Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-08-17
SURGEON DUNCAN's TRIAL.

account of the Illness OF counsel Hamilton.
SURGEON DUNCAN'S TRIAL.
In the trial yesterday at Thorough
fare of Surgeon Duncan, Adolph Con
gal, the corporal who went with Capt.
Ross to investigate the grave digging,
gave evidence which corroborated that
given by Capt. Ross on Monday. He
stated that DR.. Duncan wss in charge
of the men they found opening the
graves. He heard him tell the men to
dig on this side" Capt. Ross had
nothing to do with the digging. DR..
Duncan had something in his hand that
looked like a bone, but witness was
not certain. Capt. Ross did not stop
them; they just kept on digging. and
paid no attention to him. They just
laughed at him. DR.. Duncan laughed
at him. They said Capt. Ross had
nothing to do with them" Witness
also stated that he saw Private Wise
digging in the grave.
Private A. Resor, Company L, stated
hat he had recognized the accused as
Dr.. Duncan, Twenty second Kansas
He said:
"Oo August saw a party of men
digging in what they said they sup
posed were graves. knew no
one there beside DR.. Duncan, OF
Company K. The grave was about
NO and a-half feet deep when
! saw it. I also saw a tomb.
stone. DR.. Duncan was looking
in the hole when the party outside re
Iieved those 10 the grave. Nobody
seemed to be conducting it, l heard
no orders given. | didn't hear DR.
Duncan say anything of importance,
except that this was the first grave be
mad ever helped to dig open in the day
time. We left the camp about eight
o'clock to get water and hunt relics
saw 20 officer digging. l read the
inscription on the tombstone, but for
got it, know Private Wise, Co. F. l
did not see him."
Lieut.. Donohoe, 10th Indiana, when
asked if he recognized the accused scru
tinizad him closely bt fore answering :
II think l do, but | don't know his
name" He testified: ION August
G., l heard that crowd of men were
digging, and went down there. l saw
headstone and a man near it. and
asked what they were doing. Some
one said oh, nothing. Then some
one said, Look out for the commits
stoned officers l heard no direction
given. l stayed till l saw piece of
box and two bones thrown out;
then I went back to my regi
ment. l don't know about the Off
GERS present. l think Lieut.. Turner,
OF l59th Indiana, came down. He Yves
not there when Lieut.. Crawford came.
[ made an effort to have it stopped.
The man at the headstone wore CAP
tain's stripes. No one offered me any
] of the material that came out of the
grave, nor did touch any There was
a man in the grave when l left, but |
didn't know him. l think the name OF
the grave was Humphrey. He had no
rank that heard of. l think he was
from Alabama" On being asked why
be didn't stop the digging, he said: Il
did not know l had right to COM
mand a captaio. l thought they had
right to he there"
Lieut.. era Word, of the twenty.sec
oud Kansas, stated that on August 8
he was one of the division officers OF
of the guard, and as such his attention
was directed by Col. Lindsey to the
digging of graves, and was ordered to
90 down and put stop to it. found
twenty i've or thirty men and ordered
them to stop digging aud go to their
quarters. Then they went to camp
leaving the bones outside the graves. l
can identify the grave. don't know
lust who the occupant was. This happen
e before noon. 1 did not see Capt. Ross,
Twenty-second Kansas. Several men
about the grave had skull pulling the
teeth out of The Jaw bones. Some OF
the long bones of the bodies were piled
here the men were digging. All the
bones seemed 10 be out OF the grave,
and some of the men were digging
hole in one end of the grave. The
others, besides those monkeying with
the skull and digging, were watching.
| didn't see the bones put back. put
the skull back myself. dent know
whether the teeth and other parts taken
from the skull were ever put back
There was an officer there dressed
either in part or entirely in light-col-
ored uniform. didn't pay especial
attention to him and don't know WHO
he was. After they left an officer Of
the 159th Indiana came down. | could
not say positively whether Duncan vas
there or not. I didn't hear the nan
OF the grave"
The court adjourned untilto day.
To prevent his suicide or possible es
cape, Captain Duncan is escorted TO
and from court under very heavy
guard.