Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-27

element Some Of these clippings carried
the idea that General Eagan was a mur-
derer and that he had acted corrup1y in
sending unfit food 10 the army. During
these days the witness said General Eagan
was wholly unified to perform the ordi-
nary duties Of his office. Up to this time
the general had been a hard worker and
never before had exhibited any signs Of
nervous strain.
In answer to a question Colonel Davis
said that General Eagans conduct of his
Office was perfectly honest and he had al
ways had the good OF the soldier at heart,
more so than any other commissary gen.
eral Of whom he had ever known or heard.
The witness, again referring to General
Eagan's testimony before the commission,
said that he had not been consulted In its
preparation. but at the generals request
had supplied some Of the records.
Davis Urges Moderation.
The general had asked him at one time as
to his judgment concerning the argument
he had prepared for the commission and
the witness replied that 1t was a complete
answer to tue criticisms which had been
made agains him, but he had advised that
some parts of IL be omitted. General Eagan
was greatly excited and witness thought he
would bring the matter to his attention
more urgently the next morning, but wit
ness did not then have a good opportunity.
General Eagan had told the witness that
he was prevented from proceeding in mill
tary fashion against General Miles by the
presidents order of immunity of witnesses
but that he hoped to be able to proceed in
the matter in the civil courts.
Miss Mlllard, General Eagans stenog
rapher, was then called She had taken
nearly all Of the generals dictatlons since
September 10 last, and testified that she
took the dictaton of the generals state
ment before the commission. From the time
General Miles gave his testimony before the
commission General Eagan was greatly ex-
cited, and WLle he was debating his state
ment he walked the floor in an excited state.
1t had never been his habit to walk the
floor while debating. The statement was
not fully completed until the day it was
presented TO the commission. She saw
General Eagan only few minutes before
he left to appear before the commission, and
he was then in such a nervous state that
his hands trembled The witness thought
that the general had never been able to
read the statement through as a whole from
the time it was begun until it was read to
the commission.
Mr.. Rodgers, clerk in the Office OF the
commssary general, was the next witness.
He had been in the Office since 1891 and
since General Eagan came to the Office
he had seen him frequently every day.
After General Miles statement had been
made public General Eagans appearance
was greatly changed. He looked haggard
and worn and at times was greatly ex-
cited Witness thought that General Eagan
had come to believe that public sentiment
was strong against him and that the pub
lie had accepted General Miles statement
as true and this worried him greatly. AS
the days passed his nervous disturbance
greatly increased until he appeared before
the commission. On one occasion the wit
ness went to General Eagan's desk and
spoke to him on a matter Of Office busi
ness AS he approached the desk the gen.
eral said, apparently to himself: 81 am
murderer and for gain" This he repeated
several times in an absent minded way. He
did not appear to notice the witness.
Engnn Defends Himself.
General Eagan himself was the next wit
ness. He said he entered the volunteer
army in 1861 and in 1865 was made a sec
ond lieutenant in the regular army. He
then briefly gave a history of his military
career, which included several campaigns
against the Indians. He received a wound
in the Modoc war for which he received
brevet. During the war with Spain he had
been In his office every day with one ex-
cepton and had worked early and late. He
had given his testimony before the COM
mission under oath--preferably so. He had
first read General Miles statement in the
Washington papers.
For long time he feared that he might
not be called before the commission, but he
finally received a summons to appear. He
was not fully prepared, as his statement
necessarily involved the preparation of rec
ords, etc. He had held conversation with
the secretary OF war, in the course of which
he told the secretary that he desired to
defend himself by bringing proceedings
against General Miles, but was told that
the immunity granted by the president
would prevent any such action. Witness
accepted this fact, but he did not think
that this immunity covered the newspaper
interview in which General Miles had by
inference declared him to be a murderer
for gain This statement of General Miles
in the opinion of the witness had taken away
his (Eagan's) character. He could not pro-
coed against General Miles, in the courts or
otherwise and he felt that he might better
be dead in the gutter During this recital
General Eagan's eyes filled with tears, his
voice trembled and he spoke very feelingly.
His honor as soldier, he continued, had
been attacked, and a soldiers honor should
be as sacred as the honor Of a woman. He
had kept his sorrow to himself.
Denies any Wrong Doing.
He had kept away from the clubs and
very soon he found he could not sleep. He
felt that the people of the country would
believe he was a dishonest man, but am
an honest man said the general with feel
ing, "and l believe that no one who knows
mo will believe l am a dishonest man. My
record is clean, my uniform is unsullied,
but l have been slandered and wronged."
In answer to a question by his counsel
as TO whether he had ever received any
benefit for any contract he had made, Gen
eral Eagan said with great feeling: "No,
on my honor and before my God, not one
cents profit or gain did l ever receive and
yet my Office has disbursel sl9, 900 and
am now poor man, so poor that | have not