The evening world., 1917-01-30
U.s.. ARMY OFFICER
TRIED TO PUT END
O'"SPREADEAGL|NG
Capt. Campbell TeStifieS He
Told Lieut.. Spencer Public
Would Rebel.
DEFENDS HIS MOTIVES.
Sergeant Who Tied Guards
men to Guns Says Three
Were Intoxicated

The case against Lieut.. Franklin
Spencer Of tho Second New York
Field Artillery. on trial by a court
martial at Fort Tottcn for spread
eagling" Ave privatcs on Jan. ? FOR
refusal TO obey orders To clean part
oof the armury. was closed to-day,
II was brought II hat the men
had not been "~spreadeaglcd' In tho
strict meaning OF tho term. Their
hands were tied to the wheels or n
gun carriage. but not rigidly out
stretched and their feet were only
tied when they kicked and hauled at
their wrist tethers.
Capt. O. Hope of the Coast Ar
tlllcry. Judge Advocate, called Sergt.
Robert II. wcnsel OF Battery u. an
assistant buyer for Gimbel Bros.
who, as sergeant OF tho guard. car
ried out Lieut.. %Spenccr's orders TO
tie the men. lie told them his orders
were hat they would be released as
soon as they would work.
Under cross-cxaminatlon by Alex
ander NJ. Bacon. lay counsel for Lieut..
Spencer. Wcnsel said the Pingree
brothers and ST. George. three 81 the
men punished, wero intoxicated. hut
the others. Foley and Kcllerman. ore
not. There was food In tho armory
kitchen. cold corned beef, bread and
potatoes. he said.
Col. George A. wingate testified
that he had no report from Lieut..
Spencer, as officer of tho day. on
tho tying up OF the prisoners.
Major Corbctt mentioned II TO him
in his office late In the afternoon. lie
ordered tho mon released at once and
confined in a room in tho cellar. He
also gave the same order to Lieut..
Col. Hines.
Lieut.. Col. Hines said he went at
once to the gallery and saw kellerman
tied up. lie wax informed that the
others had consented TO go TO work
and had been released.
"Kellerman admitted TO me-" said
Lieut.. Col. Hines. that he had been
stubborn and had made n fool of
himself. He said he was sore on
Lieut.. Spencer and perhaps would
have obeyed some other officer"
For the accused. Col. Bacon called
Capt. Robert u. Campbell. tho reg
ular army officer assigned to muster
out the regiment. lie testified:
AT about 4 o'clock | noticed Kel-
lcrman tied 10 "A wheel. capt. Wright
and Lieut.. Spencer were nea by.
Kcllerman was laughing. ! went "a
Lieut.. Spencer and asked him wha
II meant. He seemed amazed that
there should be any question OF the
propriety Of tying "a mar M. ] said
There IL always to "A bread
and water diet. This sort of thing Is
not done in the army. public opinion
would not tolerate II: II ~ bad for AL
Of us lie listened TO me in apparent
wonder. I am sure he was ignorant
OF violating traditions"
Capt. Campbell said Spencer spoke
admiringly OF Kellerman's gamcnes'
and grit and Campbell asked leave
10 talk with the prisoner. lie asked
Kellerman his object in enlisting IL
the National Guard. n Kcllermar
} said he hoped to work up to become
an officer. The regular army cap
tain suggested hat II kellermar
would give In Lieut.. Spencer. admir-
! ing his grit. might become n helpful
friend. Just then Lieut.. Spencer re
ceived the order for the release Of
Kellerman.
. Capt. Campbell said that while h
! knew Of no military court decision ol
Q order specifically f%orbidiing spread
eagling" he had always believed 1
was eau there was no need 20 for
bid a form OF punishment which no
g body In the regular army ever though
= OF using. He aid he had heard o
= "spreadeagling" incidents In the Ma
= tional Guard.
I Sergt. Christian Braid. who was II
70 chmargo OF the men under arrest II
the armory. testified that they al
agred they would refuse 10 do an
work unless they got something -
eat. W. u. Stauffer. the cook II
charge Of the kitchen az III" arlnory
swore hat there was plenty ~ corne'
beef sandwiches and coffee
Private Harold Green told of soeini
mo Ave soldiers spreadca glod. Pr
vatc Joseph L. Reilly testified that on
Jan. I. tho day tho regiment go' hao'
from Texas. no heard Private Var
Pingrcc toll Lieut., spencer. VIII
d many p%rofanN adornment7, that h
intended 80 give him a substantial
beating.
, LIcut. Harry + Mumphius an
" Liout Henry g Miller Of the FRS
: Field ARTILLERY sNOro thar iu camp q
T~obyhnnna, Pa. in 1918, they ga
capt. james OF the regular arm
order a soldier who was drunk an
d%isobcdient spread oaglcd 80 IN
7 wheel Of a canuOn COL Eingate
tho First Field ARTILLERY testified tha
Lieut.. Spencer, who came ~ the reg
ment from squadron \, vas tho mo'
y efficient officer IN the command Ma
DE witt r.. Wells Of the First la
terry. second Field Artillery VAS ais
i" 4 character witness for Lieu
~ SncnNor.