The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-22
Mr. DeItrich Charges Mr. Pat
tsrsoR With Seeking TO
Irljue US, Army
REPLIED THAT SUCH A
STATEMENT WAS UNTRUE
Adds That Senator DIETRICH Ought to
Be Ashamed TO So Forget Him
self, But the Latter Re-
fuses to Retract.


Washington. May 21.-Corporal OBrien,
formerly of the Twenty-sixth volunteer
infantry, was before the Senate COM
mittee on the Philippines today and pro-
duced the alleged "dum-dum" or ex-
plosive bullets. He said they were not
like the ordinary cartridge because they
did not have the letters "U. s." on them.
General Crozier, chief of ordnance, was
called and testified that the cartridges
produced by Mr. O'Brien were not differ
ent from the ordinary regulation cart
ridges Asked If they were "dum-dum or
explosive bullets. the witness replied in
the negative. They are perfectly nor
NAL bullets" he said.
The regulation Krag-Jorgensen bullet.
he said otter has practically the same ef-
feet as nldum" or explosive bull
| let. He related instances of laceration
which had come under his own observa-
tion. He attributed the effect to the push
ing out of the blood and tissue by the
| bullet He explained that "dum-dum" bull
let's could be made by filing through the
steel covering of the lead of an ordin-
| airy cartridge, thus permitting the lead
| to be exposed He also said that no ex-
| plosve bullets had been issued since the
| st. Petersburg convention of 1868.
Replying to questions by Senator Bev-
eridge respecting the charge that a num-
ber of American officers had violated the
person of a Spanish woman at the time
the town of Igabaras was burned O Brien
said that in addition to her husband
there were several servants residing in
the house with this woman. He said he
could not remember whether the husband
when he told him of the crime that had
been committed, had given the name of
any officers connected with it. The man
stated. however. that there were four
of them engaged in the affair
Just Four Officers.
Questions by the senator brought out
the fact that there were then just four
officers in the town Of Igabaras. Con-
sequently," said the senator If the
statements made by the womens husband
are true, these four men are guilty OF
| the crime charged.
The witness assented to this inference.
| He related that some of the priyates had
! told him of their relations with the wom-
| an. He did not remember the names OF
! these men, but he gave the names OF Two
| prlvates as being those whom he thought
| naQ tOlQ MIN the STORY. Otldtpi oNtSAocAA
protested that to compel the witness 10
mention the names under the circum-
stances was a grave injustice to the men
whose names had been dragged in.
Senator Lodge retorted that he be-
lieved that instead of doing an injustice
the committee was on the road to doing
| Justice Senator Patterson charged Sem
| ator Lodge with menacing the witness
| and Senator Lodge made a vigorous de-
| NAL
Senator DIETRICH charged Senator Pat
terson with having done all that he could
| to injure the army and with having done
nothing to protect and preserve its good
name.
Mr.. Patterson resented this statement
sharply and angrily.
THE Senator from Nebraska he said.
should be ashamed of himself. He
! knows that the truth is exactly contrary
to what he has stated and that what he
has said is absolutely and positively un-
true"
Senator DIETRICH: 'I know that what I
have said is true. and l repeat the Sem
ators effort has been to bring out every
thing he could against the army
Senator Patterson: THE Senator should
be ashamed to make such a statement.
No man Is more anxious than l am to
present the army in its true light and
develop whatever good may be said of
it."
DefIed Colorado Senator.
Senator DIETRICH said he defied the Col
orado Senator to prove the truth of his
remarks, to which Mr. Patterson replied
that the minority had made honest
and faithful effort to get at the facts and
that he was convinced the present inten-
ton was to divert it from that course. In
this connection. he declared that gen.
tleman would make such a statement as
had been made.
Senator DIETRICH said a gentleman en-
| gagged in such an inquiry as this would
! try to bring out things in the interest OF
the army rather than matters of con-
| trary character.
Replying to a question as to why he
had not made any report concerning the
| treatment of the Spanish woman, o. Brien
said 1t made no difference how just the
| complaint of a man in the army might
| be, the man who made 1t was bounded
| for doing so. He added that his expert
ence in the mountains in Luzon had
convinced him of this fact, saying in this
| connection that he and his men had been
almost starved while the officers OF hts
| company were disposing ef the rations
! which should have been issued to them.
| Returning to the question of the treat
ment OF the Igabaras woman, Senator
| Beveridge asked the witness II he be-
| lieved that the officers did violate her
person Several OF the minority Senator's
| objected to this question and the witness
at first said he did not wish to commit
himself on that point. but he ultimately
said that such was his belief. He also
| expressed the opinion that the statement
that the enlisted men had subsequently
| mistreated her was true.
Michiuan Miners In Line.