Stanton Carter v. Robert Claughry

• Court: U.S. Supreme Court
• Writing for the Court: Fuller
• Citation: Stanton Carter v. Robert Claughry, 183 U.S. 365, 22 S.Ct. 181, 46 L.Ed. 236 (1902)
• Decision Date: 06 January 1902
• Docket Number: No. 251,251
• Parties: I. STANTON CARTER (on Behalf of Oberlin M. Carter), Appt. , v. ROBERT W. McCLAUGHRY, Warden of the United States Penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

183 U.S. 365

22 S.Ct. 181

46 L.Ed. 236

I. STANTON CARTER (on Behalf of Oberlin M. Carter), Appt.,

v ROBERT W. McCLAUGHRY, Warden of the United States Penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

No. 251.

Argued December 3, 4, 1901.

Decided January 6, 1902.

This was a petition for the writ of habeas corpus filed on behalf of Oberlin M. Carter in the circuit court of the United States for the district of Kansas, October 17, 1900, on which the writ was issued returnable October 26.

The petition alleged that Carter was imprisoned and restrained of his liberty by the warden of the United States prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, by virtue of a sentence imposed upon him by a general courtmartial of the United States, approved by the Secretary of War, and approved and confirmed by the President of the United States on the 29th day of September, 1899.

That the warrant under which the warden detained petitioner was an order from the headquarters of the army; that is to say, General Orders No. 172, dated September 29, 1899, and set forth at length.

From this it appeared that Captain Oberlin M. Carter, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, was arraigned and tried before a general court-martial on four charges with specifications under each.

To the first specification of Charge I., the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth specifications of Charge II.; the first, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first specifications of Charge III.; and the second specification of Charge IV., he pleaded the statute of limitations, the 103d article of war, and the plea was sustained by the court. To the charges and the other specifications he pleaded not guilty, and was found not guilty on the eighth, tenth, twelfth, and twenty-third specifications under Charge III.

Omitting the above specifications and abbreviating those disapproved by the President, as stated hereafter, the charges and specifications were as follows:

Charge I.—'Conspiring to defraud the United States, in violation of the 60th article of war.'

Specification II.—'In that Captain Oberlin M. Carter, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, devising and intending to defraud the United States, and to aid the Atlantic Contracting Company, a corporation, and John F. Gaynor, William T. Gaynor, and Edward H. Gaynor, and Anson M. Bangs, and divers other persons, all of whom were likewise with him, the said Carter, devising and intending to defraud the United States, did, with the corporation and persons named, unlawfully combine and conspire to defraud the United States of divers large sums of money by aiding the said The Atlantic Contracting Company to obtain the allowance and payment of certain false and fraudulent claims hereinafter described; and in pursuance of the said conspiracy the said Oberlin M. Carter, in the months of June, July, and August, September, and October, 1896, being an officer of the United States in charge of the river and harbor district usually called the Savannah district, and of the improvement by the United States of rivers and harbors in said district, did, with the knowledge and consent of the said other parties named, so advertise for proposals for contracts for certain works of improvement in the harbor of Savannah, Georgia, in said district, and so manage and conduct said advertising, and the matter of giving out information in regard to the contract to be let, and the matter of receiving proposals and award-

ing the contract, as to enable the said The Atlantic Contracting Company to secure the contract for said work, and to have the same entered into by the United States with it October 8, 1896; and in further pursuance of the said conspiracy the said The Atlantic Contracting Company afterwards, to wit, from about the 8th day of October, 1896, to July 31, 1897, did furnish and put into said work certain mattresses, stone, and other material which were different in kind and character from the mattresses, stone, and other material contracted for in said contract, and very much less costly to the said The Atlantic Contracting Company, as well as of less value to the United States; which said mattresses, stone, and other material so furnished and put into the work the said Captain Carter, in further pursuance of said conspiracy, did receive and accept, and cause to be received and accepted, for the United States, as and for the mattresses, stone, and other material contracted for, and did, on or about July 6, 1897, cause to be paid, out of the moneys of the United States, $230,749.90 to the said The Atlantic Contracting Company, on account of the said furnishing and delivery of the same, and as if the said mattresses, stone, and other material had been such as were stipulated for in the contract, and at the same rate, cost, and price as if they had been.

'And in further pursuance of the said conspiracy the said Captain Carter, about June, July, August, September, and October, 1896, did advertise for proposals for a contract for improving Cumberland sound, Georgia, in said river and harbor district, and so manage and conduct the matter of such advertising, and the matter of giving out information in regard to the contract to be let, and the matter of receiving proposals and awarding the contract, as to enable the said The Atlantic Contracting Company to secure the contract for said work and to have the same entered into by the United States with it October 8, 1896; and in further pursuance of the said conspiracy the said The Atlantic Contracting Company, from about the 8th day of October, 1896, to the 31st day of July, 1897, did furnish and put into said work certain mattresses, stone, and other materials which were different in kind and character from the mattresses, stone, and other materials contracted for in said

contract, and very much less costly to the said The Atlantic Contracting Company, as well as of less value to the United States; which said mattresses, stone, and other material so furnished and put into the work the said Captain Carter, in further pursuance of said conspiracy, did receive and accept, and cause to be received and accepted, for the United States, as and for the mattresses, stone, and other material contracted for, and did, on or about July 6, 1897, cause to be paid, out of the moneys of the United States, $345,000.00 to the said The Atlantic Contracting Company, on account of said furnishing and delivery of the same, and as if the said mattresses, stone, and other material had been such as were stipulated for in the contract, and at the same rate, cost, and price as if they had been.

'This on the 6th day of June, 1896, and thereafter to the 1st day of August, 1897.'

Charge II.—'Causing false and fraudulent claims to be made against the United States, in violation of the 60th article of war.'

Specification VI.—'In that Captain Oberlin M. Carter, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, being at the time the officer in local charge of river and harbor improvements in the Savannah river and harbor district, did cause to be made certain false and fraudulent claims against the United States and in favor of the Atlantic Contracting Company, a corporation, knowing the same to be false and fraudulent, to wit: The claim represented by the following voucher submitted by the said Captain Carter with his accounts, and marked 'Appropriation for improving harbor at Savannah, Georgia:' Voucher No. 8, $230,749.90, July, 1897; and the claim represented by the following voucher submitted by the said Captain Carter with his accounts, and marked 'Appropriation for improving Cumberland sound, Georgia and Florida:' Voucher No. 9, $345,000.00, July, 1897; which said false and fraudulent claims the said Captain Carter caused to be made by knowingly permitting the said Atlantic Contracting Company, which had previously entered into contracts, dated October 8, 1896, to furnish the United States certain mattresses,

stone, and other material, of specified kinds and qualities, for constructing works in said river and harbor district, to furnish and put into said works mattresses, stone, and other material different from, inferior to, cheaper, and of less value to the United States than those contracted for; and by receiving and accepting and paying for the same as of the kinds and qualities contracted for, and by falsely certifying to the correctness of the said vouchers, well knowing that the mattresses, stone, and other material charged for in said vouchers as having been furnished had not in fact been furnished; each of the said claims having been made in or about the month named in the above description of the voucher relating to it.'

Specification VII.—In that the accused caused to be entered on a government pay roll the names of sundry persons as laborers, and caused to be paid to them certain sums for services as laborers, whereas none of such persons had rendered services as laborers, and the accused knew such claims were false and fraudulent.

Specification VIII.—For fraudulently allowing an account of $121.60 of the Atlantic Contracting Company against the United States, for piling in repairing the Garden Bank training wall.

Specification IX.—For fraudulently allowing an account of $384 to the Atlantic Contracting Company for pile work.

Specification X.—For fraudulently allowing an amount of $108.80 to the Atlantic Contracting Company for pile dams.

Charge III.—'Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, in violation of the 61st article of war.'

Specification II.—'In that Captain Oberlin M. Carter, Corps of Engineers, United States Army, being the officer in local charge for the United States of river and harbor improvements in the Savannah river and harbor district, did wilfully and knowingly cause the following amounts to be paid out of the moneys of the United States subject to his order and control as officer in charge...