The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-04-09

BELIEF TT AT Hs COMMITTED The phhp "'"
,v,r-A COURT or INQUIRY.


aE1r--A COURT or INQoiht'
~. .,s,.,.r,,ch 10 the washington Posf.I
.,c,,rrepsrr. N. Y, April T.-Genera'
.ciofieId concluded to-day the eA.'n,na,'v -,
30 mo cadets at West Point IN inc case u
oaiareJ cadet Whitaker, OF soutu oa
oi;na wbo was found In his room poun.,
md with his ears cut. He says u mas oesS
asmonstra,ed that no cadet bad any pan.
~ ,ho mailer Among the coptectnres eon'
.,snrod no savs. is one that Whitaker mignt
have ~ot himself tied with the help VI an
nasv ,,,,,.o and that there have been sllght
..sd,n,,ons I'm his statements. Inc
v .rr,,;na an the note OF warning when
Whitaker says he received on last
sunday has been compared with his hanu,
writing with the help Of micro'crope, an"
Z, ,s stated similarities have been detected
,hough ON thai point General Schodeld says
tho Writing will be taken to New YORK 10
obtain the views OF experts. General Scno-
field this afternoon had an interview w'tn
Whitaker, aud told him OF the conjecture,
and that lie might have tied ana lo!ufeu
himself. Whitaker emphatically ana per,
sistently denied it, and asked what cou'o
be his motive. He also asked Tor court oi
INQUIRY, which General Schoteld pas OF,
dered for Friday morning, ana wbicu wiz
be open TO the public. Whitaker mas MOI
a, any time pretended TO be badly enough
bms to need To be excused from BIS STUDIES.
Some OF the officers Of the post consider the
idea that he tied himself untenabie, ana
ethels are inclined to believe II.
scHoFIELD's VIEWS.
NEW YORK, April 7.-Asio Scho-
field was at the st. James Hotel last evening
and said there 10 reporter: "We are IN
clined. aftcr preliminary examination, To
consider the possibility that Whitaker was
not attacked at all. He said at first that his
hands and fact were tightly bound, and that
he was struck on the head and nose win an
Indian club. The doctors do not believe
him. When lie was found lying apparently
unconscious in his room, his bands were
bound by strings very loosely, and he
could have united them without trouble.
OF course, with his hands free the cords
around his feet could he removed. lie
might have been too weak 10 release nm
self. That will he determined at the eX-
animation. The doctors also say t0at ne
was not az unconscious as he seemed 10 be
when discovered by the guard. lie was
mistaken when be said he was struck on the
head and nose. He could not have been bit
on the bead, for there is no confusion or
bruise. The cuts on the ear are very short.
Whitaker afterwards said that the blood
was from his nose. The doctors are not
inclined 10 believe the latter statement, but
any body can draw blood from bis nose with
out hui ting himself much. Tue notes Whit
taker show bear resemblance TO his own
writing; though they were not III a DIS
ouised hand, am not prepared TO saw that
they are in his handwriting. We have not
the slightest clue TO show that they were
written by any cadet. We shall examine
the paper on which they were written. and,
IN fact, 90 into the most minute details. IL
is hardly possible that any other cadet VIII
be implicated. | have noticed that some or
the papers have minated thai some OF the
southern members di>liked the cadet, and
had expressed their opinion openly. Let me
state that never heard Of ANYTHING OF the
kind until it was printed. Ii 1t is decided
that Whitaker really slit his own ears, the
people will ask what his Obiec, could have
cen. 1t might have been the idea that,
though be had failed entirely in his studies,
he could obtain a commission in the army.
| never before heard OF Il case like This at
West Point. Whitaker was at the foot OF
bis class. He bad passed finally in the
study upon which he was first found de-
6cient. He was trying 10 pass after jour
ney course Of the same year. | must admit
that il he really intended TO create sympathy
for himself he showed iDdi>cretl0n in
choosing such an inoppOrtune time. The
court Of inquiry will be composed Of three
persons. If whom shall not he one. The
facts will be reported to the Secretary of
War"