Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-11
MORE DETER ACTS
STATEDAT HEARING
One Court-MartiaI Witness
Admits He Was "Sore" at
Accused Man.

Accused Man.
NEW YORK. December II tby the
Associated Press). The general
court martial Of Capt. Karl W. Deter
OF the 30th Military Police Company.
charged with brutal treatment of
prisoners, while directing criminal in
France. was resumed today at Gov
ernors Island.
More than 100 witnesses from all
parts OF the country have been sum-
moned to the island and il is expected
the trial will consume month:
II Is proba BILE that delay also will be
caused by the number of objections
raised not only by Maj. Kelly. the
judge advocate. but by Lieut.. Thomas
L. Heffernan. defense counsel In
compliance with military law the
court was cleared more than dozen
times yesterday that members might
cast their vote in secret
Says He Was stool Pigeon.
After testifying that Capt. Deter
had assaulted enlisted men, Louis
Schmitt Of Long Island City admitted
in cross-examination that he was
sore" at the captain.
Schmitt, who served in the 3Sth
Regiment of Infantry abroad, also adj
mitted that he acted as stool
pigeon" for Deter by collecting evil
dence against the accused men.
Schmitt emphasized that his an
tipathy to Deter was due to an in
sulting remark the witness declared
He added that his duties called for
giving information against men ac-
cused of being absent without official
leave. He denied that his soreness"
at Deter developed after he had been
denied the privileges of stool
pigeon"
sworn at him and that he had seen
Deter strike drunken corporal He
declared that he himself had been
kept on bench for five days without
sleep.
In reply to questions by Lieut..
Thomas l. Heffernan. counsel for the
had offered to give testimony at the
court-martial merely "in justice to
men who had been mistreated." 1t
was brought out that Schmitt had
been court-martialed four times for
being absent without official leave.
Inspector Generals Report.
The defense then read what pur-
ported to be report Of the inspector
general before whom Schmitt had
ing to the report, testified that some
corporal struck a drunken prisoner
not DETER" Schmitt said "some err
| ror must have been made in the re-
port"
Glenn Burrell of Bedford, Iowa. for
merly Of the 16sth Infantry, testified
that he had been slapped on the face
| by Deter and Sergt. Frank L. Hoyt
A sharp colloQuy took place between
Lieut. Heffernan and Mai. William L.
Kelly, judge advocate, over the formers
attempts to impeach the credibility of
Hefernan said he desired to show they
were pretudiced against the defendant
Thomas NJ. Gossett of Galveston.
| Tex Tex. called to the stand. admitted
being absent without leave, but said
been made in his case. He denied that
he was prejudiced against Deter, but
declared that he disapproved of the
tactics employed by the captain.
The witness testified that he over
heard the defendant instruct Sergts.
y. s. Madden and Hoyt. his assistants,
to take Clarence II. Lacey, a prisoner.
out to where stolen property was
stored, give him q chance to run, and
If he did not run. Ito make him run
and then shoot"
| Lacey has been summoned as a wit
ness In the case and will testify later.
Blows i'm Face Charged.
Testimony that Capt. Deter had
struck military prisoners in France
to beat them up in order to force
confessions" was given by three
! witnesses.
George E. williams of Corning
! Iowa, discharged private, asserted
! that after he had been slapped by
S. Madden and Frank L. Hoyt "to
| take him out in the yard and make
him come clean" Williams declared
that while Hoyt held his hands behind
his back Madden beat him until
fearing he was to be killed" he had
signed a statement which he believed
was to the effect that he had stolen
government property.
Private Thomas J. McAdams, now
attached to the 5th Guard Company
after having been picked up" on
the street at a time when he was an
attending patient at a base hospital
he had been beaten by Sergt. Hoyt.
Deter. he said. came into the room,
asked him why he did not confess
to q certain crime, SO that he would
not be beaten any more. and left.
after Hoyt had said: Get out of
the room, captain. while 1 give him
some more"
McAdams said he had signed a state
ment prepared by Hoyt because he
was in fear of his life. not only
from the beating he said he had re-
ceived. but by the appearance of Capt.
Deter and his men. armed With guns
and blackjacks."
Desk Sergeant Testifies.
Samuel @. Roth of Chicago. who
once had been Detzer's desk SER
geant. testified that he had seen
Detzer violate his own order by strik-
ing two prisoners. He also testified
that Sergts. Madden and Hoyt had
kept Mechanic William G. Warner
starding at attention for long
period and that after he had still
refused to tel the whereabouts of a
stolen pistol Warmer had been beat
en- up" although not. SO far as he
knew. by Detzer's orders. He said
that finally Warner had confessed"
but that. rhen this confession had
been found to be untrue he was beat
en- again.
He added that Deter had seen War
ner's condition. but that the SER
geants had been allowed to remain
in the comrany. He also testified
that prisoners had been deprived of
sleep and food.
Capt. Deter appeared before the
court in uniform, wearing two gold
service stripes. He is more than six
feet tail and weighs 200 pounds. He
appeared unToved as the charges
we're read. and ito each of the twenty
eight specifications entered a plea of
not guilty.