The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-10-01
DISMISSAL FROM SER
VICE AND FINE OF FIVE
THOUSAND DOLLARS.
FORT LEAyENwoRTH WILL BE HIS PRISON
Charges Wee Preferred Against Garter in 1897
Of Having Conspired to Defraud the
Government of Between 81, 6O0,-
900 and 100000.
Arrested in New
York Yester-


Washington, Sept. 30.-The President
has approved the sentence imposed by
court martial on Captain Obcrln NJ.
Garter, corps of Engineers, y. s. Army,
and a formal order was today issued
from the War Department directing the
execution Of the sentence.
The verdict Of the court was as fol-
lows:
And the court does therefore sentence
the accused, Captain Oberlin M. Carter,
corps Of engineers, United States Army,
TO be dismissed from the service of the
United States Army, to be dismissed
from the service Of the United States.
10 suffer fine of five thousand dollars,
to, lie confined at hard Tabor, at such
place as the proper authority may direct
for five years, and the crime, punishment
name and place OF abode of the accused
to be published in the newspapers in and
about the station and the State from
which the accused came, or where he
usually resides"
Following is the formal approval of
the verdict:
THE findings of the court martial in
the matter of the foregoing proceedings
against Captain Oberlin NJ. Carter corps
of engineers, Z. S. A., are hereby APPROX
ed as to adj except the following:
Charge H.. specifications Z, s, 8 and TO-
Charge Ill, specifications 3, 4, >, q,
Z, 8, II and - which are disapproved
''And the sentence imposed by the
court martial upon the defendant, 0ber-
lin NJ. Carter, is hereby approved.
(Signed.1 ''ELIIiU ROOT,
Secretary of War"
Executive Mansion
Washington, j. c., Sept. 18th, 1899.
approved and confirmed.
(Signed.) "WILLIAM NJ XII NIlEY."
Appended to the order as given above
is the following:
BY direction of the Secretary of War,
Captain Oberlin NJ Carter, Corps of En-
gineers, ceases to be an officer of the
army from this date, and the United
States penitentiary, Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, as the place for his confinement,
where he will be sent by the command
ing general, Department of the East, UNI
der proper guard.
''Ry command Of Major General Miles:
(Signed) III. c. CORBIN,
'Adjutant General
Charges were preferred against Can
tam Carter by General John NJ. Wdlsoa.
Chief of Engineers, on December 18th,
1897. These charges were made after
the investigation by Il board of engi-
neers Of the river and narbor works at
Savannah, Ga, and other points in that
district, which had been under the SUI
peryixion of Captain Carter The
charges mainly consisted OF a declaration
that Carter had entered into !; conspiracy
with other PERSONS, intending TO defrftud
the United States
1t was alleged in the charges that Car
ter and certain parties had defrauded
the United States of from 81 100000
to $2,000,000
The charges resulted in court martial
which lasted several months. and whica
was presided over by General Otis, now
commanding in the philippines. The
judge advocate of the court was Colonel
Thomas Il. Barr, and the court itse'f
consisted of officers in nearly every
branch of the service. and of high rank
The trial resulted in the verdict and
sentence, which was approved today.
The case has attained widespread no
toriety on account OF The financial and
social connections OF Captain Garter.
No such consideration, and no such
amount of time has ever been given
previously in a court nnrtial case. The
reverence to the Attorney General is
also something unaislml, but this action
was taken. it was said. to give the officer
every possible opportunity to prove his
Innocence.
The charges which are disapproved are
of minor Importance and relate to small |
en- items Of river and harbor works IN |
which it was alleged Carter had defraud-
cd the Government. The main conten-
tions of the prosecution are sustained.
The only matter pending in the War
Department i'm the Garter case as he |
proposition to annul the contracts