The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-27
ONL Y A MADMAN
Eagan's Friends Tell How
Public Exposure Affec-
ted His Brain.
MILES HAS CRUCIFIED NE"
Daughters Story Of Her
Fathers Cry Of Despair
The Presidential Egis.

WASHINGTON, Jan. II, 1S93.-IHe lrSe
witness before the Eagan court martial
today was Mr.. David R. Mckee, of this
city, for many years the agent of the
Associated Press. He had known Gen
eral Eagan for about forty-five years.
They were intimate friends as boys and
young men, and, the friendship never mad
been interrupted, although they at times
had not seen each other for long inter
vals During the period between the time
General Lee gave his testimony before
the War Investigating Commission ana
the day on which General Eagan made
his statement, the witness saw him Two
or three times. He then seemed careworn
and much preoccupied. Mr.. Mckee sald
that the impression General Eagan tnen
made upon him was that he had become
insane.
Witness always had found him very cor
rect in his bearing and speech ana on
these occasions his manner was SO dlI-
ferent that he was greatly shocked ana
alarmed and the conclusion witness
reached was that General Eagan had lost
shis mind On one of these occasions ne
expressed to General Eagan his profound
regret that he had given utterance to the
| language used in his statement, ana re-
proved him mildly for not consulting MIN
about the matter. The General had ex-
planned that he had not felt at liberty 10
consult witness because he knew Oh the
long existing friendship between the fam
ily of the witness and the family OF Cen
eral Miles, particularly between Mrs. NC
Kee and Mrs. Miles, and said he (Eagan)
did not feel at liberty to bring witness IN
to the controversy.
Major S. G. Miles, the recorder OF the
War Investigating Commission, was re-
called and in answer to inquiries sald
that, so far as he knew, the order Oh
the President granting immunity to wit
nesses before that body had not been re-
duced to writing. AT this point the Judge
Advocate read the Presidents ADDRESS
on the assembling of the war Invest-
eating Commission, which, however, 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 Commission.
The witness said
'sThe matter of immunity tor witnesses
came up. I think it was called up by Mr..
Dodge, and the President said that Wit
| nesses who should appear before the Com.
mission could do so without any rear OF
| punishment or persecution.
Mr.. Russell A. Alger, the Secretary OF
war, was next called to the witness
| stand. He said that he recalled q con-
versation he had with General Eagan s;n
| testimony. General Eagan came into ms
| office in an excited state of mind and said
| it was his wish to prefer charges against
| General Miles for what he had said
II told him., testified Secretary Alger,
! s.that under the Presidents order grant
| ing immunity to officers who testlhed pe,
| fore the Commission he, could not DO SO.
| General Alger was then excused, the
members of the Court rising to their feet
/! as he withdrew.
were recalled snd said that never during
! their acquaintance with the accused had
| they known him to use vulgar or pro-
fame language. He always had peen COR cor
| recf and clean in speech and never had
| they known him to use such language as
was used in his statement before the war
| Commission.
| and New York, General Eagan,s son-1n-
| law, was called. He came to Washlng-
ton after General Miles had given his tes-
! timony and lived at the Generals house;
| He said he then observed that General
| Eagan was very restless and nervous
and could not teat t., normally m tr,es or yai9 slegi9
| stop eating and apparently would lose
| himself in thought. He was intensely
nervous, and showed sgns oI eiongesihloaa s h.,a
paS pt iona ,nss talks with his wife about her
| father, and he had told her Inat her
| father must be carefully Watcneo anu an.
| that they must be prepared for any,
Ganera1 Eagan's mind was non-receptlve
at this time and the witness peneveo ,,laal ma
j Something very serious might happen.
sanerai fa gan. witness added. was in q
gloomy frame Of mind in consequence OF
the things that had been sag apoul a,na MN a,ii
! He feIt that his honor was destroyed ana
! that he did not want to see people. Oen,
/ erafs Eagan witness further testlhed, dlo
| not want to go into a street car anu | WAS ,s
/ ashamed to meet any one and keeniy ielt
| his fliserace The General felt thal Gen.
! Miles had destroyed his honor ana |, mat a,
| his life work was destroyed. IN az IN Siie
4 lime the witness had known General Ea-
| gan witness had not known him to use
| sSuch language as was used in his state
ment. ,,,4 of r1onar.l
| Eagan was the next witness, General
1 Eaean's counsel explaining that ne called
/ her against the wish of her rather ana
husband, and only because @ neE e apngmGe s,nnu
! She said her father came home one aIter-
noon and standing in the doorway Win Win q
| paper in his hand exclaimed: General
/ Miles has crucified mel
sbe ca,ld never forget that scene and
! said that since that time her father nag
/ been greatly changed man. He could
think Of nothing else nor ns fafn q had yuned
/ his life He was from that time, IN an
alarming condition and when witness was vas
! returned. almost at once to help care for
her father The witness spoke with much
feeling in regard to her fathers changed
! condition and was given the closest at
/ tention of the court.
Mr.. Worthington at this point read Cen
| eral Eagan's military record from the
| army register, and also read an interview
York newspaper soon after he had made
his statement before the War Com. m
| mission at theeconclusion OF which the
| defence rested it's case. At lI:lo O'CLOCK
| a recess was taken until n:S0.
Mr. Worthington, after recess, began
| the argument for the accused. opening by
4 Of this country, civil criminal or mill
/ tary, the defendant could not be called
1 to account for what he said before the
| War investigating Commission.