New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-11
TIE WHITAKER TRIAL.
TESTIMONY AT THE COURT-MARrIAL

pv.uIytNG PERSONS WHO WERE ONCE CADETS
INVESTIGATING CASE WITH HIS MIND MADE UP.
Notwithstanding the unpleasant weather yes
terday the attendance at the Whitaker cournartai
was a. large It has been Oh any day. AIter tue teS
mony taken on Wednesday had been read the crosseA
animation OF Lieutenant william II. Coffin was con-
tinued Nothing new, however. WIS ehcited by this
Lieutenant Walter NJ Dickinson was next called 10 the
stand He graduated from west P0nt las' Juno anu
IA now stationed in the Indian Territory lie ~ tal'
well.formed Young man, with very Intelligent race
which 10 adorned by transparent mustache
and side whiskers. Among other thngs lie sara
that no had noticed several times In Ills
inspection tours through the cadets rooms, when
was a part of his duty 1T West Point that "mt'aKer
inflow was without pow-case. He had not reported
H. as lac did think 1t was his duty to do 80 inc VIII
ness thought that hair looked az he had cut
II himself Apparently he had held his l0okngRass III
one hand whH lie had used he scissors WIN Tue otner
Lieutenant Dickinson had examined me scissors wn,cn
found In Whttnkers ROOM ana haa n'5coveaT
hair on one the blades In company with Leutcnan
Coffin he had discovered second har on these iew
huur. later had also punches OF WhlthRers mar
on Tie floor ON the Indian club there were four drops oi
colgulaed booi. as II SOME one haa diPu i pr me
into pool OF blood and then allowed then 10 arp Oh tue
What made YOU think" asked Mr. Chamberlain. THAT
II was Whittakrr'- haIT you saw on the ioor T.
IL was either wnitlaKer's HAIR or the hair OF some
cuorcd person"
How do you know that ~
&" II wooy. A white mans hair may he curly oNt
You said YOU thought Whitaker hair looked "a II i.
had cut II himself viii you please explain yourself
on Tie front parl Of his head It cut upward and
backward In exactly The same way that ANYONE wo,ld
Gu, ms hair # he had no ore 10 assist him. This wIs
also the Gaze on the back Of his head
Haven! YOU any other reason Tor ihis ",e' s.ers
20 me that II Ind cut my own nWr mat is the way
should have done IT, , =
isn'r tins fancy Of yours rather than reason
IN ould be glnd. however 10 henr any reasons or your
belief, II you have any " ,,,.
that II another person hal cut his hair would nave
been don' differently 49,
Yes should have considered my'Sl ai,hgnreu ,,o
nnu,,rr IN which his hair cut !"
did not pay much attention to 1t when was In his
r y"ld down -tairs siy or seven feet behind nm
noticed the WAY which his hair was cut ana think
The icn IrII occurred 10 ~" then 'n"' per"p'
n Tor Merrill Wnnt made YOU think that The four
G alscrs u ''''0' VI
~ ciu.r Jaw D o other wa, In which account for
their appearance and ,su;oH.'
pa van cX1miur Wait ikrr's hardsi"
~ he had gone To the hospital when came 10 mat
lila YOU accepted the theory u whiiiukcr's guilt
when ,"u Examined the Indian clubf'
'Not when first saw II. After had accepted It:
however. went BACK ami looked at IT," cu' rgal.
dnccd by wmt'ekcr allowing the blood to arp fron
t'""Irl Morrow-"Upon wha, ,ct' did Won base your
| theory th,t Whitaker mniIlaird himself T.
Il bought mt one out Idle of the adrmy could
have uar A. aui did moi believe thai any OF Tue cauets
| except WhI;tahrr would do IT," 49,
| al hr be llkrlY 10 Ito such thing T.
lie Id. l. ~ his t-s"s aud was no. doing Well
| WAS that thc un.y rrA-On you Hal
81 don't know ~ can ggo any other
Did you ever know any o her cadet VINO mutllated
| himself because Ic was low IN his sludiesF
! ''Np, sir.'
Would you have thought white cadet capable OF
! such a tillgf'
| "Yr.; II hc had hoen IN Wn'tai"r'i crcumst ncr-"
N, iut MERRILL" Had color anything To dO wth Your
! b-liri T.
| ,on't think sn"
Professor Grrcn-r-" Wcrc orc Of tie cadets cm.
| poyrI - detectives in investigating TINS case
" Yrs. SIR. WAS
Major CaT,icr-" When yOu were investigating tbs
among TIE cltr's what theory did you fnllow-thht
Whttakrr gully. TINT he wa] innocent. and that
yuu were simply trying To tud the guilty pcrs0nsI
| " lIunn tie theory thnt WHITAKER did n himself
Charles stuart law student Ut Columbia COLLEGE Law
S,hnn was tie witness He graduated from West
p,ut last june. mt has resigned IRON the Army sine"
thcn He trh III II that his room at West Point was
- most directly underneath that Of Cadet Whttakers.
down the from the OOr above his roOm lie had
rrpnrtrd the Officers VINO hal investigated IT, II
turned hc (adrt Willis who had got up t1ry That
morning take bath Mr.. Stuart was Then dlsmlsacd
Major Gardner SAID that he had matter lie wished TO
hiring before the Court. He desIrd to Introduce the
testimony uf Cadet Whittnkcr before the COdrt OF IN
ur,rv ~ evidence. Mr. Chlmbr rln responded that lie
INJECTED 10 this most drcdrdy II would be detrimen-
taI interests ~ his client and directly contrary 10
The regulations of the Army These stated specifically
that testimony taken ut Court OF Inquiry should not he
Introduced into cOurtmartia which involved tile tls-
| missal officer from The Army, or when the ORAL
testimony If tie witness could be Obtalucd The hour
for adjournment having arrived, the further discussion
| OF this was postponed until this morning