The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-15
STORY OF ALLEGED SWlNDLE.
Continued from First Page)

here. He was received socially and be-
came well known among the best people.
His business dealings We're extensive, it
becoming necessary for him to secure
large quantities of supplies from Savan-
| nah merchants. He also disposed of great
quantities of condemned goods, and no
breath of suspicion was ever aroused by
| any of his transactions in this city.
Holland, the man who brought the
charges against Maj. Ruthers and the
| senator, was in Jacksonville on business
of the quartermaster department when
he claims he learned accidentally of the
| transactions between the parties he names
| as concerned in the unlawful disposition
| of the bacon. He has made sworn state
ments to the war department, covering
the entire history of his charges, as fol-
| lows:
Il was a government detective assigned
( to duty with the Seventh Army Corps at
| Jacksonville, Fla In September, 1898, the
, loss of a number of mules was reported,
| and was instructed by Col. Pond, chief
| quartermaster, to investigate the matter
and report to him.
Il was following up a clew in this con-
nection which led me to the Windsor Ho-
| tel. Jacksonville and there l saw Maj.
| Ruthers, G. b. Rogers and j. p. ITALIA
ZERO NOW L n1Ieu states seildtOAJ III tloSS
| and earnest conversation.
81 attached no importance TO this until
| my friend, John Walsh approached me and
| said that he had overheard part of the
| conversation between the parties named,
| which he thought concerned the crooked
disposition of quantity of government
| bacon.
LAS it was in my line of duty and taking
the hint l made it my business to learn
| something of the nature of the conference,
| which was TO the effect that Maj. Ruth
| ers was to deliver to the c.. b. Rogers
| Company 215OO0 pounds of the bacon; the
| Rogers Company was to dispose of il and
divide the profits between the three
81 promptly reported what | had heard
| to Col Pond, who in turn referred me to
| Col. Wood, chief commissary officer of
| the corps. The latter officer then sent
| me to see Ruthers about the matter, and
| when the object of my visit was made
known to him he admitted that he had
| condemned a quantity of bacon. and with
! a display of arrogance added that the
| quartermaster's department had its hands
| full to look after its own affairs; he was
| fully capable to care for the commits
| sary department.
II This statement 1 repeated to the COM
handing officer, who was apparently sat
isfed with his reply. However, l was de-
ternined to follow the deal to a climax.
| Shortly after my interview with Ruthers
G. B. Rogers purchased the schooner Tor
tugas, commanded by Capt. Myers, on
which was loaded this meat and shipped
to Kingston, jamaica, and other West
Indian ports and sold at the market price
of fresh bacon. l made every effort to
ship as one of the crew on this boat, but
did not succeed.
zone of the crew on the return to
jacksonville, after disposition had been
made of the cargo, told me that part of
this very same meat was fed TO the crew
while on the trip, and that it was per-
fectly wholesome, which disproVeS any
statement made to the departme mt that
1t had been condemned and was unfit
for human consumption
During the time that the Tortugas was
on the trip l overheard another con-
versation between the same parties at
the same hotel with reference to the
amount of profits each would derive from
| the transaction.
Shortly after my suspicious were con-
| frmed charges were preferred to the war
department against Maj. Ruthers, but
nothing was ever heard from the depart
ment--not even an acknowledgment.
Therefore, after the charges had been
slumbering in the department for several
months, determined that would apprise
the war department of this fragrant and
dishonest abuse of authority and trust in
person
accordingly came to Washington and
sought the counsel of well-known pub
lie man, who, after hearing my state
ment, offered to accompany me to the
war department and vouch for my stand
ing and credibility of statement. He did
go with me on Dec IS, when we We're fur
nshed written specifications of the
charges here substantially recited.
Receiving no formal acknowledgment,
on Dec. %, we called on the Secretary of
War, who assured us that the charges
would be promptly and thoroughly inves-
tigated. In this connection nothing was
heard from the department until Jan. %,
when the adjutant general of the army
wrote, stating that the charges had been
received and referred to the Secretary of
War for investigation"