Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-04-24
THE WHITAKER INQUIRY
Some Conflicting Testimony.

WEST POINT, April 23.-The court had
consultation this morning. Simpson
adhered TO his statement that the room
in the bath house in which he and
Whitaker were the evening after the
outrage was not locked. The witness
said he became acquainted with Mrs.
Brooks in Washington through his wife,
the latter being Mrs Brooks hair dress
er. He was asked il Mrs. Brooks first
husband was General. lie replied /
suppose so. They are all Generals IA
the Southern country; was never
charged with crime in Highland
Falls nor at West Point till this Whit
taker affair came up.
Squire Van Buren, testified that on
April 18th, man named John butcher
and he had q conversation at butchers
junction, when butcher told him, re-
ferring to Whitaker, that shat damn
black cuss had to leave before long"
Point 10 see his son and had conversa-
ton with Cadet Burnett. He asked
butcher what sort Of fellow Burnett
was and he replied, "Ile is a damn bad
egg" and that Burnett told him
that il Whitaker didn't leave shortly II
job would be put up on him, and he
would have 10 leave. Witness said
that Burnett had stated to butcher that
che was going 10 put the damn black
cuss out OF the place some way" Wit
ness didn't say anything 10 any one
about this, but came to the Point 10 tell
Townsend Of IL, or Mr.. Greener.
l. a Al. L..
MED the Van Buren story. He said he
was full OF beer when he was talking TO
Van Buren,, and was talking wildly.
lie said he never saw Burnett, nor
never heard OF either him or Whitaker.
Pain, the expert, took the stand next.
He found resemblances in certain papers
the numbers Of which he did not mem
tion, but not enough on which to base
an opinion. The dissimilarities affect
the similarities.
The Recorder recalled John butcher
and said to him: "Do dou know ]
think you was sober when you had that
conversation with Van Buren, and you
can tell il 10 me in order that You may
escape the crime of perjury. now give
you chance
The witness said 81 kdow no more.
never knew Burnett"
Squire Van Buren was recalled and
said he did not think Ducher was iniOS-
i'ated when he was in conversation with
him, nor did he think butcher had a
weak mind; he never knew anything
agains, his character.
The cOlored woman, Mrs. Simpson,
testified that she first heard of the out
rage from one of the boiler men, who
had heard it from the milkman Haight.
Sne detailed her conversation with Ryan
in the latter's house, and thought there
might be some bad spirits among so
many cadets, or 1t might be
that the Republican party had
this done 40 that they might put
General Grant in for President.
Laughter. The witness said, "Now,
don't laugh; but know Grant will be
President" laughter and Townsend
said, Good tor you" Ii was afterwards
that she said John Sherman would
move heaven and earth 20 ght the col
ored vote"
Not General Sherman" ventured
the recorder.
"No," said the witness, "John Sher-
man
She was asked by the court il she
knew the colored cadet Smith, and she
replied, "Why, Major Mordecai, he
married my daughter"
She was asked where Smith was
at the present time, and she re-
piled with much emotion, "Ile is
dead. don't think he had been fairly
treated. He could have passed, but they
did not want him mere; but let all that
be buried with him. He told me he had
not been fairly treated"
Henry butcher testified that he made
no remarks which would lead his father
10 suppose Cadet Burnett was bad iel.
Ow never heard Burnett say anything
about Whitaker, nor any one else say
hey would lix Whitaker.
Vim. Mcmahon testified that he told
Mrs. Brannigan that he heard milkman
Ilaight say that three cadets were at
Ryan's the night OF the outrage.
j. +. Palmer heard such story from
Fisher Pierce, hack driver. He had
M pthar anth,ritu