Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-02


This is Captain Carter's side.-Ed. Jour-
nal
The first statement ever made by gap
tain Oberlin Montgomery Carter, United
States army, tried by court-martlal for
embezziement of government funds. pub
lished exclusively in yesterdays Journal,
and his plea for Anglo-Saxon justice. has
revealed an astounding condition OF az
fairs.
This plea, IN the face of President Nc
Kinley's imminent and conclusive deci-
sion of Captain Carter's case, was in it.
self most remarkable. 1t has been sup
posed. for many and apparent reasons,
that President Mckinley was captain
Carters friend.
There is some one else, of far more i'm
portance to the administration, whom
the President desires to shield.
Friend and enemy alike have been
urging upon the President that Captain
Carriers case be disposed of. II guilty.
then his continuance in the army and
upon the pay-rols Of the government Is
a national scandal II innocent, as his
friends have repeatedly urged, then 1t Is
none the less unjust that Captain Carter
should be kept upon the rack and that
should be cast upon his corps, which
seems 10 have rushed TO his defence.
GENERAL OTIS IS ACCUSED.
The real power behind the throne. the
man who is being shielded and whose
disgrace would mean the administrations
disgrace, is the present commander in
the Philippines. who acted as president Of
the court of thirteen officers who tried
Captain Carter in Savannah. Documents
are in existence gravely attacking the in
tegrity Of General Otis in his capacity of
presiding judge Of the Carter court-mar-
tial.
The purport of the allegations is that
the verdict Of the military court, by which
it was sought not only to send Captain
Carter out OF the service. but to condemn
him to five years of penal servitude, was
arrived at before the evidence in the case
was in.
The enemies OF military courts have
urged this practice of such tribunals 70
be one of the chief dangers of modern
civilization. To-day France is afiame be-
cause of the self-same practice, and Eng
land has been forced to change her mode
of procedure in military trials because of
It.
General Otis, whom it is asserted the
administration is trying TO shield, is at
present the military ruler of millions of
people He is wagng war and carrying
on a government In which he is practi-
cally supreme. In Cuba and Porto Rico
other officers are exercising the same pro-
digiOus powers.
1t is fair TO presume that what General
Otis would dare TO do in New York or
in Savannah he would dare tc do in Ma
Mia.
1t is a fact that instead of there having
been a unanimous verdict against Cap
tain Carter, as has been given out by the
War Department, the vote Of the court
martial stood for conviction and for
acquittal.
The presiding Judge cast the deciding
vote
Captain Carter has repeatedly said or
late that all he could say at the present
time is that he H. innocent, and his inno-
cence will be shown.
WHY CARTER is SILENT.
In his present position, knowing that
his fate is i'm the balance, that the Presi-
dent may be swayed one way or the
other as politics may dictate, his hands
have been absolutely tied.
He refuses TO admit the fact himself
refuses to make any statement in the
matter whatever-but the facts are APP
parent II President Mckinley should
write the word approved" across The
verdict Of the court-martial, there Is no
appeal on earth for Captain Carter. To
prison he must go.
There are a number Of engineers, both
I'm civil and military life. who have re-
peatedly asserted that plot existed TO
crowd Carter out Of the service. Jealousy
and envy and the greed of money have
been cited by them as the motives
prompting his persecution.
Their chief argument pointing TO what
they claim was Captain Carriers absolute
innocence of the charge Of embezzhng ST.
500 600. as the charge has repeatedly been
sent out from Washington, has been mat
only $1,000 was spent in the harbors OF
Savannah and Fernandina, where cap
tain Carter was In charge Of the WORK
Therefore, they have pointed out, it was
impossible for any one 10 have stolen
81 500 900. 1t is further alleged by CAP
tain Carriers friends that there is sun
held by the United States Treasury, on
work already performed by the contrac-
tors alleged to be in collision with lar
ter. over 10000. from which amount any
irregularity might be collected
As a matter of fact, the contractors
have sued the United States Government
for the payment OF this 100000.
The friends Of Captain Carter beneVe
that Captain Cassius +. Gillette. VINO
preferred the charges against him. was
appointed TO succeed Captain Garter III
order TO dishunor him.