The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-08
ARMY OFFICER ACCUSED
Capt. Cyril W. King Charged With
Accepting Brides.
Arrested in Mobile by Special
Agent of the Governmental Cam
tractor Furnishes Evidence
Marked Bills Found on the Pris-
Oncr - Unable TO Furnish Bail.

| MOBILE. Ala. Jan. 7-Construction
| Quartermaster Cyril W King. who in the
! fail of last year, took charge of the extern
! siye improvements at Fort Morgan, was
/ arrested today on the charge of accepting
| bribes from Contractor J. II. Hobson, a
| cousin Of Lieut.. Il. p. Hobson. who is en-
| gagged in Government work in various
| parts of the country. The arrest was made
| by Special Agent E. p. McAdams and was
the result of a suspicion in Washington
! that Captain King had been carrying on a
| similar business in other contracts. He
| was brought before United States Commits
sioner Z. C. Rickarby and failing to pro-
vide bond of $4,000. is now under arrest
in his apartment at the Bienville Hotel;
Captain King is a native of Dubuque
| Iowa, and was one of the volunteer officers
appointed dt the outbreak of the Spanish
war. The proof against him. although he
maintained that he has not been guilty of
the offence charged. was the finding on
his person by the special agent of ten slOO
bills, which had been previously marked
by the Government officer in accordance
with an arrangement the detective had
made with Contractor Hobson. who gave
the money to King shortly before his art
rest
King takes the charge coolly. but his
( wife is prostrated. The history of the
bribery csertures which were made by
King, according to Hobson is described
by the contractor in an interview as fol-
lows:
Il have been doing construction work
! for the War Department in nearly every
city in the country. In June last / re-
ceived contract for the erection of bar
racks at Fort Morgan. Ala. | began the
work at once. and no sooner was the
building in course of erection than King
began condemning the material used. This
information was forwarded to me at my
office in Washington, and in September l
visited the work. / saw Immediately that
| losing considerable money at Kings
hands. and the material that he was con-
demning was not as bad as he said it was.
King informed me that if l did not cough
up / would lose more money
Il said nothing at that time and return
ed to Washington. In October l was
summoned to Fort Morgan by my super
intendent and King was still getting in his
work on me. He met me on the afternoon OF
my arrival and stated he wanted to make
$1,000 out OF the contract. Late that same
night We met in Kings room on the reser-
considerable money he would see that all
the condemned material was placed in
other buildings for the sum of SO 0O0
''On November 2, l paid him at the fort
the sum of $500. The second payment OF
$500 was made November 10. About four
weeks age / learned that the War Depart
ment was watching King and that a Sc
cret service agent was making an inyesti-
cation. The secret service agent ap-
preached me and told me that II I gave
evidence that would convict King I would
not be mOlested. but would be allowed TO
continue my contract. King met me in
Mobile yesterday and told me he needed
$1,000. ] informed the agent OF the fact
and $1,000 Of marked money was placed in
the bank.
Il drew the money this afternoon and
by appointment. met Captain King in my
room at the Commercial Hotel. The
money was paid TO him and he immedi-
dtely informed me he thought there would
be no trouble. He walked downstairs ard
was placed under arrest by the Govern
ment agent, who was waiting for him. /
regretted to have to give him away. but
il was a case of between the devil and
the deep sea. He or | mad to go to the
penitentiary.'
King was appointed assistant quarter
mater in April. 1898, in his home city,
and his first station was at Chckamauga.
When the army entered San Juan King
was transferred to that point, remaining
there until March. 1899. He was also sta
toned at Columbus, Ohio. barracks until
he came to Fort Morgan. In every r't,.
he has visited he has hee- Has .1
the best soci"t- aHH -ae -r-.l
s r-ar JHa only statement .. .l
t. - .Eg- trH wr'a-.a# spoken tt b.