The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-28

ruse to throw the newspaper men,
whom he wished above all things to
avoid off the track. At the union sta
ton he was met by a representative of
the Associated Press and while Carter
still staunchIy refused to be interview
ed to his plans for the future, he
said:
Il will catch the Missouri Pacific train
out of here at 5:14 o'clock to Kansas
the fast Santa Fe direct to Chicago. I
wish to spend Sunday with my mother,
who is over anxious to see me-
While awaiting his train the ex-army
officer conversed freely on large num-
Der of subjects but always skilfulIy
avoided the introduction of anything in
regard to his conviction or his plans for
the future. He spoke length about
the prison, but even 4 turned the
talk from himself to generalitieS. In
regard to himself he merely said:
Il am feeling as well as could be ex-
pected under the circumstances. de-
prived to an extent as 1 was of exercise,
1 could not hope to be better situated
The captain looked much older than
when he entered the prison nearly four
years ago, but showed no trace of ill
health.
1t was thought last night that an Of
ficer of the department of justice might
be at the prison gates to rearrest Car
ter on an old indictment, but such was
not the case. When he decided to leave
the gates were thrown open to him and
he passed out of the prison walls for the
first cime since he was brought into
court here during his attempt to obtain
release by an act of habeaS corpus
He was attired just as he was on his
arrival at the place of his incarceration.
Carter was sentenced by court martial
May IL, 1898, to pay a fine of s., 900 and
to spend five years in prison. The sem
tence was not approved by President
Mckinley until September 29, the next
year On that day Carter was taken
to the military prison of Castle Will
lam, on Governors Island, New York,
and began serving his term. A reduc-
ton of two months a year is allowed for
good behavior. Consequently his sem
tence was shortened to four years and
two months. Seven months of the time
was spent in Castle William He was
brought to Leavenworth in April, 1900
CARRIERS DEFENSE
The department of justice issued strict
orders at the time of Carter's imprison-
ment that he was not to be interviewed.
His attorney Mr.. Stone, however, pre-
pared a typewriter statement, which
was given out last night. This is the
first detailed presentation of Carte1's
side of the case which has ever been
made. In it the ex-captain adheres to
his contention that he is innocent of
wrongdoing and that his money came
from his father-in-law, the late R F.
Westcott. He asserts further that
Westcott refused to testify in his be-
half in order to shield himself In the
suit now pending in Chicago, he de-
clares he will be able to trace every doll
lar that he got and SO to vindicate him
self
The statement follows:
1 am a firm bG4ieyer in the rule not
to- discuss pending lawsuits in the news
papers, but the government has argued
its case against Captain Carter in the
newspapers for so many years that even
those who are inclined to be fair are al
most convinced that Carter's case is
hopeless, especially as they have no idea
as to what his side of the case really is.
Carter will make it his life's work to
regain his reputation, and as there are
plenty of people who will wish him
Godspeed if he Is innocent, and as he
will certainly need their sympathy to
sustain him in his lonesome and appas-
emily impossible task, it may not be in
appropriate for him to state what his
side of the case really is, and how he
thinks he can win
No one ever claimed that Captain
Carter was short in his accounts, or
that he did not account for every penny
of government or other funds placed
in his hands. What the government
does claim is that he received money
from Greene and Gaynor in considera-
ton for favoring them while they were
Savannah, Ga, and vicinity, while Cap
tain Carter was engineer officer in
charge of such work; and the posses
sion by Captain Carter of q large
amount of money is claimed by the gov
ernment to be conclusive evidence OF
his guilt
The money which Captain Carter has
was received by him under the follow
fCroffn..cd IN T3a<ro