The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1903-12-04
SAYS WOOD ASKED HIM TO WRITE:
ARTICLE REFLEcTlNe ON
GEN. BROOKE.
HAS SOME OTHER THINGS TO TELL
suBPoENAs ISSUED FOR GEN.
BROOKE AND TWO OTHER
WITNESSES,

Washington. Nov. %. - The senate
committee on military affairs yester-
day heard Maj. James E. Runcie OF
Havana, probably the most important
witness that will be offered by the op-
ponents of Gen. Leonard Wood i'll
their attempt to prevent his confirma-
tion to be major general. Maj. Runcie
was on the stand several times during
the day, telling the committee of q
dinner at Santiago. Cuba. attended by
himself, Gen. Wood and Ray Stannard
Baker. a newspaper man. at which. it
is alleged, was planned the magazine
article attacking Mai. Gen. Brooke
that has figured conspicuously 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 subpoe-
mas for three other witnesses, among
whom is Gen. Brooke In his testi.
mony Maj. Runcie explained that he
had acted as confidential adviser Of
Gen. Wood for nearly two years, and
that they lived together at Santiago
1t was while they We're living in the
same house that Mr.. Baker went to
Santiago in search of material for a
magazine article. A meeting was ar
ranged between the men and dinner
followed, testified Maj. Runcie, at
which they discussed the plan to have
published an article which would ex-
plot the success of Gen. Wood in deal
ing with affairs at Santiago and draw
comparison with the situation at
Havana untavorable to the administra-
ton of Gen. Brooke.
Wood Asked Him to Write 1t.
Mai. 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
February, 1900, over the name OF
Mai. Runcie. He asserted that Gen.
Wood knew what the article contained
and that they had correspondence
about it rs the result of the Juror Gre
ated by it's publication. He offered to
produce copies of letters which he had
written TO Gen. Wood concerning his
own defense. 1t was not until after
Gen. Wool succeeded Gen. Brooke
| that the article was published. The
effect was severance Of relations be-
tween the witness and Gen. Wood.
Maj. Runcie then began the practice of
law at Havana, and, according to his
testimony, has been there ever since.
The witness said that when the secre-
tary of war went to Cuba
Following the Disclosures
to the war department the suggestion
was made, either by the secretary or
Gen. Wood, that he be court-martialed
for writing the article, and that he
| had, in effect, invited the court-mar.
tial
The committee informed Maj. Run
Gle that he would be called again some
time next week. His connections in
Havana make it necessary for him to
appear before the committee to testify
concerning matters other than the
writing of the magazine article. 1t is
said he has knowledge Of Gen. Woods
order for the arrest Of Maj. Rathbone,
and as the agen at Havana for
Maryland bonding company, can give
information in regard TO Mai Rath-
bones charge that Gen. Wood used his
influence with the courts in having his
(Rathbones) bond fixed at figure he
| declares to have been unreasonable.