Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-04-17
QNA|SSARY SCANDALS
ARE 70 Be FULLY AIRED.
SECRETARY OF WAR CABLES GEN.
MAC ARTHUR TO MAKE A COM
PLETE INVESTIGATION, AND
LET NO GUILTY. MAN ESCAPE.
A DEFENSE OF col. WOODRUFF,s
GOOD NAME-MAJOR GEORGE
ID. DAVIS DENIES ALL.


"
MANILA, April ia court martial
has been convened and will meet to-
morrow to try Lieut.. Frederick Boyer,
who is charged with the embezzlement
Of commissary stores. Captain Freder-
lex j. Barrows, of the Thirtieth volun-
teer infanry, who was arrested under
similar charges, will be tried later.
A civilian named Fletcher, accused of
unlawful conversion of commissary
stores, will be tried by the provost
court tomorrow.
Speaking of the comm1ssary scandals,
a prominent army officer said to the
representative of the Associated Press
that he had every reason to believe that
Col. Woodruff, head of the subsistence
department at Manila, al not impli-
Gated. He said that Col. Woodruff was
one of the ablest men in the service
and that his honesty was unQuestiCned.
He asserted that Col. Woodruff was ig-
norant of the fact that Harold NJ. Pitt,
manager of Evans & Co., the army con-
tractors, was leasing him the house in
which he lived for much less rent than
Pitt had paid therefor. Upon discov-
ering this Col. Woodruff Immediately
vacated the house. Pitt is alleged to
have said that Captain Read, of the
commissary department, deceived Col.
Woodruff, who thought Captain Read
to be thoroughly honest. The irregu-
larities in commissary matters were
first attributed to Captain Reads I'M
familiarity with commissary work. Col.
Woodruff Was reluctant to believe that
frauds were pe~rpetrated, but the facts
disclosed caused him to give Captain
Read a most sever reprimand and to
begin an investigation which may in
volve, according to the prominent army
officer previously referred to, the exam
ination of Captain Davis, who was the
depot commissary before Captain Read,
but who was sent home on sick leave.
WASHINGTON, April 16.-Secretary
Root to-day cabled Gen. Macarthur
asking for additional information con-
corning the frauds in Manila. 1t is ex-
pected that a reply will be received to-
morrow. While definite instructions
have not been given Gen Macarthur
heretofore to make a searching and
complete investigation, it is understood
that the requests for information were
of a character to imply that the depart
ment expected such an investigation
should be made. Nothing definite has
been received from Gen. Macarthur
about the alleged frauds, although ref
erence has been made to the investiga-
ton in cablegrams received. The first
dispatch on the subject from Gen. Mac
Arthur said that there had been ex-
aggeration in the press reports. but
the persistence with which the reports
have been reiterated and the news dis
patches to-day giving names and spe-
cifc amounts have indicated to the de-
partment officials that perhaps Gen.
Macarthur was not advised fully when
he made his first report. 1t can be
stated that h department intends to
have all the information possible on
the subject and Gen. Macarthur will be
expected to push the trials and make
a complete report OF any and all wrong
doing.
Major George B, Davis, whose name
is mentioned in ehe despatch from Ma
Mia as being credited upon the books
OF Evans & Co. as having received ST.
coo is in Washington. TO an Associat-
ed Press reporter he would say moth
Ing when asked if he desired to reply
to the assertion. He was called upon
by the Wal Department, however. for
an explanation and to an officer said
that he knew nothing about the matter.
He was closely questioned and said that
he never had any money from the firm
of contractors mentioned. had not bor-
rowed and and could rot explain why
there should have been any charge
made. Although he is in this country
on sick leave he will return to Manila.
ana if the matter is not cleared up when
he arrives there will demand a court
of inquiry.
Evans. of the firm of Evans & Co. is
known to some army officers in Wash
ington. Evans was in this country a
short time ago and may now be in New
York, If he has not returned to Manila.
1t is not known whether he is an Eng
lishman, an American or a Canadian.
He was from Niagara. though from
which side Of the river is not known.