Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-01-18
DISMISSAL IS LIKELY.
Gen. Eagan To Be Court.Mar.
tailed for His Blast
at Miles,
CHARGE THAT WILL BE PREFERRED

Conduct Unbscoming an onicer and Gen.
tleman" - Conviction Means His Dis
l. missal from the Army-wiII Simply
| Cover His Denunciat- on of Gen. Miles
Extracts from His Revised Testimony on
the Beef Issue.
| Washington, jan 1S.-The president
! yesterday announced at the cabinet
meeting that he had decided to order a
| court-maTtial to try Comn.ssary Cen
| eral Eagan for the abusive ard violent
| language he had used respecting Major
| Ge2eral Nelson y. Miles while on the
| witness stand before the war InVes.igat-
| ing commission last week. Ever since
the sensational event the president has
been carefully celebrating over the
| matter and has had frequent cons llta-
tions with army officers and others re
| garding the steps that should be taken.
! for he was convinced from the outset
hat tie question for consideration was
| what action should be taken and not
| whether any disciplinary measures at
| all should be had. y determination to
| take some action was vigorously ex-
pressed at the last cabinet meeting but
the president reserved final decision.
Cabinet Unanimously Approves
sion, he held q conference with the sec
rotary of war and Adiutant General
Corbin. 1t was not long in duration.
but the action to follow Gen. EaEan's
ItteranCos was decided uroa, and when
he cabinet me: tn pre- 10 n announced
hat he had reached his decision in the
matter He said he had determined that
there was only ore course to ADOPT and
that was TO order n cIurt-rlartial TO be
70 tryy
The decision met the unanimous ap-
provo! of the members OF the cabinet.
Three CT the prs q nt's Cficiai advisers
Secretary Alger. Secretary WIS and
Postmaster General Smith-were alb
sent, but in each instance their views
are known to coincide thoroughly with
the presidents decision.
Means Eagan's Dismissal from the ARMY.
The penalty for the offerse with which
General Eagan probably viii be tried.
conduct unbecominG an officer and
gentleman, is one of the NEST severe
known in the army. being dismissal.
Article 81 reads as follows: ANY officer
who is convicted Of conduct un5ecom-
ing an officer and gentleman shall be
dismissed from the service" If the |
court shall find General Eagan guilty.
even with eXtenuating circumstances. !
they must attach this sentence. ana |
then the only hope for the officer would |
be in the exercise of clemency by the |
president. based, perhaps, upon the |
courts recommends ton.
Probabilities as tn Arrest.
Secretary Alger confirmed the an
rouncement that acourt-martial for the
trial Of General Eagan would be or
dered. He made this statement as he
was leaving the White House with Ad-
jutant General Corbin after a confer
ence of half an hour with the president |
As to the charges to he preferred |
against the commissary general, the
secretary declined to say anything. nor
would be talk respecting the personnel
Of the court. adding that this would be
announced tonight about . O'Clock. Gen. |
EaEan had not been relieved Of his
duties in anticipation Of his prospective
trial. but it was said at the war de-