The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-28
CARTER is OUT.
Continued from First Page.)

NOOALAlA0CA AAOAAA 80 = 0SCs(
ing circumstances: His father-in-law,
the late Robert F. Westcott, a million
aire of New York (whom Carter first
tween 1891 and 1897. when Carter was
accused of wrongdoing, considerable
amount of spending money, with which
Carter lived much beyond his salary
as a captain of the engineers. A few
days after Carter was accused, j. e.,
October 20, 1897 Westcott induced Car
err to take from him about 100000 of
railroad bonds, etc, on the ground that
Westcott was getting old (about 70) and
that Carter needed money with which
to defend himself, and on the further
ground that he (Westcott) always in
tended to give Carter what Carriers
wife would have received had she lived,
and the very next day WeStcott sailed
for Europe and stayed there until after
the courtmartial had convicted Carter.
Carter told the court martial that all
his money above his salary came from
Westcott. but the court martial was
against Carter from the start and
would not believe his statement that
his money came from his father-in-
law, WestcOtt, especially as Westcott
had suddenly departed for Europe,
afteu leaving a letter refusing to tes-
tify in Carriers favor, on the ground
that he did not want his private affairs
inquired into.
A court martial had no power at that
time to compel civilian witnesses to
testify. and so Carter was HELPLESS. ex-
cept to say that his money came from
Westcott. which the court martial re-
fused to believe. and so they dismissed
Carter from the army and disgraced
him Snd sent him to Fort IeavenWorth
for five years. After being credited
with ten months time for good beha-
vior his sentence now expires, and he
IS a free man again, but ne is fright
fully hampered by the unjust sentence
of the court martial against him, since
many people are more inclined to be-
neve man guilty than they are to be-
heVe him innocent. and many others
like to see man fall from a high po-
sition, so as to verify their opinion that
no man can succeed above the average
unless he is crooked
While Carter had no evidence except
his own word to prove before the court
martial where he got his money, he
has been busy these many years since
then, and is now prepared to prove
beyond any question that every dollar
of it beyond his salary was given to
him by Westcott. without the slightest
suspicion on Carriers part that West
colt ever got a penny from Greene and
Gaynor, if, as the government now
says, Westoott did secretly get any
thing from them.
We are prepared to prove the entire
history of the bonds, etc, which West
colt gave to Carter. The receipts which
Westcott took from Carter for those
bonds are now in existence, and abun-
dant written evidence is now in or go
ing in to prove that everything which
Carter spent or had in excess of his
salary came from Westcott as gifts to
Carter at time when Westcott never
left Carter without putting his arms
around him and kissing him. We are
now prepared to prove by Westcott's
private bank account and by his ac-
counts with his brokers, through whom
he purchased the bonds, and by his
0hnnIrc a md NV sit IT. 1,5-
handwriting, and by other evidence
which cannot be disputed, that West
colt bought and owned some of those
bonds before he ever knew Carter; that
he bought most of the bonds himself
years before he ever gave any of them
to Carter; that for years Westcott cut
off the coupons from those bonds HIM
self, some of which he gave to Carter
for spending money and the remainder
he collected. using the proceeds for his
own private purposes. And we are now
prepared to prove beyond any question
where every dollar come from which
show that he got it Iegitimately and
honestly, and that not one penny of it
ever came from Greene and Gaynor.
We shall have an opportunity to do
this in the United States courts at Chi
cago, where the government has sued
to recover those bonds on the ground
that Carter received them from Greene
and Gaynor, and where by agreement
Will Tie government, the question OF
where Carriers money came from is to
be finally settled. Those suits arose as
follows:
Immediately after Westcott,s death.
the government brought suit against
Carter to recover the bonds which
Westcott gave him. The government
had known of Westcott's gifts to Car
ter for over two years prior to West
/ colts death, and just why It did not
sue before Westcott's death and then
| sued so suddenly thereafter, should be
explained by the government in these
suits.
Carter has never had any trial except
before a court martial which is often
Influenced by outside matters, and which
often digs a mans grave before he has
had a chance to be heard
Carter made several attempts to OBJ
tain his liberty on the ground that there
was no evidence before the court martial
of any misbehavior on his part, but the
supreme court of the United States fin
ally held that an army officer leaves all
his rights behind when he joins the
| army, and held that no court has power
to set aside verdict of a court martial
even though it is without evidence to
| support it, and even though it is contra
ry to every principle of natural justice
Hence there has never been any decis-
ion on the merits of Carter's case, and
he looks forward with great hopes to his
first chance, soon coming in court OF
justice, to prove that he was honest
! throughout, and to prove that the stig-
ma and disgrace imposed upon him by
the court martial was due to other
causes than misbehavier on his part
PASSES THROUGH KANSAS CITY
Kansas City, No. Nov. 2S.-The train
, bearing Oberlin NJ. Carter arrived ir
Kansas City at $50 this morning. Tht
ex-officer and his little party immediate
: ly transferred to the regular east bound
Santa F'e train, which started for Chi
cago at 1885 a. m. But little attention
: was paid to the party. which made every
effort to avoid notice. Breakfast wa.
eaten on the train after it left Kansas
City. The train is due in Chicago a
S:45 tonight.
7 Bryan at Nottingham.