The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-13
G EN-. EDWARDS
TELLS ABOUT RAY
Says He Is to Blame for Delay
ing Case-Arny Officers
Dislike Payrnaster.

washing ton. March 12.-Briga1ier-
General Edwards, chief of the Insular
tho delay in transmitting to Congress
some Of the papers in tho Major Ray
case to-day. He appeared before the
lielm Committee on Expenditures In
the War Department. which has been
inquirlng into Paymastar Rays poll
,ieal activities. especially for President
ratt in 1905.
If there Is anybody 10 be blamed 1
ought TO be blamed. II there has been
any one Negligent. nave been
am not trying to escape cuipab'iity.
raid General Edwards.
Il have tried TO be frank with you
gentlemen. | have gons TO the bottom
~ my heart and answered questions
mat are embarrassing u give you all
'hc Facts. could tel you more, but
q" not wish 10 appear III the record"
Thlnkh Deii hetuinsd Paper.
The general had just recited mis- part
~ the discovery Of the missing records
u the Kay case from the aa3u,ant.
teneruls Office.
lie mad stated IL az his belief that
FORMER Ch!ci Of staff i. Franklin Bell
hnd retained the Ray papers from the
"ijutant-Benerai's office and transmit.
tcu 10 him. Edwards. when he ieIt the
mat tue adJutant-gcneIars Office vas
hpstilo TO mo Presluent OF the United
states
lie suid ne believed tn. ONCE would
use the papers against tho President
at the United States" AT the conclu-
SION VI his testimony. General Edwards
addressed Chairman Harvey Helm. OF
kentucky. He said:
MIR. Heinz l am willing 10 answer
any questions and speak frankly with
you gentlemen as man to man. But
there are some questions ! would like
TO ask you outside of this hearing.
Just as man TO man would like 10
know who 1t is that IS instigating
these questions and these attacks on
oiiicers' words and officers motives"
Chairman Helm did not reply. In
stead. he took General tdwards's cor
respondence with Major Ray and said
the committee would read II over and
determine whether any proprietics
would be violated II II was put in the
record. This correspondence was not
read, because General Edwards ex-
llained that II Was of a private nature
and gave Major Rays reasons for
wanting to go 10 Chicago, so that his
vile could get the treatment OF L sur
geon.
Clerk Finds Piper.
General Edwards produced a dupli-
cate receipt signed by him April 20.
1910, for papers In the Ray Gag. turn
ed over by General Bell. He said that
his clerk. Mr. Brock. whose initials
he could not recall, but who had been
his secretary for 1--WE years reported
the finding OF d bundle OF Ray papers
In his cupboard in his office February
~ This was Saturday. He got the
papers At his home Sunday. and called
UP Secretary OF War Stimgon, who
ordered him TO turn them over to
Judge Advocate General Crowdcr.
General Crowder. he said. culled out
the papers and forwarded tho pubic
papers TO Congress. and he assumed
cent the private messages to General
Dc!. In Manila.
These papers are those which ex-
plain the charge that Major Beecher
y. Ray, paymaster OF tho United
states Army. was active politically for
President Taft in 1908. and later pre-
sumed on this activity to be relieved
from Discriminatory action for alleged
ind!scretions and offcnses.
General Edwards explained that he
had nrs, met Major Ray In Manila
Secretary OF War TAFT there to open
the Philippine assembly.
He SAID t Yro G a,.noo General
W Gilbert. Colonel L. II Bandholtz,
Martin EEan and others described Ray
as being valuable man 10 send TO chi
Taft's opinion as Judge in labor dis
putes. He said that these friends Of
AIR. Taft thought that the labor vote
was against him. They recommended
Major Ray. former official OF the
hallway Conductors Union, to help
IN the campa en- General Edwards
said he cablcd 10 Colonel Mcintyre. in
Washington. to have Ray returned to
Tie United states.
lie said the reply from Colonel Me-
lntyre and paynla stcr-Gcneral Snirrcn
was such that "hc dropped Ray" He
said Ray had been appointed In tho
army through the iniiucuce OF Mark
Hanna and former Vice President Fair
banks. He also said that the officers
OF the army did not like him, and that
Ray complained he was not getting a
square deal. General Edwards said
that he formed a dislike for Ray His
manners were Objectionable.