The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-01-06
M|NORITY'S
BRIEF IN
WOOD CASE
Claim Made That No Comps-
tent Inquiry Has Yst Been
Made-Sovon Counts.

washington, Jan. 6--views of the min
ority OF the senate COMMITTEES on military
Affairs protesting against the conhrma-
ton OF Gen. Leonard Wood TO be major
general have been prepared IN the form
of a brief 10 be used by tho opponents OF
this nomination when the reports OF the
committee are presented for action Of the
senate in executive session.
The brief follows the testimony intro
duced before the committee In the In
vestigation. which was begun In Novem-
Der and continued until Dec. H. directing
the attention OF Senators 10 passages IN
the printed report Of the testimony and
emphasizing the charges which were
made before the COMMITTEES. IL Is declared
that no competent investigation has yet
been made in regard 20 the actual facts
OF Oen Woods military career ana expe-
rience To the first submitted In the brief
is the argument that II In not denied that
the orders 10 the courts. which were iden-
tined by Mai. f. q. Rathbone. were ao-
tually issued by Gen. Wood as military
governor.
The second count in the brief OF the
minority relates to the pardon OF w. H.
Reeves and his testimony In the postal
cases. In this conection the attention OF
the senate is directed to the statement OF
Gen. Wood in answer to the charges filed
by Maj Rathbone
Gen. Wood said that I'm pardoning
Reeves he believed he had the right TO
constitute him a witness for the state,
for although Reeves had been a defend
ant. "he had confessed freely and fully
concerning the frauds committed In the
postoffice department"
The brief refers TO the testimony of
Charles r. Fisher. formerly editor OF the
Havana Post and representative OF the
Associated Press. TO prove that Gen.
Wood had promised Reeves Immunity
from prosecution II he would give testi-
mony in the postal cases "of the charac-
ter to help the governments cause"
GEN. WOODS INSTRUMENTATION
Gen. Wood IL charged IN the third count
with having violated a promise made to
Mai James r. Runcie not to cause the
arrest OF Csrydon ID. Rich who had been
an assistant 20 Mr.. Neely In the finance
department OF the department OF posts.
Rich afterward wss arrested and placed
lncommunicado for several days.
The Runcie magazine article Is the sub
ject for the fourth count. With many ref
erences TO the printed testimony OF the
purpose OF supporting the argument, this
statement is made:
The Jai Alai concessions forms the fifth
count In the minority brief.
The sixth count says Gen Brooke tes-
tines to the insubordination OF Gen. Wood
and that he Gen. Brooke) refrained from
a court martial process because OF the
feeling that such a step would not be
sanctioned by the war department. He
testifies 10 Gen. Woods arbitrary inter
ference with the proceedings OF the court
In Santiago province by the summary re-
moval OF a prisoner from It's hands and
the deportation of the prisoner.
The seventh an dlast count in the brief
refers entirely 10 the testimony regarding
Gen. Woods veracity. The testimony OF
Brig Gen. william Ludlow Commander
Lucien Young. Mai Runcie, Alexis T.
Frye and a number OF others Is quoted In
support OF the count.