The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-21
Alleged to Have Accepted Money from
a Gambling Concern While Mill
tary Governor of Cuba.
HEARING BEFORE SENATORS
WHO ARE INVESTIGATING THE GEN.
ERALS FITNESS FOR PROMOTION.
Lawyer Conant and Others Summoned
to Support the Allegations Made
by Rathbone.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 90 - Summons
issued by the Senate military affairs COM
mittee were served tonight on Ernest Lee
Conant, of the New York law firm of Page
& Conant, citing him to appear before the
committee tomorrow in connection with
the investigation of charges against Briga-
dier General Leonard Wood, made in an
effort to prevent his confirmation as major
general. Mr.. Conant has been in Washing
ton several days prosecuting Cuban
cases before the Spanish claims
committee. 1t Is understood the
subpoena was issued at the request of Major
Rathbone. who learned late to-day of Mr..
Conant's presence in the city. Mr.. Conant
will be expected to give testimony as to
the character of the Jai Alai, the alleged
gambling establishment which General
Wood is charged with having given a ten
year concession to operate In Havana. Mr..
Conant went to Cuba as an attache of the
evacuation commission, and while there he
acted as the legal adviser of General Lud-
low in command of the Department of
Havana. Later he served General Wood in
the same capacity, and il is declared he is
competent to give some inside facts relat-
ing to the manner in which the concession
to the Jai Alai was obtained
Another witness summoned tonight by the
military affairs committee Is Herbert j.
Brown. newspaper man who was in Cuba
during American occupation, who is said TO
have made an inquiry into the character
of the Jai Alai Company. Maj. James E.
Runcie, now practicing law in Havana, has
mittee stating that he will sail from Ha-
vana tomorrow and will be in Washington
Tuesday. He will be examined by the COM
mittee in reference to his statement that
General Wood inspired an article in the
North American Review rejecting on the
administration of Maj. Gen. John Brooke,
his predecessor as Governor General
Major Rathbone to-day filed SPECIFIC writ
ten charges with the committee. He alleged
that General Wood, while military governor
of Cuba, had accepted money from the Jai
Alai, which was, he said, a gambling con-
Germ. and asserted that he had made a per-
sonal friend and boon companion of an ex-
convict. He also charged him with giving
instructions OF an entirely unconstitutional
and un-American character to the courts
With reference to the charges that Gov
ernor General Wood had exceeded his au-
thority in giving instruction to the courts
Major Rathbone said the general had pur-
sued this course in the Cuban posts case
when he (Rathbone) was under prosecution.
This was, he said. in violation of Article
3S7 of the penal code of Cuba, and i'm a
manner prejudical to the rights of those
under trial He also charged General Wood
with urging the use OF ex parte dispositions
in the postal cases, a proceeding which. he
asserted, is contrary 10 law and the prin-
clpleS or law, ana III THIS case contrary to
instructions given by the secretary of war
Major Rathbone charged that in accent
ing gifts from the organization common
ly known as Jai Alai, TO which Major
Rathbone said General Wood had granted a
ten years exclusive concession, General
Wood violated the Foraker law which pro-
hibits the granting of franchises or con-
cessions during the occupation of the island
by the American authorities. He also
charged that the acceptance of these gifts
constitutes a violation of Article 397 of the
penal code of Cuba.
Other charges were made against General
Wood as follows: With completely with an
other army officer Ia the preparation and
publication of an article rejecting dis
creditably upon officer who ranked
both of them. in violation of an accepted
canon of military service and constituting
an offense commonly known as conduct
unbecoming an officer and gentleman
With directing and causing the auditor of
Cuba by a military order TO violate the
law In the treatment OF accounts. with
utilizing the services of an ex-convict with
whom he was in intimate personal asso-
citation in an effort TO displaee his superior
officer. and by such means to secure to
himself the vacancy thus created Incl
dental TO these there were many minor
charges.
Major Rathbene also offered to produce
evidence and testimony In support of these
alterations. He submitted number OF doc