The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-04-11
Examining into the Outrage Cora.
mitted on Whitaker, the
COIOred Cadet.
Whitaker Still Swears that He Had
Nothing Himself To Do
with the Outrage.
Some Evidence Corroborating His Tsai-
mony.

WEST POINT. April 10.-Cadet Whitaker In
his examlnh alton, after detail AK the c'cum-
stances Of the alleRt d out age as first told by
him, was asked what had be en- Ills personal
feelings within month rs to the probability Of
his graduating. replied: Il tvays feltI would
70 through" He said he ievsr hal special
cause for discouragem tfore this occurred.
He was asked II he had ever, written any gloomy
etters to friends or others. He said he wrote q
gloomy lstter to his mJ1 ier about bor affairs
preventing him from gra austing. He told her
he was sure he could fin soms way 10 pay her
rent. or he would resia n. He wrote another
,etter to certain party .sGylng II he could not
raise that u, 1nsy for hi q mother he would re-
sign when he reee wed o reply tendering
money az a loan If b 10 would par 1t aiter he
graduated. Hs accep led the offor. and the first
lnetallmept came sot IA after. This week be-
fore the Outrage. an endeav )r was made con-
Meeting him famiii srly with the family OF the
color "a boUtDlack ! the Academp, but he testi-
fed that his last v sit y that persons family
no reason to supJ Jose that there were oreju-
dices In the min is of bis instructors agaiust
h and tei ne has sn Gas e tbnf
social isoiation las had an effJct on him as far
a. his studies sr concerned.
When some OF the pieces Of belt with which
he had been tiefl were shown witness, ttwss re-
veaied that one pises oontsiaed eye eyeets which
ea nevsr ens p Is a. oe as annse
this importan {. he, also denied ownership OF
che BLACK nec ttie q oHad ,s j jn hls room .s
Whitaker was recalled. ,Ee said he had no
PlsaGs doptt " cut M myear" he had seen ~ told @
that the gas was found lighted in the morning.
but he had positively extingui5hed 1t before has
retirement. When the surgeon aroC5ed bim
he thought his .assstlants mad returned. The
penknife Q nd scissors were found In his room.
He Identified them as his own. He was shown
d white ha ndk erchief. with the corner cut out.
that was found In bis room. but said he never
saw II before Thursday last During the ex-
animation he was taken into the ente- -room.
where the court examined his ears, ancle and
head. and on his return. Ia answer to gues-
binding on his conscience to tell the whole
truth. and that he firmly believed q false oath
PyOvsd future punish The 1eSoras cor,
put your hand on that Bible. which vou have SO
often read, and take an oath that You are Ia no
way cognizant In no way free r,s agent; or haze
9nts" Whitaker. took the Bible, looked his
yo ke tbas H cey
and firmly. :! do. SIR His testimony after
Two BARRIERS attached to the post were
sworn In, regard to the cutting OF his hair,
their evidence &c Ing TO show that the small
have cut his hair as It Is now cut. When these
witnesses finished. at the suggestion OF Whitta-
eF c9anse the Litter "thdfsw s and then
called to the witness stand.
Burnetts testimony showed that he was the
Qffloer OF the day when Whitaker WAS found.
He was the lrst one to enter the room. and called
him repeatedly, but Whitaker made no answer.
Witness then described the position In which he
found Whitaker. his appearance. and the con-
dttion of the room. Witness. by direction. laid
himself on the fS6r by the black BOARD. and
showed the position Whitaker was in when he
first saw him. His feet were elevated and he lay
partly on his side; and It seemed almost I'm
possible for Whitaker so have united the cords
about his feet from the position that witness
illustrated he was In. especially II his hands
were firmly bound, He also exhibit
cd how the knots were tied. showing
there was more than one full knot, and that
the knots were of character somewhat diff
cult to unite. Afterwards he tied his own
wrists as he said Whittaker's were tied, and
then broke the bands through the space be-
tween his hands. After he was tied there was
two inches. whereas he testified the space be-
tween Whittaker's hands WAS one inch and his
wrists two inches, which would make much
difference In leverage when pulling laterally.
In breaking the bands witness suffered abra-
zion of the skin on both WRISTS. In appearance
he is physically much stronger Ae was also
bound hand and foot, as was. Whitaker. and
laid beside the iron bedstead which had been
brought Into court, and his feet tied to 1t, when
he showed that he could reach the knots on his
feet with his hands. 1t is proper to state thai
before Cadet Burnett was called to the witness
stand Whitaker at the suggestion of counsel
retired from the room, and was not present
during Burnett's evidence. Adjourned.