The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-06-04
CADET WHITAKER.
The Report of tgse West Point Court
j ~ OF InQuirY.#


Tho conclusions Of the Court of Inquiry in
the case Of Cadet Whitaker are as follows:
1. The court is unable to believe that such slight
wounds as Cadet Whitaker received could have been
inflicted by persons in the manner and under the
circumstances described by him.
2. 1t does not why man with his surroundings
and Ill h1s condition and frame Of mind, shown
by his own evidence, Rhoud have submitted to ali
assault such RS is alleged without summouifg assist
ance during the assault or immediately thereafter
believes person tied as he was and left as he
claims to have been could readily have released him
self had he exerted himself to do 70.
4. From the testimony of the Post Surgeon and
others the court s compelled to believe Cadet Whit
taker WIS neither asleep insensible when he was
examined on the morning of April g. 1880, but that
he feigning.
g. The court is not able to discover any motive that
any person, other than Cadet Whitaker could have
had in making sue. assault and there is evidence
whatever that any person did it.
g. 1t believes that the hair-clipping nesh-cutting
and binding could all have been accomplished by
Cadet Whitaker himself
T. The theory that the note of warming is an imita-
ton of Cadet Whittaker's handwriting is, in the
opinion of the court, untenable. The tests to
which experts in handwriting subjected, and
their positive testimony, place it beyond doubt that
Cadet Whitaker himself wrote the note of warming,
and therefore that he is not ignorant Of tho person
or persons engaged in the affair This latter concu-
sion is strengthened by the fact that onehalf of the
sheet Of paper which this note is written was
found in Cadet Whittakers possession.
The opinion of the court is as follows:
From the strong array of circnrstantial evil
dencc, from testimony of experts in handwriting,
and from the conflicting statements of Cadet Whit
taker and lack of veracity evinced by him i'll certain
during the investigation, shown by the evil
dence the court is of the opinion that the putation
upon the character Of Cadet Whitaker referred to
in the order converting the court and contained in
the official reports of the C1mmandant of Cadets and
Post Surgeon, is fully sustained.
When the report was sent to Gen. Schofeld
and read by him, he caused letter to be adj
dressed to Col Lazelle, Commandment of
the. corps of cadets, directing the arrest
of Whitaker and placing him in
confinement in his room. The order was
promptly carried out, and Whitaker will re-
main under arrest until the case is disposed of,
and guard will keep him under surveillance.
Whitaker still piotests his innocence The
findings of the court have been forwarded to
the War Department.
Prof. R. T. Greener, of Washington who
was one Of Whittaker's volunteer aids, de-
nounces the methods employed by the Court
of Inquiry to convict him. He says the entire
force of the so-called investigation was directed,
not toward finding out who might have COM
nlitted the outrage, but toward proving Whit
taker guilty, and that he has been prejudiced
III suppositions, assumptions, insnuations and
crpert testimony.