Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-07-30
Sergeant at Smiths Camp
Forced to Beat Scores of
Prisoners By Order Of the
Lieutenant in Charge,
HORRIBLE CRUELTIES
NOT THE EXCEPTION
Congressman Royal C, John
son Says SergeantS and
LieutenantS Appear to Be
Merely the SCapegoatS,
t.Y MORNING ,ouspAL spso,.. LEASED w,ar,

New York, July 29.-Scores of in
stances of brutal treatment of Ameri-
can soldiers in the prison camps of
France, described in some cases as
amounting to system of torture. re-
sponsibility for which was placed by
the witnesses on high army officers,
were related today before the con-
gressional subcommittee which is in
vestigating the disciplinary systems
of the A. E. II.
The committee. consisting of Rep
resentative Royal C. Johnson of South
Dakota and Representative Oscar r.
Bland of Indiana, met in the disciplin-
airy barracks on Gov@nors island.
The men "higher up" who were
directly charged by witnesses with re-
sponsibility for the prison conditions
included Brig Gen. w. w Harts.
former commander of the American
troops in the Paris district; Maj, Gen.
Frederick Smith Strong of the For
tieth division; Col. Edgar Grinstead,
commander of the 15Sth infantry, and
Col j. S. Maui of the field artillery.
A number of captains and lieutenants
also were named as having taken an
actual part in the brutal treatment of
the prisoners.
Sergeant Ball said that he had no
choice because threatened that if he
did not obey orders he himself would
be tuened ovss to.. ahe nrisonels aud
that he knew they would kill him,
Did the colonel know about these
things?" he was asked.
"The colonel was in it as much as
anyone else. If he did not see things
he must have bad eyesight.'
Sensational Testimony.
The most sensational testimony of
the hearing was given by Joseph c.
Ryszelewski, a sophomore of the Uni
versty of PENNSYLVANIA, who enlisted
in the aviation corps Ryszelewsld,
who speaks English, French. Polish
and Russian, got into some trouble
over gambling and was sentenced to
three years imprisonment lie es-
capped and Joined the Polish army in
France, was gassed, wounded. deco
rated with the Croix de Guerre for
gallantry and given a commission.
Finally he was identified by the Amer
lean army authorities and claimed by
them as a fugitive. He was sent to
the prison stockade at Gieves, where
he asserted q "Veritable reign of ter
ror" existed.
II saw men tortured to make them
give evidence against their comrades
they said. They were handcuffed
and chained to the walls and then
beaten senseless with blackjacks by
sergeants"
Ryszelewski described one case Of
negro soldier who was caught en-
tering the kitchen at night to try to
get some food. The negro was beaten
unconscious with blackjacks by three
sergeants Afterward he was put in
solitary confinement where his hair
was burned off his head and he was
flogged on the soles of the feet with
sticks to try and make him tell the
name of a supposed accomplice.
Other Horrors Perpetrated.
Ryszelewski also described pun
ishment inflicted on other men, who,
he said, were first handcuffed and
seated with their hands on their
knees and a stick passed under their
hooks They were put in the court
yard and fed on bread and water.
other men were taken out of their
cells at midnight in the middle of the
winter and scrubbed with mud. he as
serted for the crime of smoking.
some weeks, Colonel Maui was ap-
| pointed commandant as. the men
understood, reformer Ryszelewski
said Colonel Maui addressed the men
on his arrival and promised them that
"if a man did right" lie would be
treated we'll
On the strength of this promise
| Ryszelewski wrote an article describ-
| ing conditions which he called "The
School for Bolshevism" and handed
| it to the commandant He said that
the next day he was brought before
him and sentenced to three months
solitary confinement, for one month
of which he was handcuffed.
There was no change in conditions
under Colonel Mauls administration,
the witness testified.
The committee will sail for Europe
within few days to continue the in
quiry there.
VIII Punish the Guilty.
At the close of the hearing Repre-
sentative Johnson announced that all
cases in which charges were made
would be placed before the inspector
general of the army and every effort
made to bring the guilty men to pun
ishment.
"From the evidence before the
committee" said Mr. Johnson. "it
seems clear to us that while sergeants
and lieutenants were punished. they
were merely the scapegoats of higher
officers. We want to discover who
were the men higher up and We will
do everything in our power to see that
they are brought to trial. 1t Is appar-
ent that this was not case of bru-
tality in an individual prison. but that
similar conditions existed in practic-
ally all the prisons of France
The principal witness today was
tContlnued on Paee Tvo.l