The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-08-15
MOTHERS FRIEND
CAPT cbRTER


CAPT. cbRTEE
He stole Million and Hal From thc
Government and stu Lives in Luxury.
O5erlin II. Carter is a captain In
the elite corps Of the army, the To
pographcsl Engineers. he has been
convicted Of stealing loo 600 from
the United States, and q court-mar-
tial has sentenced him to dismissal
from the regular army. His Grim"
was the systematic forgery of war
rants upon the National Treasury
for work that was never performed
in connection with the improvement
of the harbor of the city of Savau
nah. Attorney General Griggs has
the papers IN his charge, but the Pres
ldeutdocllnes to act in thea bseuco OF
Capt. Carter's chief counsel, Wayne
McVeagh, who is ill IN Europe.
Captain Carter is superb speci
men OF an athletic American, tall,
handsome, aud a perfect Apollo. He
is a clubmau and a "joly good fci
fellow" famous story teller, by all
appearances one of natures noble
men. As q beverage compounder
and salad mixer he is an adept, and
his accomplishment as civil ami
military engineer are IN party with
bis social talents
The captain is apparently not ip
the least troubled by the prospect Of
an immediate dlsmlsss from the
army. To those members of tne
club with whom be has talked he has
expressed the opinion that hls llhu
entisl friends can save him from
meeting the sentence imposed by the
court martial before be was tried
He does not tell who these friend
are, but he intimates broadly aud
with admirable confidence that they
are in high places and represent the
strongest influences of both political
parties. He comes and goes when
he pleases, unhampered 10y any re
striction whatsoever, as freely aud
much more gracefully than most of
the other members of the club who
are not accused of stealing ! 500 600
He is late riser and when be ap-
pears in the breakfast room within
an hour either way Of II o'clock he
appears the cleancut, well tubbed
and barbered gentleman Of leisure,
who fits so properly into the club
life. After breakfast he saunters
out carefully groOmed, clear OF eye
and glowing with health, long
black cigar held between his teeth
aud without any evidence of being
troubled about the trivial charge
against him of having robbed his
country. lie drives and rides 10 the
park, and his mounts excite the envy
of other clubmen. He calls frequent
ly upon friends at the Waldorf As
torla, and at the Gerard family
apartment house in W. 44,h street.
He usually takes luncheon down
town. one day at the Cafe Sayarin,
where the men who gamble for mil
lions in the Wall st. district enjoy
their midnight meals, and the next
at DelmonicO's.
He changes his clothes three or
four times a day, and no other mem
Der of the New York Athletic Club
has more extensive and properly
apportioned wardrobe. Toward most
of the younger members of the club
he reserves beftting excluslveness,
but to all who come in contact with
him he is esteemed "good fellow. ="
He has declined a number Of invita-
tions to visit friends in Newport and
and other fashionable resorts, where
his skill as yschtman would be in de-
mand. Persons who met him while
he was supervising the work of i'm
proving Savannah Harbor have re-
lated his prodigsl expenditure OF
money in entertaining them upon his
private yacht the Angler, for which
the government paid $25, 600. Any
number of men and women who were
entertained by him when he was
stealing from the government are
ready to invite him to their homes,
and his easy air of indifference 70
anything approaching trouble shows
that his conviction does not make
life any more disagreeable than or
dinary petty annoyances would any
gentleman who has money, inhuen
tial friends Cultivated tastes and
an easy conscience. The captain ex.
poets to remain in New York all the
summer. His friends say during
his leisure he is working to Offset
the possibility of being deprived Of
his sword and uniform, which, to
gether with other features of his OK
tensive wardrobe, ornament his room
at the New York Athletic Club.
UNFORTUNATE DELAY.
From the New York Tribune.
Everybody who is interested in the
honor of the United States army Will
receive with great satisfaction the
assurance of Attorney General
Grieos. sent out from Washington
Yesterday, that progress is being
made with the Carter court-martall
case. There has been abroad an i'm
preston that the case was at stand.
still. or otherwise, at any rate OF
movement, however slow, a final de-
cision must have been reached before
this time Military justice is gsner
ally free from the delays which so
frequently characterize our civil