The sun., 1919-07-30
CAMP CRUELTY
NOW BLAMED
GENERALS
Harts and Strong Named in
Congress Inquiry Into
Prison Atrocities.
EVIDENCE is SHOCKING
Hardboiled Smith Says He
Was Ordered to Give Men
Ruthless Discipline.
COL. GRINSTEAD ACCUSED
U. s. Soldiers Handcuffed,
Beaten, Ill Fed and Abused
at Detention Places.
COL. GRINSTEAD ACCUSED

''Hardboiled" Smith, the Lieuten-
ant whose roughshod methods Of
handling prisoners at Prison Farm
No. 2. near Paris, made his name a
byword in the A. e. F., appeared yes
terday to tell his story to the Con-
gress Committee which is investigat-
ing the wholesale stories Of cruelty
to military prisoners.
When the "Hardboiled" one walked
into the room in Castle William, Gov
ernors Island, where the committee
sat, he looked like anything but a
Lieutenant.
He wore the denim overalls Of all
the prisoners on the island and he
gripped his denim cap in his hands.
His head has been close shaven. His
eyes are close set and hard and his
lean nose rises over a mouth which
might once have been hard but which
was very loose and quavery yesterday
He is of average height, but his
shoulders, hunched though they were
as he sat in the witness chair. showed
the substantial rolls of muscle be-
meath his shirt.
Smith rather whimpered, but Clar-
ence Ball, one Of his prison sergeants,
was brazen. Smith denied brutality;
Ball admitted Il with a leer and said
Smith ordered 1t.
1t was Smiths contention that Farm
No. 2. where he commanded, was a
pleasure resort" in comparison with
the other prisons Of France. He par
ticularly wanted the committee to in
vestigate st. Sulpice, where he him
self was imprisoned before he came to
America There 'Hardboiled," at the
hands OF some Of his former victims
got a liberal dose of his own medicine
Admits Conditions Horrible.
Smith was convicted on the charges
of brutality and OF not returning the
money and property Of prisoners. Al
Gievres and at the Klingnancourt Bar
racks in Paris he also said that con-
ditions were horrible when seen from
the inside. The very mild situation
which he says he observed at Farm No
2 was all the result OF the orders OF
Col. Grinstead and Gen. Strong, plui
the misunderstanding OF his own orders
by the sergeants under him.
"As soon as l got to the St. Sulpice
prison and my record was taken in the
office" he said. ''the news seemed &c
spread like wildfre that 'Hardboiled
Smith was in the prison. When I wen'
to take my shower twenty men started
for me. and were only driven of by 9
corporal of the guard. But when
was put In my. cell they came back a,
me. They stood before the door ant
called me vile names.
Thine after time a man would sneal
up to the bars and drench me with the
contents of a fire extinguisher. At sup.
per time l did not want to eat. wa,
sick. But the sentry threatened me and
l came out of the cell. AS turned the
first corner a crowd of men jumped or
me, knocked me down and kicked me
into insensibllity. could not identif,
any of them, but i think they were LED
by one of the prison sergeantA
AT any rate. this sergeant later came
back, took me out of my cell and TOLD
me in the vilest language L ever heard
what he thought Of me. A chaplain ir
uniform was standing by and looked
to him for some protection. But h,
smiled approvingly and walked OF.
Smith Drenched With Filth.
Later in the evening the men cam
to my cell and threw In upon me tn,
contents OF their own cell buckets.
tried to protect my face and eyes, bu
l was thoroughly drenched with the NTH
Two hours later the prison surgeon, DR.
Hunter, came along and induced tn
guards to put me in the infirmary. HI
was tried on charges shortly after that
feel owe my life to him, for stage,
in the infirmary until was shipped here
and I don't think the charges agains
him were justified"
Smith denied that he had ever seel
men beaten or abused at Farm No. 2
where he was in command, except on on
occasion when Sergeant Ball had slappe,
a man In the face. He said he deprive,
Ball of his liberties for this incident.
He admitted. however. that hars
treatment was meted out to the men.
WAS II your understanding" he wa
asked. that they were to. be so treate,
that they wouldn't come back ther
againT'
"It was" Smith replied.
Responsibility for these orders h
placed upon Col. Grinstead Of the 1885,
infantry, who visited the farm three o
four times a week. told him that al
prisoners should be treated like genera
prisoners so thaN they wouldn't com
back again, and advised the most ruth
les discipline. He told Smith that h
would be held personally responsible
for any men that escaped from tn
farm.
The same responsibility. he said. reste
upon the divisional commander. Ger
strong. who also advised ruthless dis
cIpline at the farm. as did his battslio
Major, ]. Noble So thoroughly did Co
Grinstead approve Of his administratio
on the farm. he said, that he recon