The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-05-17
The CoLoHED CADEr.
He is Put on the stand aud closely Ques.
tIOned-I he Hand N riting Goes 10 show
That he Mutilated HIMSELF

i
He is Put on the stand aud closely Ques
tiOned-I he Hand " riting Goes 10 shoM
That he Mutilated Himself
WEST POINT, N. Y, May l5.-Joseph E,
Paine, expert, was recalled, and testified
to striking similariies in one of the set o.
pairs viewed by the other experts with the
note Of warning. The testimony was,i the
main, corroboratiye of other experts. The
courtroom was filed with people, it beinG
stated that Cadet Whitaker would under
go severe examination.
Cadet Whitaker was called, and in re
ply to questions he said he had heard be
fore he came to the academy of the way il
which colored cadets were treated. Tht
prospects were not encouraging, but he
had in many respect been treated bettel
than he expected.
A copy Of Lieuten ant Flipper's book or
''The Colored Cadet Of West Point" was
shown Whitaker. The book contained
an extract from letter from Whitaker
| in which he spoke OF his treatment as
"bully." Whitaker said the extract was
a correct one, and that 1t was true state
ment OF his sentiment at the time It was
written. He thought from iaccounts that
some colored cadets had been treated
worse than he had.
U. Has there been anything improper
in their treatment that would lead sen.
sible man to mutilate or make himself
sick2
A. No, not II he was man.
Whitaker said when the wrongs done
him were reported to the authorities, they
had been redressed. He had no clue to
the perpetrators Of the outrage. He now
had some suspicious OF Cadets Blake and
Mcdonald. He suspected Blake on ac-
count of the manner in which Blake treat
ed him few days before the outrage. BE
had on Blake's cap by mistake one day in
coming out OF the academy, and Blake was
very angry about it. He also suspected
Blake because OF the scorniul manner in
which Blake moved of one day when he
| (Whittaker) was leaving the Commissary,s.
Question-Do you think this scorn was
sufficient to lead q man to mutilate another
and run the risk OF being dismissed from
the army Of the United States, and being
confined in the penitentiary.
Al know sensible man would not
do it, but I know some men could be 50
debased and so biased that they could be
led to such an act. He did not entertain
these suspicious at the time OF his previ-
Gus examination. They were afterthoughts.
He suspected Mcdonald from the fuss he
had with him when they were plebs. He
had bad knowledge OF this fuss before
before the investigation began, but
since his previous testimony he
had thought the matter all over, including
his treatment by the various cadets, and
he had now reached the conclusion Just
given. He had seen some evidences oil
aversion towards him by several other ca.
diets, but not like that Of Blake. He did
not remember that he had told Lieutenant
knight Of his suspicious.
Question-If you have not told him, do
you think you have done your duty 70
your counsel and yourself?
Answer-I think l have, II / did moi
think OF 1t when talking with him. II he
had not told Lieutenant knight, perhaps
the suspicious were not strong enough.
The Recorder showed Whitaker a let.
ter and asked: 'Is that your wridng2'
Whitaker said he could not tell till he
read the letter, and he reached out for It
The Recorder would not let him take it.
but said: "You see the letter; is that your
writing2" Whitaker refused to say wheth,
er the writing was his or not till he had
examined the letter more closely, and
reached for It again, and again the Re
corder withdrew It, when Lieutenant
Knight stepped up and took the Record
er's chair, and turning about, handed II
10 Whitaker, who read 1t very carefully
This took considerable time, the letter Gov
lering many pages. Recorder Sears seem
ed nettled, and his course caused consid
cradle criticism by the spectators. He
must have overheard some remarks, FOL
as he again took his chair he said: 81 ash
IL any one not connected with the Court
makes remarks, that they be required Z
leave the room, have not made any OBJ
iections before, but now make this re-
ouest,r President Mordecai said II any
one makes remarks they will be required
TO leave the room.
The letter was finally read aloud by Mr.
Whitaker. In 1t the cadet said he iel
himself utterly forlorn and friendless. d,
could hardly have dreamed that some da!
Inc cadets would do him injury. He re
ierred to the outrage as "hArbarous," ant
said as he thought Of It in his "anger ever
/, boiled within his breast" He stated tht
. circumstances Of the attack in detail, say
. Ing his injuries might be superficial, a
they had been termed, yet they would re
main with him forever. It was not tn
: slight scratches that he had received, bu
, | the outrage itself that he cared about Il
spoke OF Il as IN act 50 hendish and COW
+ ardly that sayages would even hide thei
/ heads with shame; that It was an act q
3 spirits so cowardly and base as were nc
fit 10 grace society Of the lower regioni
He said It cast beautiful reputation ppo
! one Of the highest schools Of the country
I and he felt the day OF retributon mai
y come TO his cowardly prosecutors, and e.
d pressed his faith in heaven. His readin
o Of the letter was intensely dramatic, sui
Ing his voice and manner 10 the write
4 sentences. The letter was written 70
q colored man named Weston, in New YoE
= city. In one portion OF the letter was
/, sentence, reading in substance rs follow
y "And yet this ia what have suffered