Evening star., 1914-07-28
Secretary Daniels Sends Con-
qress Details of Richard
son Inquiry.
OFFICER is EXONERATED
IN AN ELABORATE REVIEW
Court Also Finds Alleged Law Of
Flight" Was Not Applied by Any
Of U. S. Forces at Vera Cruz.

No further action is contemplated by
the Navy Department in the case of En-
sign William \. Richardson of the L. S.
S. Arkansas given by Fred l.. Boalt. a
newspaper correspondent. as mis- author
ity for a press dispatcn that an American
officer had applied the law OF flight
against a number of American prisoners
Secretary Daniels today sent to Congress
a complete copy of the proceedings Qn-
GLIDING all testimony of the naval court
of inquiry which had investigated the
matter by direction of Rear Admiral
Badger. commanding the Atlantic fleet
The court exonerated Ensign Richardson
and expressed the opinion that no further
proceedings should be had against him.
That opinion was approved by Rear Ad-
rniraI Badger and by Capt. Ridley NC
Lean. Judge advocate general of the navy,
who reviewed the proceedings of the court
In transmitting the record, Secretary
Daniels made no comment. 1t is as
sumed however. that he approves the re-
port made by Judge Advocate General Nc
Lean. as that is part of the records sent to
Congress.
Review of Testimony.
view of the testimony adduced by the
court from forty-one witnesses. includ-
ing army and naval officers, news
papermen and others.
The list included the regimental and
battalion commander, under whom En-
sign Richardson served while on shore,
the petty officers who were under him
during the capture of Vera Cruz. and
officers of various ranks. who testified
as having frequently been ashore with
Ensign Richardson at various times
when at or around the tables where
the conversation to which Mr.. Boalt
referred is alleged to have taken place.
In its findings with respect to the
allegation that Ensign Richardson
boasted about having applied the law
of flight. the court said: That the
evidence adduced to prove these allega-
tions were given by two witnesses.
Fred L. Boalt and William G. Shep-
herd That of Mr.. Boalt has been
greatly discredited by his acts and
statements made within the knowledge
of the court since the sessions began.
The newspaper men who have appeared
before the court have generally con-
demned the methods of Mr.. Boalt in
this matter.
THE value of the evidence given by
Mr.. Shepherd has been greatly lessened
by the testimony of witness who is
q recognized expert in Mexican affairs.
to the effect that Mr. Shepherd is
sensational obnoxious and dangerous
newspaper representative.
Allegations Not Sustained.
Against these allegations is the very
positive testimony of the defendant him.
self and some twenty or thirty officers
and others who have sat with him under
the portales. and who have stated that
they never heard him say anything of
the kind.
The allegations and complaints made
by Fred l.. Boalt. correspondent for the
Newspaper Enterprise Association in
Vera Cruz against Ensign William y.
Richardson's friends and hundreds of
American army and navy officers, and
men whose names are not specified, were
to the following effect:
'Curiously enough, his friends applaud
him for 1t. Hundreds of American army
and navy officers and men know that
this ensign and his men applied the for
hidden law of night-made sport of pris-
oners of war. and even noncombatants.
giving them flying start and "spottng
them they fled.
THE court finds these allegations arc
not sustained by the evidence adduced-
No evidence whatsoever was adduced to
prove them. nor to identify the friends,
officers and men referred to.
Judge Advocate Generals Review.
eraI Mclean says in part:
An examination of the testimony
shows conclusively not only that the
statements alleging that prisoners or
other persons were improperly killed by
Ensign Richardson. by his order,
were not sustained. but il seems to be
established beyond doubt that neither
Ensign Richardson. nor any other per-
son attached to the naval forces of the
United States during the capture of
Vera Cruz. improperly killed any Mexi-
cans during the occupation. Further
more. it Is conclusiveiy established
that no prisoners were at any time
taken by Ensign Richardson, or at any
time under his orders or control.
Furthermore. it appears that of the
forty-one witnesses examined, Fred l..
Boalt and w. G.. Sheppard twhO. from
the testimony, appears to have been his
had any knowledge remote recollec-
ton of any such conversation. having
taken place as alleged by Mr. Boalt.
nor does it appear that any of this rep
resentative body of witnesses had ever
heard of the application of .he law
OF flight 10 prisoners taken by United
States naval forces prior to the appear
ance of Mr.. Boalt's dispatch.
1t further appears that though Mr..
shepherd is a news item correspondent.
whereas. Mr.. Boait is a feature writer.
and though both allege to have heard
this piece of startling news early in May
soon after their arrival. Mr.. Shepherd
never saw fit to utilize it as an item OF
news: and Mr.. Boat appears to have
mentioned it for the first time in his dis
patch which appeared under date of
June IL. six weeks after the conversation
is alleged to have taken place, neither of
these correspondents having made any
serious effort to verify the facts in the
meantime.
Never Captured Any Prisoners.
The testimony points conclusively
that Ensign Richardson never captured
any prisoners. nor did he ever have any
prisoners under his charge and, it ap-
pears to have been established beyond
any doubt that the law of flight was not
in any case applied by any of the United
States forces at Vera Cruz at any time
The precept ordered the court to in
quire into the truth of the allegations
made by Fred L. Boalt relative to the
shooting of certain prisoners by the
naval forces of the United States during
the occupation of Vera Cruz on OF about
April 30 The finding OF the court is
that the several allegations were not
sustained bv the evidence adduced The