New-York tribune., 1880-04-08


ACTION-WiiI1TAKER's EMPHATIC DENIAL.
1t is believed by some that the colOred cadet
j. c. Whitaker, who was reported yesterday
as having been assaulted at West Point cut
himself in order to escape dismissal for failing
to keep up in his class. This charge Whitaker
denies emphatically, and he has demanded
court of inquiry, which will begin to sit to-
morrow. Talks with Whitaker and with Cen
eral Schofeld, the superintendent of the Acad-
emy, are given below.
A COURT OF INQUIRY DEMANDED.
THE CADETS DESIRE 10 ESTABLISH HIS INNOCENCE
-FEFLISG At THE ACADEMY-TAIK WITH GIN
ERAL sCHOFIEIp.
lrRoM SPECIAL coRREsPoNDENT or THE TRIDUSEl
WEST POINT April 7-At the mcss-tables and in
barracks to-day. the universal topic of conversa-
ton has been the alleged outrage upon the coored
cadet from South Carolina, j. G. Whitaker on
Monday night. Singrlarly enough the opinion
has become very general among the officers and
cadets that Whitaker cut and bound himself.
There are several reasons why by this means he
could accomplish desired end. He is said to be
rather dull in his studies and philosophy is an cs-
pecal stumbling block to him. So long as he had
colOrad companions among the cadets he got along
tOlerably well. for he assisted by thcm and was
spurred on to harder work. But despite these
friends he was set back for year. Among the
cadets it is said that his philosophy would mako
him deficient" rs the phrase is, for this year. and
would result in his retirement from the
corps. For the last week or two he has heen
steadily losing ground in philosophy, it is said on
good authority. although Monday the total of all
of his marks left him proficient" that s, with
marks enough to cntitlo him to enter OH examina-
tion. 4 few more days. however. would have left
him without this privilege, unless he picked up un-
expcctcdy. The theory therefore, is very generally
held that he sought this singular means OF getting
ITO the hospital for time in order that he might
enter the annual examinations with proficient"
record.
When General Schoiicld the principal Of the
academy, told Whitaker that the officers Thought
IIr was playing trick, the young said that the
charge was insult added to injury, and demanded
court OF inquiry in order that the matter might be
silted to the bottom The request was granted, and
the court will meet Friday morning with open
doors.
surgeon Alexander saws that the not in
sensible when he was found When he lifted one
OF WhittakrTs rycllds The young man tried TO keep
his eyes shut, wl"reupOn the surgeon told him to
get up and wash himself. This he did. Near hlm
lay a knife and n pair Of scissors. nnd in
little pic on the floor was Some Of his
hair that hld been cut from the side
Of his head. Ills cuts were very slight.
nor was there any bruisc Oh his head
that would have caused insens.bility. The blood
was fresh and could not, 1t IL SAID have flowed
from wounds inflicted long three or four hours
before the time when he discovered.
wHITTAKEIPs sIULY REITERATED.
Against all this testimony there IS the emphatic
denial Of Whitaker. who to-day rrhcarscd the
events Of the night substantially as they given
III TIE TRIBUNE to dav. he admitted that hc hnd
no enemy among the cadets that LIZ knew OF. Al
though he had no social relations with his
rades-n-aruIs III their official capacity they had
treated hin politely and courtcousy.
"Wbo do you think committed the assault p he
was asked,
" | don't really know" he replied int t.ink
they were cadets. have no SPECIAL enemies, bn;
there is Il general feeling against me. II ~ gross
Outrage to BAY that mutlatcd myself. | AN not
afraid Of the examlnations, nor DO ! crave anyonos
sympathy. an Is alleged, l shOnld bo the biggest
fool III the world TO try to get any0ne's sympathy
in that way. Gentlemen, | consider my honor to-
day dear as Is tnat Of tho corps which hns been
shattered by tins deed
Whitaker is twenty-Onc years old, has a very
light brown face, and short, curly Lalr. lie told
his story vOubly. and seemed to be particularly
ANXIOUS hat the country should know an about his
the truth of the theory that he did the deed himself.
hc spoke with hIs usual del beraton. ns though ho
had weighed his sen; ;en"'s beforehand.
He added some details To the story Of the event
iul night. One OF his assallaniH suggested tnat
they shave his head, and few locks Ol his haIr
we,e cut off. The snort man, who seems to have
been the tendcr-hcartrd one oi the three, held
alUOi ho says, from the struggle. nut at the clOSn
offered to put hIs handkerchief under his ear
80 as to stop the blcodlng. " Then," continued
Whitaker, one O the men sad, Gci GLASS; and
let hlm see himIsrlf' They brought glass, and,
nlter pressing 1t against my nose broke II oyer my
head. When they were about to go away | asked
them to put pillow under my head, aud they did
3d."
TALK WITH GENERAL scnOTIFLD.
This afternoon your correspondent visited General
Schoicld who was found in his study njoying "a
cigar He talked freely about Cadet Whlttakcrs
case " shall appoint court Of inquiry" lie said
to consist of Judge Advocate aud three officers
The court will convene at 10 Il. H. Friday, and
the Investigation will be searching as 1t
can bo made. To-day at the COInmamdaut
finished the examination of the corps of cadets and
each one of the men declared upon biz honor that
he knew nothing about the outrage. For my part
am convinced that no ono in tho corps
had anything tc do with the affair. One
OH sunday lie received note OF warning. his |
note was shown to the cadets t0-day, and each
denied having written it, Now, II anyone had sent |
1t h, the present state of feeling in the corps
II would have been an honor to claim Its author
ship. Whitaker told me himself that he knows of no
enemy among the young men, lie has simply been |
OstracIscd, and SAID himself that during the last |
year Only cadet has spoken to hlB, that was
last Summer " l do not creGlt the statement TINT
he men refuse to eat food from Il dish after he |
has helped hInsclf-unlcss. perhaps, this may be
true in regard H. the drinking gOurd. The scnti-
mcnt, think. in tho corps. has been one OF utter
Indifference to him, but not OF hostility.
Two years 80 McDpnaid. cadet from Alabama,
got into Il dispute with him and knOckeI him down,
Tor which offence he was concentrated aud sls-
pended for year, But with this exception Whtta-
krr has had 10 trouble | am convinced that Nc
Donald dd net commit the Ontragc."
"Would ho have any motive for committing this
assault upOd hiInseliV
Yes, he is behind in his studies, and might hope
a. fuf ~ m tfrt lnf
he is ODly slightly bruised. After he waS discovered
he went to the hospital took hls breakfast and had
lis wounds examined by Surgeon Alexander and AS
sls Int-SurgcOn Lippincott very small part of his
let ear was cut OH, and his other was slightly