Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-14
The Case of Captain Carter.

was charged with collision with the con-
tractors who did the work; and with all
lowing them eXtravagant prices for the
work which was made to cost The gov
eminent over a million dollars more than
it would have done had the work been let
under fair competition, and at less exor-
bitaut prices. He called for a board Of in
vestigation, and one was appointed, COM
posed of Col. Charles Gillespie Major
Charles w. Raymond and Major NJ. 3.
Adams, men of high integrity, and ongin-
GERS of experience. Major Adams was for
merry in charge of the government work
In Lake Champlain, and Is known to many
Of our readers as a just. honorable and
capable officer The board sat in Savan-
nah and New York between September
q and November G. 1897, and laboCiously
and carefully examined both sides of the
question. Its report was not published.
when it was rendered; but the New York
World in some way obtained a copy Of It,
end publishes extracts from 1t. Some Of
these are as follows:
"Iu the opinion of the board. the intent
CT the law that the competition shall be
free and untrammeed was not complied
with"
Tho board is Of the opinion that none of
the wock was done according to the in
tent and ncauing expressed in the speci-
fcattons; and that the government lost
heavily in getting materials and workman
ship inferior to what would have been re-
ccived by IA closer and more careful ad-
herence to the specifications
Certain known circumstances attending
the administration of the public trusts
coniided to Capt Cater give. in the opin-
ion of the board. reasonable ground for
criticism and suspicion.
Among these the board will mention
the close and intimate personal relations
existing between him and the Contractors:
his frequent correspondence with different
members of the firm about private enter
prises in which they were or proposed TO
he mutually interested, his frequent UNI
authorized abserces from his station in
specting lands which they proposed 20 buy
jointly for improvement or investment, h s
letters to prominent officials soliciting
their favor toward him and his associat es
in securing contracts for private work
and the many Industrial schemes in which
members of the contracting firm were
jointly associated with him.
Chief among these suspicious circum-
stances were the three powers of attorney
which he held from his father-in-law. f.
i. Westcott, the expressman, of New
York city, under which he handled large
sums of money for investment in stocks
londs and leans in his own name or in
that of Mr.. Westcott, professedly dVawr
from currency contained in Mr.. Westcotr
safety deposit box, from dividends accru-
ing to Mr.. Westcott or from sales on his
account.
Capt. Carter has testified that many o1
these investments, amounting to $4,000
n
Westcotts lock-boX, to which he had free
access for any or all purposes
Those are the nest extraordinary tran
sactions, If honest If Capt. Carter die
all he said he did under these powers "
attcCncy it is the most astonishing in
stance If confidence on the part of an ex
Ierienced business man in a young mar
with no business training or experience.
1T was hored that Mr Westcott, If h'
knew or believed Capt. Carter to be in
nocent, would accept the repeated invita-
tons given him to come before the boarC
and explain his business relations wit!
Capt. Carter. He declined to appear.
an conclusion, the board regrets to b
compelled to say that Capt. Carter ha
failed to exhibit that high sense of homo
that should characterize an officer Of tn
army.
He has neglected to give to the publ
trusts in his charge that careful an'
watchful supervision which the conridenc
rcposed in him by his superiors demanded
he has changed /F,ns and projects ana la
permitted the contractors to deliver ma
terias greatly in excess Of contract guam
titles without authority; he has falsiNc
vouchers he has signed false certificate
Velating to absences from his station, an
has deceived and inisled the chief of 81
gneers in official reports.
: For all the Sc offenses the board recon
he q n
once to trial"
Captain Carter was thereupon brougn
= to trial before a court martial the presd
ing Officer of which was Gen. Elwell
Otis, now in command at Manila, who wa
a good lawy er before he was a soldier, an
the other twelve members were officers {
9 high standing, one of them being Coion'
Charles A. Woodruff U. s. A.. a Vernon
or well known in this State as a gentle
man and officer. Two of the members
, the court were engineer officers who ha
, been in the service for thirty-hve year.
= five We're disbursing officers having niue
, experience in dealing with accounts an
vouchers similar to those involved in II
Carter case; four had much experience
the trial of cases before courts-martia
=, The court gave to Captain Carter wn;
= must be assumed to have been fair ar
: impartial trial; found him guilty of COZ
. spiracy to defraud the government ~
ombezzlement, and sentenced him to di
missal from the army and a heavy fin
This verdict was rendered nearly a We;
=. ago. 1t passed to the President, for
approval or reversal. Mr.. Mckinley +
ferred it to the attorney general for q
animation. Senator Edmunds was CALI
, as it has been reported gave 1T as h
- opinion that Carter was not properly co
Nicted on the chaCge OF conspiracy, OWL
to admission of certain evidence whit
d should have been excluded Mr.. Edmund
it is understood, did not pronounce on I
question of Captain Carriers guilt or
"a nocence OF that or the other charges. ~
matter was held by the President ava
lie ing the return of Mr. Wayne McVeag
r. who was and is Captain Carriers couns
ps from Europe. Mr.. McVeagh, having ia
r.. ed to clear his client before the court ma
N tial, has undertaken to retry the case
m the newspapers, in published commui
in cation, calling in question the competen
re of the court martial and the fairness
RS the trial.
The case Is still in the hands of t
m President and his hesitation in reaching
Sc conclusion, is declared by the Army a
L. :.