National Republican., 1880-04-19
CADET WHITTAKER'S CASE.
A Newspaper Correspondent Before
the Court.
Bo Declines to Give His Authority and Is
Rebukcd A Protest Entered slight
Inspection at the Birrncls-None
on the Night of the Assault
Social Ostracsm of
Colored Cadets.
Another pnr of tho rnmons Trial.


West POINT, N. Y, April 17At the open.
ing of the court the Times correspondent,
Edward G.. Lewis, was called to the stand, and
presented n copy Of the Times Of April 10. He
was allowed to make "A statement, when he
said by advice of counsel ho declined to an
swer all questions about the article In the
Tines except about tho first nineteen liues in
the second paragraph, on tho ground that the
information was impaired to him i'll conf
dence in his professional capacity, aud he could
not reveal ii. About tho nineteen lines re-
ferred to he would ask the indu' 'gjnce of the
court until Monday afternoon, when his coun-
sol, General McMahon, will be present.. Here
tho court held Il consultation, when, after
short delay, the president said "rhn court de-
sires to say that rs this witness has been
sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth,
nothing but the truth, and nov refuses to do
so, and proposes to give only such information
rs Is polite, no Importance would be at
tached to any information given to the press
by this correspondents. Tho court will report
the matter to the commandant of tho post, and
let the examination Of the witness drop" Re-
corlcr Sears stated to tho court that the
article referred to in the Times begins by speak
ing of u highly-important clue that the cluo
was known to the reporter on the first day
that the court convened, aud the reporter took
every necessary step to get hold of evi-
dcncc to support the clue, hut up to
anything to positively Justify him in placing
parties alleged to be concerned with II upon
the witness stand. On reading the article re-
fcrrod to he found such positive statements
that he deemed it important to put the re-
porter upon the stand in the hope Of getting
something to subst ,ntatJ the clue.
This ended this feature Of the investigation.
Second Lieutenant w. II. Coffin testified:
The night inspections of the barracks consists
of the inspector going Into the cadets rooms
with II dlrS lantern to sec if they are IN; he
did not inspect on the night Whitaker was
assaulted; he referred to ha2iny in the past,
saying the cOlorod cadets were let alone; hazed
cadets were mado to fly, crow, sometimes
smoked out, made to walk beams. etc.
After Lewis statement had been taken by
the stcnographer, he QLowsl asked the court
through the Recorder to takc his protest
against the assumption contained in the state
| meut of the court rs entirely unwdrrantcd
and unjust. lie said the assumption of tho
court, because he had taken an oath as wit
ness, and then retired within his legal right
| as advised to do by eminent military counsel,
was unjust, unwarrantod, and in violation Of
the articles Of war. The court, he said, had no
| right to hnse an opinion concerning him, un-
| less it was especially ordered. MajOr-General
| Scholleld, in command of the department ut
| West Point, was the next witness, and stated
| In substance that lie received II message from
|
morning OF April 6.h, requesting MIN
to 20 there, as Cadet Whitaker was seri
| ousy Injured. He responded us quickly as
possible, and whom near the barracks was told
| that Whitaker was not Tvs seriously hurt as
was first reported. When he learned the
| facts he gave m order for an investigation,
nmd members of the corps came to him express.
! ing Indignation over the occurrence, aud also
urging an investigation. General Scnoncld
then thought the guilty parties could easily
| be found. The investigation pursued by the
commandant of the corps lasted three days
| and tho result was reported 10 him. When he
| sent for Whitaker and informed him of the
| result as prCiulical to him, Whitaker made
| a prompt aud earnest denial and dem ,LhdGd n
court of inquiry, and General Schotod stated
| that Whittukcr's fraukncss impressed him that
| he could not be guilty. After the investigation
| thcre were reports that the guilty parties
were beyond West Point, and thou the auth0ri-
ties had to lOOl. elsewhere. In the meantime
| Whitaker could not rest under tho imputa-
| ton cast upon him. and the court Of inquiry
was promptly ordered. The bearing Of the
corps Of cadets aud the bearing Of Whitaker
| impre scd the General with the innocence of
BOTH aud the clue outside had also failed. In
closing General Schofeld said: "rhe method
pursued in this investigation was adopted
| solely In justice to Cadet Whitaker If the
| Investigation has pursued any other course
| it is unknown to me. Tho whole fact
bearing upon Whitaker must have left
in the public suspicion until the guilty par
ties were found Every means known to me,
or which have been suggested to mo from any
other source by,which tho Investigation could
be pursued have been adopted"
Other testimony revealed how coorcl cadekI
have been oStracised and Ignored in tilc past,
The clerk of the qnnrtoImaster was sworn,
aud identified the handkerchief found MS the
same style as those issUea to tho cadets, bat
said the points of the naclStio are different
from those in his possession; no nrclitie has
been issued to Whitaker since May 26, 1873,
The witness testified that hundkerchiels like
the one found had not been for sale in High
land Fails for six months.
Tho court then adjourned until Monday.