Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1899 — CAPTAIN CARTER'S CASE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CAPTAIN CARTER'S CASE.

Zs This Army Officer a Thief or am American Dreyfus T The Dreyfus case has a parallel In our own country, if the charges of counsel for Capt. Oberiin M. Carter are true.

They assert that this disgraced army officer, who was found guilty of embezzlement to the extent of several million dollars by a court martial appointed to investigate charges preferred against him in connection with the improvements in Savannah harbor, is really the

victim of injustice and intrigue which rivals French military justice and that he will be vindicated if given a fair trial. Carter was declared guilty by the court martial over a year ago, but the President had ex-Senafor Edmunds review the evidence and directed Attorney General Griggs to hear oral arguments by the counsel on both sides and render an opinion. Meanwhile the opponents of Carter charge that political influence has been exerted to save a guilty man from the punishment he merits, viz., dismissal from the army and imprisonment. As a sensational denouement, Gen. Elwell S. Otis, now in the Philippines, who presided over the court martial, is accused of perjury and subornation of perjury in this connection. Of all the scandals concerning the bon* or and integrity of the army none has been so serious as that affecting the reputation of Capt. Oberiin M. Carter, late Government engineer in charge of the works at Savannah, Ga. In the winter of 1898 it was whispered that extensive frauds had been committed in connection with the Government work in Savannah harbor. Capt. Carter had been in charge of this work for a number of years, and it was his successor, Capt. Cassius E. Gillette, who first intimated that the work at Savannah was suspicious. Following au investigation by Col. Gillespie, Maj. Raymond and Maj. Adams Of the engineer corps of the Savannah works, the charges were formulated against Capt. Carter, then military attache to the American embassy at London, to the effect that he conspired with contractors to defraud the United States and obtain allowance for fraudulent claims amounting to two and a half million dollars; that he indorsed a false pay roll and did divers other criminal acts, including embezzlement. A court martial was ordered, with Gen. Otis as president, and Col. Thomas H. Barr as judge advocate. The proceedings of the court martial were no sooner begun than intimations were heard that through the operations of a hostile clique in the engineering corps of the army the court had been packed against Carter and that he was to be condemned to a certainty. On the other hand, it was charged by Carter’s enemies that political influence and wealth were being used to secure his escape from punishment. However this may be, he was tried, found guilty in May, 1898, and the findings of the court sent to the President.

CAPT. CARTER.