National Republican., 1880-05-17
THE WHITAKER INQUIRY.
An Apparently Strong Case Against
the Accused.
Tho Experts Find the Note of warning in
His own Handwriting The Half Shoet
and its Countorpnrt-Whittn ittnlser
Ainrns His Innocence and Tx
plains the Coincidence
Views OF Grcenor.
Sensation Caused by saturdays Disclosures.

to the academy of the way In which colorod cadets
were treated. The prospect was not encouraging
but the witness said had, In some respects, been
treated better than he had expected. book was
shown him, and he recognized II as copy of Cadet
Flipper's book on "Thc Coored Cadet of West
Point" The book contained an extract from
letter from Whitaker. in which the cadet spoke of
his treatment as bully" Whitaker said the ex-
tract was correct one and It was true statement
of his sentiments at tho time 1t was written. lie
thought from the accounts that some colored cadets
had been treated worse than he had
Q. Has there been anything In your or their
treatment that would lead q sensible man to mu-
tilnte himsclfor mako himself sick? A. No; not II
he was q man.
Whitaker said when wrongs done him were re-
ported to the authorities they had been redressed
lie had no clue to the perpetrators Of the outrage:
lie now had some suspicious OF Cadets Blake ana
Mcdonald He suspected Blake on account of the
manner in which he treated him a few days before
the outrage. He had put on Dlakes cap by mis-,
take one day on coming out of the academy, and
Blake was very angry about H. He also suspected
Blake because OF the scornril manner IN which
Blake moved out Of the way one day when he
fWhittaker) was leaving the commissary's.
@. Do you think this scorn was sufficient to lead
q Inau to mutiate another and run the risk OF be-
ing dismissed from the academy of the United
States and of being confined in the pcnitentiary
A. j know sensible man would not do 1t, but |
know some men would be so debnsed and 50 biased
that they could he led to such an act. Whitaker
said he did not entertain these suspicious at the
time OF the previous examination. They were an
after thought He had had these suspicious for some
time He guspected Mcdonald from the fuss hO
had with him when they were plebs. Witness adj
mitted that he had tho knowledge OF this fuss be-
fore the investigation began but since his previous
testimony he had thought the matter all over. In
cuding his treatment by various cadets and he now
! reached the conclusion just given. lie had seen
some evidence Of aversion toward him upon the
part of several others, but not like that OF Blake
lie said that he did not remember that he had told
Lieutenant Knight of his suspicious.
n fvp,t lor mott
have done your duty to him as your counsel and to
yourself? A. think have, If did not think Of
The recorder showed Whitaker a letter and
asked "Is that your wrting?" Whitaker said he
could not tell till he read the letter and he reached
out for IT, The recorder would not let him take II,
but said "You soy this letter Is not your writing p
Whitaker refused to say whether the writing was
his or not till he had examined the letter more
closely and reached for II again and again the re-
| corder withdrew it. when Lieutenant Knight
stepped up and took the letter from Recorder Sears
aud turning about, handed the letter to Whitaker,
allowing the cadet TO read II over carefully, which
took considerable time, the letter covering many
pages Recorder Sears seemed to DO somewhat
ncttled. His course caused considerable criticism
| some Of the remarks made, and as he again took
his chair he said: ~ ask If any one not connected
to leave the room. have not made any objections
before, but now make this request
| President Mordecai snid "lf anyone makes any
| remarks he will be required TO leave the ROOM"
! The letter was finally read aloud by Whitaker
IN Il he said he felt himself utterly forlorn
and friendless. He could hardly have dreamed
| that some day the cadets would do him an injury.
lie referred to the outrage as barbarons aud said
as ho thought of II anger even boiled within his
heart" He stated the circumstances of the at
tack in detail saying his injuries might be super
icial as they had been termed, yet they would re-
main with him forever. 1t was not The slight
scratches no had received, but tho outrage itself
that he cared about. He spoke Of 1t as an oct so
nendish and cowardly that 'aynges would even
hide their heads with shame; that II was the act Of
| t,itys Ia nd M
to grace the society of the lower regions He said
it cast beautiful reputation upon one OF the high
est schools ofthe country The day ofretribntion
must come to his cownrdly prosecutors, and cX-
pressed his faith in heaven. His reading of the
letter was intensely dramatic, his voice and man.
ner being suited to the written sentences ThclctteI
was written to colored man named Wester in
New York city. In ono portion of the letter was u
sentence reading in substance as follows: "And
| vet this is what | have suffered at one Of youI
schools Boosting of honor, etc.
Recorder Sears asked him how he reconcled
the statements IN his letter with the testimony he
were the utterances OF my heart they were my
| feelings when wrote, and cling to them to-day
sir Just as teuaciously as when they were uttered
| THO recorder asked him If the marks on his ears
| remained and he replied in tho affirmative, and
turned his head SO the court could see his cars
| There are yet slight marks oil them. The recorder
next cross examined witness on clausesn his former
evidence and first statement, but he asnot shaken
seriously in any part, the discrepancies being
! edge of how they mark hogs down south, and how
| negroes in South Carolina were mutila;ed by
ku.klux. To the, latter he answered he had heard
| OF shooting them, killing them, burning them; lie
never heard of their noses or lips being slit or ears
cropped In reply to questions he said lie had
written two or three stories, but he had not sent
| them to newspapers lie had written two or three
simply for amusement in leisure hours He had
written one or two love stories, and had read some
| sensation literature, but not much.
| Q,-Do you or hayeyou considered that you have
a special mission to perform for the social eleYn-
| ton of your race more Than any other intelligent
oil pl more other
Whitaker had six hNndkerchefs, but only four
were found and in reply 10 the recorder he said
he could not tell where tho other two were, and
also said ii his noCkte could not be found no sup
posed It was lost, HeGways used a, ,pillow:easc on
his pillow and could not tell how his knife came
| to be on the floor Of his room; II tho door wns
| locked in the bath-r when he was there he did
not know II, and he did not think It was found
locked; il may have been. lie was handed a letter
he wrote to his mother on the day of the outrage,
The J reeSrder@Why do you say in that letter
shall see that justice Is done, If have " apply to
| congres y
wanted full investigation. Ineyer had doubt
but the authorities would investigate It,
lie was questioned closely about the burned
described infinitely how he laid upon the
would be killed His bible was intact the
night before and he could not account for the fact
that the lyleRyes had been carefully cut out, and
that the cuts were of the length of his scissor blade
and he huu SUSPICION us 10 VINO llle tlllrl CNuet
| might be- He was smaller than Cadet Blake and
| taller than Mcdonald. The former colored cadet,
| Flipper had sent him telegram suggesting that
| Cadet Mcdonald might have been one Of his as
saiants. No one else has suggested any cadet.
Whitaker said he had spoken TO Detective Fisher
| and another detective about Blake and Mcdonald,
and in reply to questions, he added further: mo
one suggested should mention their names TO the
court, / think have done justice in not mention.
| ing them before was asked. don't think il jus.
! ticc To myself to mention any suspicious unless
have good grounds"
| The recorder then asked: Can YOU justify your
self In coming into court and bringing tho names
| of these men in dsToputel A. You asked me and
| | have a right to tell you.
| The recorder then asked him If he still adhe red
to his statements that he knows nothlng about the
note of warning, and he replied that he did when
all tho suppressed portions Of the reports read
| the recorder showing that each expert fixed upon
| the handwriting of Cadet Whitaker rs the hand.
writing of the person who wrote the note OF warm
| ing-thlB fixing the mysterious numbers named
In tho reports Of the experts on Whitaker inClud,
| ing numbers s, n, %, AS, 40, etc There was a
great mass Of this evidence in notes, sheets OF
paper experts statements, etc, all Of which bore
| heavily against Whitaker But that which was
| the eliminating event Of the entire in.
vestlvaton thus far was the reading OF
the suppressed portion Of Expert SouthWorth's TO,
poIt as IL was presented to the court at the late
secret session II reads rs follows "May it please
vour houors there Is stil another thing TO be con.
sidered strictly legitimatey within the province OF
| the handwriting expert to take up and is ubso-
| lutely pertaining 10 his duties rs the analysis OF