The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-28
THAT SET OF SILVER
FIGURES IN THE HEAkING OF GEN.
WOODS CASE.
JAI ALAI PAID $500 FOR 1T.
PRESENTED IT TO WOOD WHEN
CONCESSION WAS GRANTED.

Mai. Runcie Was an Important Wit
ness Against Gen. WOOd-He Told
of an Agreement to Write the Fa-
nous Magazine Article That WINS
to Praise Wood and Criticize Gen.
BrOOke-Mnn who Sold the Silver
Service Testified.
Washington, Nov. 27.-The Senate
Committee OH Military Affairs to-day
heard Maj. James f. Runcie, of Hav-
ana, probably the most important
witness that will be offered by the OPP
ponents of Gen. Leonard Wood in their
attempt to prevent his confirmation to
be major general.
Maj. Runcie was on the stand several
times during the day, telling the com
mittee of dinner at Santiago, Cuba,
attended by himself, Gen. Wood and
Ray Stannard Baker, a newspaper
man, at which, it is alleged, was plan
ned the magazine article attacking Mai.
Gen. Brooke that has figured con-
spicuously in the Wood case.
Maj. Runcie was stopped more than
once during the course of his testimony
and told to give nothing, but facts
of which he had personal knowledge.
This did not exclude his story of the
dinner incident. which resulted in the
issue of subpoenas for three other wit
nesses, among whom is Cen Brooke.
In Woods Confidence.
In his testimony Maj. Runcie ex-
planned that he had acted as the conf
Dental adviser of Gen. Wood for near
ly two years, and that they lived to-
gether at Santiago. 1t was while they
were living in the same house that
Mr. Baker went to Santiago in search
Of material for a magazine article. A
meeting was arranged between the
three men, and dinner followed, testi-
ned Mr.. Runcie, at which was discuss
ca the plan to have published an ar
tcle which would exploit the success
of Gen. Wood in dealing with affairs
at Santiago and draw a comparison
with the situation at Hanava unfavora-
bic to the administration of Gen.
Brooke
Maj. Runcie declared that Gen. Wood
asked him to write the article and
that he had done so. The article was
given to Baker and published in Febru-
| airy, 1900, over the name of Mai. RIM
Gle. He asserted that Gen. Wood knew
what the article contained, and thai
they had correspondence about il as
the result Of the furor. created bv its
publication. He offered to produce copies
Of letters which he had written to Gen.
| Wood. concerning his own defense. IT
| was not until after Gen. Wood sue
| ceeded Gen. Brooke that the article
was published. The effect was a sever
ance OF the relations between the wit
| ness and Gen. Wood.
silver Service for Wood.
Other witnesses called by the COM
mittee to testify were Mai e. I.add.
y. ;. A.. who audited Gen. Woods
Santiago accounts: Wallis Chairman.
former employee of New York Jew
elry house, who made the sale to the
Jai Alai Company of the silver set.
which was given to Gen. Wood; and a
representative of the Bureau OF Insular
Affairs, who explained the character
Of the game and the manner in which
speculation is INDUCED in by
the spectators. Baskets, rauuets
and other paraphernalia were
used in illustrating the manner of
play
Mr.. Chairman was twice on the stand.
| The first time he told the committee
that after the purchase of the silver
I set he took the ware to Havana and
delivered II TO Zaras Queda and re-
ceived the purchase price. $500. He
was not asked whether duty was paid
on the set.
The second time he was asked con-
corning the charges that after nego-
tiations were made between the pur-
chasers and the jewe1ry company a
telegram was received by the purchas-
er, telling him not to close the deal
until notice of the granting of the con-
| cession to the Jai Alai Company had
been published in the Official Gazette
at Havana. Mr.. Chairman said he
had never heard of such a telegram
1t was brought out through the tes-
timony of another witness, and by in
spection of the articles of the Jai Alai
Company that Zaras Queda was
member of the board of directors.