The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-04-14

O'Clock recitation, and was last night occupy
Ing his room in the barracks, as II nothing
General SconeIG, who said that as far as he
knew Whitaker had not an enemy among
the cadets. 80 you think no cadet had a
hand I'm the mattei2" $50 far there is no In
dicatton of such a fact" replied General SEQ
Held. ."Every cadet in the corps has
been examined, aud they each deny
you think could be has motIveg" "He was a3-
miited TO the Academy four years ago next
June. A year ago last January he was founo
deficient, and now is in the second class. He
first roomed with Flipper, a coloTed cadet, who
graduated, and the the latter, who Is much
deal in his studies. He has run behind since.
AS the next examination is next month, and
have had brought ft about 50 ss as to have % ID been
ordered TO the hospital. and thus excused and
obtained another year of grace"
what has been his demeanor and treat
ment by the csdets?"
"He has always behaved himself IN quite
modest way, and the cadets have treated him
with uniform kindness"
will there be a further examination in his
case?"
~ am not at liberty to state at present"
'ShOuld there De,and 1t is discovered this was
his own doing, what will be the RESULT"
"His dismissal in disgrace, of course"
"COuld not Whitaker have given the alarm
If what he states is true?"
Most certainly. One cadet occupies room
adjoining his, and two opposite"
"Is there any Otner colored cadet In the
Academy"
-"No," said the general. "I should have
mentioned that Whitaker showed note of
warning against an attack of this kind"
A colOre0 man who waits on the officers says:
81 think there were cadets rooming near him,
in ms room, that If he was visited by PERSONS
in masks and allowed TO beat him and tie him
up, he hasn't a particle Of pluck, anu Is dis
grace to the cOlOred race
WHAT GENERAL sCoFIELD SAYS.
General Scofeld states to day that though
of hn ND Irnflt ta.sfn fhof Naf
Whitaker committed the outrage on himself,
the opinion thus held is mere conjecture. He
cadets committed the crime has been fully
demonstrated. The final result of the invesu .
cation has not yet been made known.
PoUGHKEEPsIE, \. " April 9-Cadet Whitta-
described the assault upon him, reiterating
his former story minutely-saying, the men
were genteelyl attired, and he could not tel
disguised cadets. He sad he
cried loud enough for help, for the occupants
in the next rooms u hear him If they had been
awake The transom over thedOor was omen
also toe ventilator over his desk. He
said the men had on slippers or were in their
stockings, and one OF the largest carrie d either
candle or taper. He did lot even suspect
who the men were. When asked what had
been the personal feeling within a month as %
the probability of his graduating, he replied I:
az always felt that would get through" He
said he never had special cause for discourage
ment before this occurred. he testified
that he mad no reasons to suppose
that there are prejudices in the minds OF his
instructors against him, and that he has q
fair chance of getting through as far as they
are concerned, but felt that hIs social saJion
has had effect upon him so far as his studies
are concerned. When some pieces of the belt
with which he had been tied were shown the
witness H. was revealed that one piece con-
tained eyelets, which none but officers belts
have, and Whitaker has never been an Of
ficer. His counsel deemed this i'm portant.
He also denied the ownership of the black
neck tie found in his room.
WEST POINT. n. Y.,April l2.-In the inquiry,
to-day, into the case of Cadet Whitaker,
Cadet Burdett was recalled. He said he
picioned that The affair was hoax; when he
saw DIR. Alexander move Whittakers eye-lids
and Whitaker showed that he had control OF
the mus scles of his ey es-that was the first he
suspicioned. Then he noticed other things.
On croSs-examination he said he did not
know the normal position of persons eyes
when the person is unconscious, lying partly
on the side and partly on the back. AS TO
strength, he said that he was stronger and
stouter than Whitaker. This was apparently
brought out to account for his power TO break
the straps with which he was bound on Satur-
day. He thought the blood spot on the wall
could not have got there unless there bad been
a struggle, and 1t would have been heard in
the room below. Superintendent James Gay
lor, of the New York PostOffice, is comparing,
as an expert, the handwriting in the note OF
warning WHITAKER found IN his room the
night before the assault with the pages from
twenty-five different cadet-books, including
Whtttaker'S.
At the opening of.Court in the afternoon
the record that Cadet Whitaker was not Bept
in the court room continually, for the reason
that his standing in his class is not such that
he can afford to lose any time, especially so in
philosophy. The Recorder desired that II
also 20 on the record that IL was customary to
speak of a person in the position OF Whitta-
ker as the accused; at least he had become
accustomed so to do In several courts martial.
but in Whittaker's case he had carefully re-
trained from sOuOing, but bad mad vert entity
made lapse. He did not consider himself in
any way prosecutor. He had no opinion,
no theory, aud dSSired to be so understood.
He considered Whitaker the accuse d in the
sense that the order directing Board of In
| quiry ito examine and investigate the impu-
| tations cast upon his character" Superin-
tendent GaylOr, an expert in writing, took the
| stand, and the Recorder explained that in ad-
diiiOn TO twenty five pages OF
cadet writing he handed Mr.. Gaylor in
| the morning he had given him ia more pages
| OF a particular cadets writing, at GaylOrs e.
quest to compare with the writing in the note
/ of warming. Then Mr.. Gay.Or, In reply to a
question by the Recorder, answered: 81 have
compared the note OF warning with thirty one
pieces of writing handed me, and find no re-
| semblanee sufficient to justify me in the
opinion that the note was written by any one
whose handwri ing appeared on the pages
handed me-" The recorder then handed Mr.
| Gaylor more specimens OF handwriting, and
| three anonymous letters, two of which had
been received by the counsel for Whitaker
| and one by the Judge Advocate. With The
i last named pa pers witness then retired for the
/ present. Cadet Fred q. Hogdson, of the Sec
/ ond class, who was the second cadet to enter
| Whittaker's room, cOrrObOrated considerable
| of Burnett's evidence, but differed with him
/ In some of it. Cadet Burnett saw no blood
/ that was not fresh. This witness said the
| blood on the Indian club was congealed, as
| was also some blood on the left side of the
head aud left ear, but not on the right. He
/ also saw a spot of dry blood two inches IN
| diameter on the mattress, which was all the
| bedding that remained on the bed.