South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-11
HEAR TESTIMONY
OF SOLDIERS AT
COURT MARTIAL
PriVateS Declare Capt. Deter
Struck Military Prison
erS in France.
CHARGE INHUMAN TREATMENT

bg AshOrlaleQ RreSS.
NEW YORK, Dec. 1O.-Testi-
mony that Capt. Karl w. Deter,
former Fort Wayne newspaperman,
had struck military prisoners in
France in the face and ordered
sergeants to beat them up" in or
der to force confessions" was given
Wednesday by three witnesses when
he was placed on trial at Governors
island. The Offenses with which
Capt. Deter is charged occurred
while he was in charge Of criminal
investigation" in the lie Mans area.
The defendant was in command Of
the S0Sth military police company.
Gets Beat Up"
George +. Williams of Corning,
Ia, a discharged private, asserted
that after he had been slapped by
Deter, the captain ordered Sergt.
u. s. Madden and Sergt. Frank l.
Hoyt "to take him out in the yard
and make him come clean" Will
liams declared that while Hoyt held
his hands behind his back, Madden
beat him until, fearing he was 10 be
killed" ne had signed a statement
which he believed was 10 the effect
that he had stolen government pro-
perty
Private Thomas J. McAdams, tes-
tilted that after having been pick
ed up" on the street at 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 a certain crime so
that lie would not be beaten any
more, and left after Hoyt had said:
Get out Of the room, captain,
while / give him some more"
McAdams said he had signed "a
statement prepared by Hoyt because
he was in fear OF his life.
Strikes Prisoners.
Samuel c. Roth Of Chicago. who
once had been Detzer's desk ser
geant, testified that he had seen
Deter violate his own order by
striking two prisoners. He also testi-
fed that Sergts. Madden and Hoyt
had kept Mechanic William c. War
ner standing at attention for a long
period and that, after he had still re-
fused 10 tell the whereabouts Of a
stolen pistol, Warner had been
beaten up" although not. so far as
he knew, by Detzer's orders. He
said that finally Warner had con
fessed" but that when this confess
sion had been found 10 be untrue he
was beaten again.
He added that Deter had seen
Warmers condition. but that the SER
geants had been allowed to remain
in the company. He also testified
that prisoners had been deprived of
sleep and food.
In outlining his case for the de-
fense. Lieut.. Thomas L. Hefferman
declared that a military police com
pany had 10 be organized at lie Mans
because many complaints had been
received from the French OF dan
gerous criminals"
DetZCr'S Defense.
He added that the court is go
ing TO see the type OF men who gave
the A F.. +. q blackeye in France"
and men who had been removed
from the company by Deter and
who bore a grudge. He said that
the most important man" the
really cruel man had disappeared
and could not be arraigned before
the court and that any cruelty prac-
ticed had been done against Deter S
order and without his knowledge.
Time and again he clashed with
Mai. William J.. Kelly. judge ad-
vOCate, when he attempted 10 i'm
peach credibility OF witnesses. In
the case of former prisoners. he