
teer army in 1851 and II 1866 VAS made
a second lieutenant in the regular
army. He then b-iety gay q history OF
his nililary career. which included sew
eral campaigns against the Indians.
He received a VODnd il the MnaoC war, !
for .hich ne receives q hreEet. turing
the TaI with spain he had been il lis
,f.ce every 1aV. with one exception, +
eud he had worked early am late.
He had given his testimony before
he commission unG@r cath. preferably
So ge lad first ,5@G Genera: Miles
st.+a,nenr in the Washington papers.
For 2 Ton time b. feared thai ne might
rot be called before tbs commission,
hur he finally received q summons t.
appear. ENsn then he was not fully
prepared, as his statement necessarily
etc.
He had held a conversation with the
secretary Of war, il the coGEse OF which
he told the secretary that ne desired to
defend himself By bringing proceedings
against General Miles. bat was told
that TIE immunity granted by the
president would prevent any such ac-
ton. Witness accepted this as a fact,
hut he did not think this immunity
covered the newspaper interviews in
which General Niles had, by inference,
declared him 10 pe 2 murderer for gain.
witness said he became greatly ex-
cited
EAGAN SHED TEARS.
This statement Of General Miles, in
+he opinion of the witness, had taken /
avay his Glasan's) character. He
could not proceed against General Miles
in the courts or otherwise, ana lie felt
- --s.L4 la--r-s 10 danl =, 4ha ?