The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-23
The GaynOr Investigation.

New York, January 1.-THE hearing
before Commissioner Shields in the
matter of the removal of the indicted
members of the Atlantic Contracting
Company to Savannah, Ga, for trial,
"a resumed today. The defendants
are accused of conspiring with Oberlin
NJ. Carter, formerly a captain in the
United States engineering corps, to de-
fraud the government in the construc-
ton of public works.
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Mac
Kenzie, United States engineers, was
recalled to identify General William P.
Craighilrs signature on papers relat-
ing to the contract. The government
conceded that it was the autograph Of
General Craighill, who was a division
chief of United States engineers. Paper
after paper from files of the war de-
partment bearing on the Savannah riv-
er and Cumberland sound Improvement
were shown to Lieutenant Colonel
Mackenzie, so hat he could identify
the signatures of chiefs and clerks and
swear to the different endorsements
thereon. Some of the autographs the
witness recognized n there We're 9TH
ers which he said he did not know.
j. w. Peacock was called to identify
his signature as a subscribing witness
to the Savannah river and Cumberland
sound contracts between the Atlantic
Contracting Company and Captain
Canter as the representative Of the
United States government. The wit
ness also identified the signatures OF
John F.. Gaynor and William T. Gay
nor, which also appear in the papers.
Peacock said they were made in his
presence, but he could not swear as &c
the 6av month or wear
United States District Attorney f.
win, of Savannah, opposed the further
Introduction of the war department.
records into the case by Mr.. Rose N
behalf of the contractors, saying that
the defense had not in any way ON
tradicted the allegations contained in
the Indictment and that the documents
were really not material in the eXami-
nation proceedings.
Mr.. Rose answered that the papers
which he offered were the ones referred
Ito in the Indictment, and they proved
that Carter and the contractors had
not entered into a conspiracy and that
the contract was awarded Ito the Ait
lantic Contracting Company after com
petitive bidding and the endorsement
of the bills and papers, made by 9TH
erS han Captain Carter, but stated
that the work a been performed ac-
cording to the provisions of the agree
ment.
1t is understood that when all the
documentary proof has been offered by
the defense, Mr.. Rose will attack the
legality of the grand jury which found
the indictments against the contrac-
tors n Captain Carter. Mr.. Rose
holds hat the in which tho
grand jury was selected was not in ac-
cordance with the federal statutes
and, therefore, not legal.
Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie re-
called, was ~interrogated as to the reg
ulations governing river and harbor
improvements, and then he was asked
specially about the proposed specifica-
tons for the Cumberland sound i'm
provementS which We're endorsed by
the witness in June 1896. He said that
the papers sent and signed by Captain
Carter concerning that work reached
him through Colonel Peter Haines,,
who was in charge of the southeastern
division.
The examination will be continued
tomorrow.