New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-26
TILE NEGRO AT WEST POINT
TESTIMONY OF SEVERAL WITNESSES

TESTIMONY OF SEVERAL WITNESSES.
wHIITAKRR's LETTER TO FRTKND-THE IMPRESS
sIoNs OF observation-disclosures SEARS TAKES
THE STAND.
The Whitaker Court.Martial was to open yester-
day with the reading OF the testimony OF Lleatenen
Point and did lot reach the city until s M 90
Whitaker has boarded with him
at different times and he is living with him now
called TO identify letter which he received from
Whitaker in tue early part OF last April and which
was introduced evidence at the Court OF Inquiry
Whitaker spoke first in this of ns frendless posi-
tIon AZ West Point. He then told In detail the story
of the attack and outrage upon him. -
Thomas Sampson, detective, who was sent 70
West Point by the Government was the next Wit
ness He testified that he talked with whitaker
several times about the outrage The cadet SAID
that he could not identity his assallants either ny
their SIZE their appearance or their voices. sampson
first inspected the cadets. but Whitaker had SAID
he could not fix 1t on them, although he old
not believe that anyone outside could have
done it. The detective asked him if ne had
done it himself and Whitaker replied that he
had rot. Whittakers manner, IN these interviews
had been that of an upright and honest young man.
He had not appeared, perhaps as manly as the other
cadets but the detective attributed TINS 70 ms pc
culiar social position. he thought lnat Mn'taked
spiriJ had been broken little. The cadet talked
frankly however, and did not appear to be keeping
anything back. ., , -,
The Court-Have You generally been successful
l
q have generally been considered so, and have
received medals for my success from the City OF
New-York." nv
Walter Mitchell, an officers servant at West
Point testiied that Whitaker showed him the let
ter of warning the night before the outrage was
committed. and told him that he was going to SLOW
IL TO the officers. The witness ADVISED him not TO DC
So saving that they would only laugh at him, and
that if anyone intended to nlure him he wouid mol
| have received note Of warning.
Lieutenant Burnett having finally arrived, his
testimony was read to him, and after ne nad an
| swered a number Of unimportant questions lie was
| dismissed.
| tify He was recorder at the Court OF Inquiry
| After he had been sworn Major Gardner asked hin
| his full name and rank whereupOn the witness
naralyzed the Court with the following: Clinton b.
Sears captain in the engineer corps assistant pro
lessor of philosophy at the United states Military
| Academy and Recorder of the Court OF inquiry at
| West Pont-a position which believe still hold
| as the Court has never been dissolved"
| This tailed witness then testified that Whitaker
had been under isinstruction twice at west folnt
He had always thought that the cadet was studlou.
and an xOus to excel IN his studies. Whitaker aud
two white cadets failed at the January examination
! in 1879 He told General Sch06eld at that time
| that he thought none of them ought to have an
other chance. but that Whitaker Was the most dc
| serving of the three Whitaker and one Of the
| white cadets were gwen another trial
After he went back class Whitaker did better
| uutil March of 1880, when his "stand" began Il
| run down rapidly At the time the outrage wa
was likely to tail in his studies unless he improved
At the time of the examination last June Whitaker
| was next TO the lowest man In the class He anC
| another cadet had failed at the examination. Tit
| other cadet had been dismissed, but Whitaker wa
still member of the second class at West Point, q
4 his dismissal had never been approved.
| The Court adjourned until Monday morning. wher
| CAPTAIN Sears will be cross-examined