The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-27
.EAGAN ON THE STAND
IN HIS own BEHALF
An Appeal for Sympathy in
Passionate Language.
The World Would Know That an
Honest Man Was Speaking.

Energies of the Defence Directed to
show Tint UncontroIInbIc Emo
ton Mastered the Accused.
The swordless warrior of the embalmed
beef fight presented himself at the second
session Of the Eagan court-martial in the
red parlor of the Ebbitt House yesterday
and invoked in passionate language the
sympathy of a cold. solemn military tri-
bunal composed of thirteen fellow Off
GERS, for his offence in having insuited his
superior, the general commanding the
army, in an abusive TRADE before the Al
ger Relief Commission. 1t was an appeal
for mercy from man who evidently feels
he has brought disgrace upon his uniform
and now has an intense dread of the con-
sequences.
General Eagan before the court martial
has contributed a striking chapter to the
records of the American army--a CHAP
ter that will elicit less sympathy in the
cold, lifeless minutes of yesterdays session
than it did in the atmosphere of its utter
ance, which will be very little indeed
in his own defence was characterized by
a mock dramatic air, and there was an
degree of boldness in the words.
the honor of soldier can be no more
impugned than the virtue of woman,
when pleaded in excuse for a premedi-
tated insult to the general commanding
the army by the man who said He lies
in his throat, he lies in his heart, he lies
in every hair of his head and every pore
of his body. l wish to force the
lie back in his throat covered with the
of a camp latrine."
But. of course, conditions had been
changed. When the accused was deliver
ering his vulgar testimony before the AL
ger Relief Commission he believed, as he
has since confessed, that he like the wit
nesses who had gone before him. would be
protected by the Presidents guarantee Of
immunity. When denied this protection and
brought TO an accounting before military
tribunal for his insult to a superior OFF,
Ger he probably revised his sentiments as
he had already done with his testimony,
and hence his implied comparison of a
man who would impugn the honor of a
soldier with one who would attack the
virtue of woman.
Embalmed Words.
While making his appeal to the court
for sympathy the defendants words were
embalmed with sobs and into them he in
jected an acid that was sharp but not
hurtful 10 him at whose head 1t was
general commanding the army.
And while the appeal still echoed in the
thoughts of those who heard an army Of
ficer remarked: "A court-martial is a bad
place to come for sympathy" So it seemed.
In the faces OF the men who composed
the military tribunal there was no trace
of sympathy. and it did not appear that
the impassioned words of the accused had
made the desired impression upon his
hearers.
The entire session yesterday was given
over to the defence and what went be-
fore General Eagan's appearance on the
stand was well calculated to prepare the
court for his Invocation. The energies OF
the defence were directed to show that
General Eagan had been goaded to despera-
ton by the press General Miles and every
thing connected with the embalmed beef
controversy. Much testimony was produc-
ed to show that the accused was at the
time of his offence against the army who'll
ly irresponsible; that he labored under
intense excitement, and that for several
days preceding his second appearance be-
fore the Alger Relief Commission and
while the insult to General Miles was be-
ing planned the defendant could neither
eat nor sleep, his physical self being equal
to the task of pacing his Office floor and
debating vile language and nothing more.
Loyal Defenders.
The most loyal defenders of the COM
missary department and its late chief were
presented to prove these things and they
all, with one accord, testified that the
accused, during his brief sojourn in the
Gethsemane garden of the embalmed- beef
bureau, was in state of mind bordering
upon frenzy, and was wholly incapacitated
for routine labor. knowing which he turned
the burden of his departmental work over
to his assistant, Colonel Davis.
\ very nervous and much-frightened
stcnographer-she to whom General Eagan
dictated the language unbecoming a gem
tleman, the language for which he is now
being tried by court -martal-was produced
10 testify that the defendant was exceed
ingly agitatcd during the preparation OF
his attack upon the general commanding
the army, and then came Alphonso Rogers,
and others all of whom were expected
and really tried to convince the court that
the accused was by passion rendered ire
sponsible for his actions Some drew these
conclusions from the nervousness of the
usual conduct in neglecting the work of his
bureau. and yet DINERS remembered Cen
eral Eagan as a man beating his breast
and crying out, in summary and substance,
Condemned! condemned"
Opening of the Second Session.
Immediately after the court convened
at 10 o'clock Colonel Davis, the Judge ad.
vocate, formally submitted as evidence The
minutes OF that session of the Alger Relic
Commission at which General Eagan de.
livercd his abusive TRADE against Cen
eral Miles. These minutes were read Il
the court at its first session by the judge
advocate, and with the presentation of
them in routine form yesterday morning
he announced that the prosecution closed
its case.
Attorney Worthington. counsel for the
accused, arose at once to open the defence
He submitted without protest from tht
court voluminous correspondence bearing
on the case, or rather the defendants side
of it, most OF which had been yielded by
the files of General Eagans bureau
Having concluded the presentation oil
this documentary evidence, the defence
called as its first witness Colonel Alexan-
der. the Man Friday of the Commissary
Department, the man who has sat beside
the accused throughout the trial. Tht
Colonel seemed to know what was expect.
ed of him, and went about saying it with
out hesitation. When called to the stanG
he left his seat at the side of Genera
Eagan, hurried out to the ante chamber
to don his dress uniform coat and returned
20 be sworn. At the conclusion of hi.
testimony, which was brief, he resumed
fatigue dress and took his place once more
beside the accused in the upholstered