New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-15

THE UUTILHTEU CADET.
TESTIMONY OF MAJOR ALEXANDER.

WuITrAKHR's CONDITION AFTER BEING D1sCoVERED
THE WITNESSES VIEWS on CONSEQUENCES AND
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND CoNPosueE
OF WHITAKER.
The Whitaker Court-martlal assembled at inc
usua time yesterday, but almost lnllneuateiV aItI
convcninp its members retired to discuss the qnes-
tion of admitting Wiltakers evidence at inc ConLt
of Inquiry 1t was O'clock 9ctHre me nrt had
decided to sustain Mr.. Cbamberam's oplectloh
against admitting this testimony. The Jnuge,,
Advocate, he added. would sustain tne GnaIEe 90
pnriury by witnesses. but not by the record these
witnesses however could refresh their memory II
necessary by meaps of the court record ana Dy
Major Charles 7. Alexander then took the witness
stand In reply to questions of Mr.. Chamberiain,
he SAID that lie had Dcen stationed az Yves. ioinI
since Aur,lst % 1873 In the war he was AZ 81;
Touis for long time For fifteen months be hau
charge OF hospital, and for two years ne acted AZ
menica purveyor He vas also az nr pd wsS
inptOp When hr first went into Whitaker room,
Major Piper and several cadets were there. CORONER
Lazelle spoke Whitaker and TOLD nm 10 get Hp
what kind of a tone did he use I" asked Mr.
Chamberlain.
"How did Whitaker get up after you SHOOK MINI
After Whitaker went 20 the hospital. did you
say i'll the dispensary that you though 1nat some Vi
the cadets had got drunk and done thiSF -,
No, air don'u think ever said in my life that
:" YOu said Won noticed resistance when you en-
:" Yes 3: | was conscious of a slight resistance"
Did Whitaker MAINTAIN an appearance OF I'M
consciousness during all the time that You were III
his room p ~,
He didn't have that appearance at all to me. His
free was calm but his features were not relaxed as
they would have been If he had been UNCONSCIOUS
or asleep" :. ,o
or only fcignng sleep |" ~
"Wcll | can make pretty guess at IT,"
"You have said that he was conscious when you
found him You have also said that his pulse at
that time was beating regu ary, and that his whole
physical condition was natuIIl WIN the exception
of his slight Injuries. Now, doctor, ii Whitaker
had committed this crime two or three hours before
"a crime which would disgrace him for life If DIS
coverrd-if moreover. he was perfectly conscious
of his surroundings and if he was well aware that
you had been sent for, and that you were about to
test bis condition. do you think that he could have
maintained his cOmpOsure under those cir
CuustanceS r.
Il think he could"
Did you ever near or read OF any case where
man has succeeded in doing this under equally try
ing circumstances r
did Won ever hear Of anyone doing this, with
the exception of some hardened CRIMINAL who was
fegning illness to escape punishment = ,.
mo; it would require some practice. think
could do ii If had committed crime that WOulu
disgrace me for lltc."
Would not such situation excite an ordinary
person Would not the pulse beat faster than
" Yes: naturally"
do yon think a boy of twenty conld commit
such crime and then preserve his natura! physical
condition ~
- II you speak of any ordinary person, should
y" Can a man ordinarily control his pulse while eA-
NO; bur Whitaker my not have been excited
" You think. them that boy might 90 through
such n scene calmly"
. Ii il possible"
Would there have been any resistance when you
tried to open Whttaker's eye If he nd been uncon-
scOusW
None at all"
Sup e that Wlittakcc had been in n state Of
deep unc, seriousness and that you had bofn hand
ling HIM for fifteen or twenty minutes, IA the tcsti
mOny shows he had been handled; would 1t be- un-
natural for him 10 be returning to CONSCIOUSNESS al
that timer
IL should say not
4" If he was about to collapse from fright and he
and suppo,ing that he a coward. would not this
belief he liable 10 hasten his collapse T.
B" Yes, presume so"
:" believe you sad Whitaker ought TO have
tainted when his were cnt. suppose that three
men did come into his room and that for u time he
thought hs life IN danger, would yOu regard II
as unnatural for him To faint when the Crisis was
pat /"
II should think it was very unnatural after he
bad passed through everything So qucty.'
Haze yOu not known. in your experience. OF per-
sons WHO have encountered great dangers. and who
have passed through them bravcly, but who havo
tainted the moment they were sale
No. have not
Well / have. aud have had such experience
myself. II Whitaker was lncHLsciOns, how long
was this sIdte likely TO Last :"
"InSrlEly four Or five hOnls.'
Would not the tact that. when be arose, his mind
was good working order, 60 TO prove that he had
slept hi. excitement OH =
"lrs.'
Tie Court then adjourned until II o'clock this
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