The Washington times., 1919-12-12
YANK PRISONERS
ORDERED BEATEN
Captain Saw lob Well Done,
Says Ex-Doughboy at
Court-Martial.

! NEW YORK. Dec. 12.-How an
American captain stood by. with a
pistol in one hand and blackjack in
the other, while sergeants beat up a
Yank prisoner in France, was told
yesterday by Clarence II. Lacey, Of
indianapolis. The testimony was Of
fered at the court-martial trial here
of Capt. Karl W. Detzer. charged with
brutality to prisoners in France.
! The defense. however, forced an ad-
mission from Lacey that he once had
been convicted in Ohio of "a crime"
and that he had faced various charges
while in the army. Lacey, former
soldier, admitted he had escaped from
Captain Detzer, former commander of
the 30Sth military police company,
after he had been arrested by him OF,
a street in lie Mans for being absent
without leave. The defense brought
out that he also had left his organiza-
| tion in this country before it had
sailed for France, and that in 1911. he
had been accused of deserting from
the Sixth cavalry.
Snys Yates Threatened Detser.
Lacey testified that he had first met
cafe with Private Fred NJ. Yates, now
military prisoner, who it is expect
ed will be called tomorrow by the
prosecution. He said Detzer had
! challenged them. that they lacked
passes, but that Yates had pretended
he was taking him to the provost
marshars office after having found
him in the railroad yards where Gov
, ernment property was lying in freight
cars. Lacey said Deter ordered them
to come along with him, but that
after they had gone short distance,
Yates dropped his hand to his re-
volver and told the captain to beat
it, Detzer did. according to Lacey,
and he and Yates fed, but were later
! rearrested.
Lacey testified that on being
! brought before Detzer again, he had
received rough treatment from him
and his two sergeants, U. s. Madden
and Frank L. Hoyt. He asserted that
once Detzer had ordered his sergeants
to take him out, give him a chance
| to run and If he didn't take 1t, then
shoot and waste no bullets"
Beaten n Dozen Times
He said he had been beaten a dozen
times, on several occasions before
Detzer, who, he said. stood by with a
pistol in one hand and blackjack
in the other. In addition Lacey said
Detzer had made him sit on a bench
for FIVE days without sleep. II he
! dozed off, he said. he was grabbed by
the hair and pulled to his feet. He
added that he had been made to sign
false statements after he had been
| led to believe he would be punished
| by death" IL he disobeyed.
In cross-examining Lacey, Lieut..
j Thomas l.. Heffernan, defense coun-
sci. who at the opening Of the trial
yesterday declared the defendant had
incurred the wrath of many hard
/ characters" while abroad, asked the
witness If he did not know of talk
of getting Captain DetzerT' He fol-
| lowed this with another question as to
whether it was not true he had agreed
with others to get together on one
! story?" To both questions Lacey re-
piled in the negative.
The whole day was marked by
sharp tilts between Lieutenant Hef-
| fernan and Major William Kelly,
judge advocate, who raised objection
after objection when his opponent
| sought to attack the credibility of
| Government witnesses by inquiring
! into their records.
Stool Pigeon for Detxer.
Louis Schmitt.. OF Long Island City,
admitted in cross-examination that
he was sore" at the captain. Schmitt.