Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-01-28
DEFENDERS OF EAGAN.
Secretary Algcr One Witness In the
Generals Behalf.
M'KEE DEEMED HIM MAD.
Major Miles Tells of the Presidents
promisc-Accused's Daughter res
tines For Her Fnther-The
plea of His Counsel.

| ness before the Eagan court martia
! was Mr.. David Fl. Mckee of this CITY
He had known General Eagan for abou'
is years. They were intimate friends
rs boys and young men, and the friend
chip never had been interrupted, al
hough they at times had not seen eacr
other for long intervals. During the
period between the time General Miles
gave his testimony before the war in
vestgating commission and the day on
which General Eagan made his state
ment the witness saw him two or three
times. He then seemed careworn and
much preoccupied. Mr.. Mckee said that
| the impression General Eagan then
made on him was that he had become
| insane.
Major S. C. Miles, the recorder of the
war investigating commission. was re-
called, and in answer to inquiries ne
said that, so far as he knew, the order
of the president granting immunity to
witnesses before that body had not been
reduced to writing. At this point the
Judge advocate read the presidents ad-
dress on the assembling of the war In
vestigatng commission. which, howev-
err, was unsigned, and the witness was
asked whether any other instructions
had been given. He replied that there
had not. The witness was present at
the meeting between the president and
The members of the war investigating
omission. The witness said:
1.-The matter of immunity for Witness
as came up. | think it was called up
ny Mr.. Dodge, and the president said
hat witnesses who should appear be-
ore the commission could do so with
out any fear of punishment or persecu-
ton.
Alser Testifes.
Mr.. Russell A. Alger, the secretary OF
war, was next called to the witness
stand. He said that ne recalled con-
versation he had with General Eagan
shortly after General Miles had given
his testimony. General Eagan came
into his office in an excited state of
mind and said that 1t was his wish to
prefer charges against General Miles
for what he had said. II told him"
testified Secretary Alger, that under
the presidents order granting immuni-
ty to officers who testified before the
commission he could not 90 So"
General Alger was then excused, the
members Of the court rising to their
feet as he withdrew.
Colonel Alexander and Colonel Davis
were recalled and said that never dur
ing their acquaintance with the accused
had they known him to use vulgar or
profane language. He always had been
correct and clean In speech, and never
had they known him to use such Ian
guage as was used in his statement be-
fore the war commission.
DR.. William e. Hopkins of California
and New York. General Eagan's son-in-
law, was called. lie came to Washing
ton after General Miles had given his
testimony and lived at the generals
house. He said he then observed that
General Eagan was very restless and
nervous and could not eat normally or
sleep normally. At the table he at times
would stop eating and apparently would
lose himself in thought. He was in
tensely nervous and showed signs of
of certain parts of the brain.
Witness had had long talks with his
wife about her father, and he had told
her that her father must be carefully
and that they must be prepar-
ID for anything. General Eaean's mind
vas nonreceptive at this time, and the
witness believed that something very
serious might happen.
Was Very Gloomy.
General Pagan, witness added. was in
| gloomy frame of mind in consequence
If the things that had been said about
him. He felt that his honor was de-
;troyed and that he did not want to see
people. General Eagan, witness further
said, did not want to go into street
,ar and was ashamed to meet any one
md keenly felt his disgrace. The gen
sral felt that General Miles had de-
troyed his honor and that his life work
vas destroyed In all the time the wit |
less had known General Eagan witness
lad not known him to use such Ian
,uage as was used in his statement.
Mrs. Hopkins, the daughter of General
Cagan, was the next witness, General |
1agan's counsel explaining that he call
ID her against the wish of her father
md husband and only because her alb
ence from the trial might be remarked
lpon. She said her father came home
ne afternoon and, standing in the door
way with paper in his hand, exclaim-
d, General Miles has crucified mel"
She could never forget that scene and
aid that since that time her father had
een a greatly changed man. He could
hnk of nothing else nor talk of ANY,
hing else than that General Miles had
uined his life. He was from that time
n an alarming condition, and when wit
ess was compelled to go to New York
he had returned almost at once to help
are for her father The witness spoke
'lth much feeling in regard to her ia
hers changed condition and was given
ne closest attention Of the court.
Mr.. Worthington at this point read
ieneral Eagan's military record from
ne army register and also read an in
erview with General Miles printed in a
lew York newspaper soon after he had
1ade his statement before the war
commission, at the conclusion of which
he defense rested it's case. A recess
as then taken.
WOrthtngtoM's Address,,
Mr.. Worthington after recess began
he argument for the accused, OPENING
saying that he contended that by
he law of this country-civil, criminal
r military-the defendant could not he
alled to account for what he said be-
IRE the war investigating commission.
c quoted from a number of high au-
iorlties to show that if the words spo.
en- We're pertinent and material to the
luse IN hand and We're not objected to
the tribunal hearing the same and
ere not malicious in character. the
!tness could not DO held ansWerable.
The remedy. said Atr. V0rth:nston.
rs with thu tr;r.t:7,.,l f,nror, ,,.b;o,, 81,