Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-10
soUGUT TO SUE FOR LIBEL
Covon,s Vituperative Letter Writ'eh
tor. IL. Roosevelt
(New York Herald

| EnUan's
to IL. IL. ROoseNeit.
New York Herald)
Tn view of the recommendations pN
members of the Eagan court-marual Il
! clemencv for the commissary genera y
| Subsistence on the ground that the ian
| guage of his reply TO General Mlies
Characterization of the beef furnished th'
| soldiers by his department was Wrlttel
while laboring under unusual mental eX
element. considerable interest mas peer
! attached TO letter addressed by Genera
Eagan to Robert B. Roosevelt former
Minister to Holland and vlce-presldeh
Of the Empire State Society Sons oil ths
American Revolution.
Mr.. Roosevelt. who was prominently
identified with those Interested In tn'
welfare of the soldiers wrote TO VII
| liam ". Kenely, secretary or the sons
Of the American Revolution. letter pup
| lished in the Herald Of July 22d, IN when
! he advised that an attempt be mace 10
| expose the shameful incapacity or IN
| famous dishonesty in the COmmlssary
| Department" and suggesting that an eX-
ample might be made by 'crucify1ng 4
contractor on his cross OF gold.
! QUOTED A LIEUTENANT-COLO
He also cited the letter Of a lieutenant
colonel at Santiago az evidence OF the
deplorable condition Of the troops.
This letter aroused the anger OF General
Eagan. AS told I'm the Herald al the time,
he characterized Mr.. RoOsevelts criticism
as "a low, libellous. scandalOus vilinca-
ton of honorable men, He also stated
that he had written 10 Mr.. Roosevelt in
reply 10 his letter 70 Mr.. Kenely and was
awaiting his answer thereto.
LAS 1 said IN that letter. said General
Eagan Il will give him ample time to
L.. A. xfn
FOR, after which time # IL my purpose that
Mr. Roosevelt shall be made 70 eat his
statements or stand his trial for criminal
libel"
General Eagan. seeking an indictment
Of Mr. Roosevelt on the grounds OF crimi-
nal libel, submitted the letter 10 Henry
T.. Davis United States Attorney for the
District Of Columbia. and was told by
him that as the letter brought only a
charge against his department. an ac-
ton for criminal libel would not hold.
LETTER TO ROOSEVELT.
This letter TO Mr.. Roosevelt was az fol-
lows:
War Department,
Office Commissary of Subsistence,
Washington. July 26. 1895.
Sir,-Only to-day, i'm fact this minute.
have / seen your diabolical. Infamous,
scandalous, false. nbellous letter address
ed TO William W. Kenely secretary OF
the Sons Of the American Revolution. /
for one do not propose to let any liar.
whatever his position or whatever society
he may belong 10, escape the just CEN
sure that all rght-minded people Will
heap upon him when he is proved 70 be
a scandal-monger, a vilifer. and a faisi-
her This is bad enough in itself. but when
IL goes so far as 20 accuse some Of the
M. Ia a d.
Of it, and alege that they are corrupt as
you have done in this letter. then It pass
es patience, and your status or standing
and the society you belong 10 can prove
no excuse whatever. You must bear the
consequences and | mean you shall.
In denOuncing your letter as a tissue Of
falsehOOds, In denouncing you as a liar,
an unmitigated and Infamous liar, one
who stirs up the whole country with his
lies and brings misery and woe TO the
relatives Of soldiers az the front by his
lies who quotes his position as former
Minister 10 Holland and president Of
the Empire State Society, Sons OF the
American Revolution. 10 give himself
character ana 10 sustain his lies. merely
deserves the greater censure. | demand
from you an apology for your letter,
though l will willingly await the inyesti-
cation which you suggest but If you do
not cause that investigation 10 be made.
and you do not apologize for your infa-
nous fasehoods / shall bring suit
against you in New York. and prove what
l now charge YOU 10 be.
WAS DOING HIS BEST
| wish 10 add that If you were nv age
l should make it my business TO person
any Wreak upon you the chastisement
you deserve. for | do not believe there
Is within the confines OF this country
anNhllNr 81.
a man who would make such UNANIMOUSLY
raise charges against men who are doing
their best doing II successfully. doing
II better than you ever saw done. better
than you would admit If you saw and
knew IT,
You say among other things. 10 make
your statement bear out the semblanCe
OF truth, 10 convince and worry the wife. |
the sister, the brother. the mother. and
the father OF the man at the front. that !
I'm one case "a Northumberland wrote |
to me that he has had nothing but hard !
tack and bacon since he has been be- |
fore Santiago" | defy YOU 10 produce !
the letter containing this statement, and /
II you do | will prove the statement TO !
be an unmitigated falsehoOd and hold |
the oiiicer responsible. The proper crit !
icism of an officer does not Justify false !
hoods OF whole cloth.
My anger and Indignation is (slc) be- |
cause of the distress wantonly 0n my !
opinion solelp for notoriety for YOURSELF 1
given by YOU to relatives OF soldiers at !,
the front and your contemplate effort |
10 take away the regulations OF men the |
latchcts OF whose shoes you are not MT TO |
tie. CHARLES +. EAGAN.
Commissary-General 81 Subsistence.
In response TO "A telegram TO him at /
Fort Monroe. Va. last evening. in refer !
cnce TO this letter. Rober; y. Roosevelt I
said il was true that IL was the one the i
ommissary-General had sent 10 him.
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