The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-05
HOT WAR OF WORDS
OBERLIN VI. CARTER's BITTER AT
TACK ON CAPT. GILLETTE.
ROASTED HIS SUCCESSOR.
PRISONER IN LEAVENWORTH
CHARGES HIS TROUBLES TO HIM.


Carter Filled i'm Circuit Court-NO
Conspiracy to Defraud, No Illegal
Profits, No Guilt at All, Say the
Decentralization Comes the At
tack Upon Capt. Gillette and 9th
ers Connected with the PrOsecu-
tion-Capt. GiIIette's Caustic Re-
tort to the Charges.
The answers of Oberlin M. Carter,
Lorenzo D. Carter and 1. Stanton Car
ter to the bill Of complaint of the gov
eminent, which seeks to force the resti-
tuition of former Capt. Carriers share
of the profits of the alleged Carter
Greene Gaynor conspiracy, were filed
in the United States Circuit Court
yesterday.
The principal answer Is, of course,
that of the principal defendant, for
mer Capt. Carter. 1t is the same as
filed by Carter in Chicago last Sat
urday, short resume of which was
printed the following day in the Morn
ing News. The most interesting fea-
ture of the answer is the bitter at
tack made by Carter upon Capt. Cas-
sius E. Gillette, his successor as engi-
neer officer in charge of river and har-
Dor Improvements in the Savannah dis
trict. Upon the form and features of
this attack Capt. Gillette has made
to the Morning News, an interesting
and entirely characteristic comment
There is nothing new in the prelim-
mary portion of Capt. Carter's answer,
which describes his understanding of
his duties as engineer officer in charge
of this district, wherein the old argu-
ments as to the construction of fascines
and jetties, deny every charge of con-
spiracy to defraud the government and
all participation in the profits of the
contracts, and allege that all the money
he ever received over and above his
salary and allowances as captain of
engineers, came to him, as voluntary
and original donations, from his father
in-law, the late r. F. Westcott.
The purchase of stock of the Savan-
nah Brewing Company, the Propeller
Towboat Company and the Savannah
Lighterage and Transfer Company and
the loans to Messrs. T. M.
Cunningham and Beirne Cor
don, representing in the ag-
gregate about $4,000, are all said in
the answer to have been made with
funds furnished by r. F. Westcott,
while Carter was acting as his agent,
under q, power of attorney.
Then comes the attack upon Capt.
Gillette, accompanying which are vari-
Gus uncomplimentary illusions to
others who played a part more or less
prominent in the trial and conviction
of the former captain of engineers.
These objects of Carriers criticism
range in dignity and Importance from
subordinates of the Savannah office to
the chief of engineers. The answer
says:
Carter ROasts Gillette.
'This defendant admits that he was
succeeded at Savannah by one Capt.
Cassius E. Gillette, who has more
than once attacked the good faith and
motives of his brother officers. That
said Gillette, Immediately on arriving
at Savannah, commenced attacking
this defendant, but did so secretly
and without this defendants knowl-
edge, until he, the said Gillette, had
by falsehoods and subornation of
sperjury created serious suspicious in
the minds of this defendants supe-
rior officers, all during the absence of
this defendant in Europe, and on this
defendants return from Europe he
heard of these things for the first
time and Immediately demanded
court of inquiry, which was selected
! by Gen. John NJ. Wilson, the recently
appointed chief of engineers, who for
a long time prior thereto had been
hostile to this defendant. Said court
of inquiry consisted of three engineer
officers, a majority of whom were so
prejudiced that they refused to even
examine the work done by this de-
PENDANT. and who recommended that
this defendant be tried by court
martial.
''Thereupon a court-martial was or
oered, consisting of thirteen members,
only two of whom were engineer Off
GERS or engineers, Notwithstanding the
fact that the work done in the Savan
nah district was river, and harbor work
requiring the highest engineering skill
and experience, and with which work
eleven of the thirteen members of the
court-martial had little, if any, knowl-
edge and no experience whatever.
Before said court-martisl the said
Gillette ct. al. made thirty-seven
charges against this defendant upon
all of which except three, this defend
ant was acquitted, either by the court
martial or the president, and on the
said three charges the Hon. George
f. Edmunds, to whom the matter was
referred by the President. and who
spent two months considering the same.
reported to the President that this de-
PENDANT was not guilty and should be
acquitted. The said three charges
were but one act divided into three
parts, so as to look larger. being SIM
ply charge that this defendant, by
arrangement with the contractor, re-
ceived and paid for certain materials
which were inferior TO those
called for by the contract. All
the other false and groundess
charges were made in furtherance of
a conspiracy between said Gillette and
others to ruin this defendant. by maxi
ing so many charges that this defend
i ant would not be able to meet and
overcome them all at once.
Materials Were All Right.
"As to the one act charged against
this defendant, l. e., that materials
were received and paid for which were
inferior to the contract, but one Off
Ger of the United States army was
found who would testify to that effect,
and that officer was the said Cassius
e. Gillette.
ION the contrary, nine of the ablest
and highest engineer officers of the
United States army testified in favor
of this defendant that the materials
were in full compliance with the con-
tract and that the work was OF the
very best. And in addition thereto
ten of the ablest and most reliable
expert engineers in the United States
also testified that the materials were
in full compliance with the contract
and that the work was of the very