The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-12-02
SUMTER S. O.. WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 2. 1908.
TRUTH ABOUT GEN. LEONARD WOOD.
Facts Brought Out indicating That
Things Were Not Altogether
What They Seemed.

What They Seemed.
Washington, Nov. 27.-The senate
committee on military affairs today
heard Mai. James E. Runcie OF Ha-
bana, probably the most important
witness that will be offered by the
opponents of Gen. Leonard Wood in
their attempt to prevent his confrma-
tion to be major general ;,
Maj. Runcie was on the stand several
times during the day, telling the com
mittee of a dinner at Santiago, Cuba,
attended by himself, Gen. Wood and
Ray Stannard Baker, newspaper
man, at which, it is alleged, was plan
ned 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 in
cident which resulted in che issue OF
subpoenas for three other witnesses,
among whom is Gen. Brooke.
In his testimony Maj. Runcie ex-
planned that he bad acted as the conf
Dental adviser of Gen. Wood for near
" two years and that they lived
together at Santiago. It was while
they were living in the same house that
Mr.. Baker went to Santiago in search
of material for magazine article. A
meeting was arranged between the
three men and dinner followed, testi-
fed Maj. Runcie, at which was dis
cussed the plan to have published an
article which would exploit the sue
cess of Gen. Wood in dealing with
affairs at Santiago and draw a COM
parison with the situation at Habana
unfayorable to the administration OF
Gen. Brooke.
Mai. Runcie declared that Gen.
Wood asked him to write the article
and that he had done Sc. The article
was given to Baker and published in
February, 1900. over the name of Maj.
Runcie. He asserted that Gen. Wood
knew what the article contained and
that they had correspondence about it
as the result of the furor created by its
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. Wood sue
ceeded Gen. Brooke that the aricle was
published. The effect was severance
of the relations between the witness
and Gen. Wood. Other witnesses call
ed by the committee to testify were
Mai. E. Ladd, =. S A., who audited
Gen. Woods Santiago accounts; Wallis
Clearman. a former employ of New
York jewlry house. who made the sale
to the Jai Alai company of the silver
set which was given to Gen. Wood ;
and 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. Basket, raquets and
other paraphernalia were used in illus
trating the manner of play.
Mr.. Clearman was twice on the
stand. The first time he told the COM
| mittee that after the purchase Of the
silver set he took the ware to Habana
and delivered it to Zaras Queda and
received the purchase price, s5, 100.
He was not asked weather duty was
paid on the set.
The second time he was asked con-
corning the charge that after negotia-
tio1s we're made between the purchas-
ers and the jewelry company tele-
gram was received by the purchaser
telling him not to close the deal until
notice of the granting of the conces-
sion to the Jai .A.ai company had been
published in The Official Gazette at
Habana Mr.. Clerman said be had
never heard of such telegram.
It was brought out through the tes-
timony Of another witness AID by an
inspection of articles Of the Jai Alai
company that Zaras Queda was mem
Der Of the board of directors.