The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-27
THOUGHT EACAN
WAS INSANE.
That Was the Impression the
Generals Actions
Made on His Intimate Friend
David r.. Mckee.
GEN. ALGER RECALLED
Testified That Eagan Wished
to Prefer Charges
Against Miles But Was Told
He Couldn't Do 1t.

| Washington, Jan. 27.-The first wit
ness before the Eagan court martial to-
! day, was Mr.. David r. Mckee, of this
| city, for many years the agent of the
| Associated Press, he had known Gen.
Eagan for about As years. They were
| intimate friends as boys and young men
| and the friendship never had been in
| terrupted although they at times had
not seen each other for long intervals.
During the period between the time
| Gen. Miles gave his testimony before
| the war investigating commission and
| the day on which Gen. Eagan made his
| statement the witness saw him two or
| three times. He then seemed careworn
| and much preoccupied. Mr.. Mckee said
| that the impression Gen. Eagan then
made upon him was that he had be-
come insane. Witness always had found
him very correct in his bearing and
| speech and on these occasions his man
ner was so different that he was great
ly' shocked and alarmed and the con-
clusion witness reached was that Gen.
Eagan had lost his mind.
On one of these occasions he express
ed to Gen. Eagan his profound regret
that he had given utterance to the lang
uage used in his statement and reprOV-
ed him mildly for not consulting him
about the matter. The general had ex-
planned that he had not felt at liberty
TO consult witness because he knew of
the long existing friendship between the
family of the witness and the family
of Gen. Miles, particularly between Mrs
Mckee and Mrs. Miles and said he GA
gam did not feel at liberty to bring
witness into the controversy.
MAJOR MILES RECALLED.
Major S. c. Mics, the recorder of the
war investigating commission, was re-
called and in answer to inquiries, said
20 h0 ha nT-do nf
the president granting immunity to wit
nesses before that body had not been
reduced to wrlt-Ag. ~ this point the
judge advocate read the presidents ad
dress on the assembling of the war in
vestigating commission, which, how
ever, was unsigned, and the witness was
asked whether any other instructions
had been given. He replied that there
had not. The witness was present at
the meeting between the president and
the members of the war investigating
commission. The witness said: 1.-THE
matter of immunity for witnesses came
up. L think it was called up by Mr..
Dodge, and the president said that the
witnesses who should appear before the
commission could do SO without any
fear of punishment or prosecution
GEN. ALGER TAKES THE STAND.
MIR. r. A. Alger, the secretary of war,
was next called to the witness stand.
He SAID he recalled a conversation he
had had with Gen. Eagan shortly after
Gen. Miles had given his testimony
Gen. Eagan came to his office in an eX-
cited state of mind and said it was his
wish to prefer charges against Gen.
Miles for what he had said Il told
him. testified Secretary Alger, that
under the presidents order granting
immunity to officers VINO testified be-
fore the commission he could not do So.'
Gen. AIger was then excused, the
members of the court rising to their
feet as he withdrew.
HIS MIND NON-RECEPTIVE.
Colonel Alexander and Colonel Davis
were recalled and said that never dur
ing their acquaintance with the accused
had they known him to use vulgar or
profane language. He always had been
correct and clean in speech and never
had they known him to use such lang
uage as was used in his statements be-
fore the war commission.
DR.. w. e. Hopkins of California and
New York, General Eagan's son-in-law
was called. He came to Washington
after General Miles had given his testi-
mOny and lived at the generals house.
He said he then observed that General
Ea gan was very restless and nervous
and could not eat normally or sleep nor
mally. At table he at times would stop
eating and apparently would lose him
self in thought He was intensely ner-
vous and showed signs of congestion of
certain parts of the brain. Witness had
had long talks with his wife about her
father and he had told her that her
father must be carefully watched and
that they must be prepared for any
thing General Eagan's mind was nom
receptive at this time and the witness
believed that something very serious
might happen. General Eagan, witness
added, was in a gloomy frame of mind
in consequence of the things that had
been said about him. He felt that his
honor was destroyed and that he did not
want to see people. General Eagan,
witness further testified, did not want
to go into the street car and was
ashamed to meet any one and keenly
felt his disgrace. The general felt that
General Miles had destroyed his honor
and that his life work was destroyed.
In all the time the witness had known
General Eagan, witness had not known
him to use such language as was used
in his statements.
CALLED DEFENDANTS DAUGH-
Mrs Hopkins the daughter of General
Eagan, was the next witness, General
Eagan'S counsel explaining that he CALL
ed her against the wish of her father
and husband and only because her abb
sence from the trial might be remarked
upon. She said her father came home
one afternoon and standing in the door
way with a paper in his hand exclaimed:
General Miles has crucified me- She
said she could never forget that scene
and said that since that time her father
had been a greatly changed man. He
could think of nothing else, nor talk of
anything else than that General Miles
had ruined his life He was from that
when witness was compelled TO go to
New York she had returned almost at
once to help care for her father. The
rxsfpoSz <y,alxe<xuith much feeling In .ra-