New Britain herald., 1919-07-30
HARNESSES TELL OF TERRIBLE
 CRUELTIES AT ARMY PRISONS

he might have passed up to his su- perior.
 Tt would look that way,' replied Col. Donaldson.
 Lieut. F. H. "Hardboiled" Smith, who was in direct command of farm No. ?, admitted on the stand that "terrible brutalities' were practiced in the French prison camps, but insisted that his camp was "pleasure resort compared to the others. He said he had not long to live and wanted to tell the truth while he was alive.
 ''KutlllcSS >s,veriIy' Ordered.
 Smith, in his testimony, had assert ed he had been told by Col Grinstead that Gen. Strong had ordered prison- CTS to be treated with the most ruth less severity" He had said it was his understanding that these men were to be treated in such a way that they never would come back to Paris or pass through these farms again"
 Smith was sentenced to three years impr.SO m ent on charges of beating prisoners and stealing their property. His sentence was reduced to Is months and when Col. Donaldson was on the stand he was asked to explain
 
 son for it.
 Smiths reference to his expected death was interpreted by the prison doctor as an indication of his belief than some of the other prisoners would attempt his life The doctor said that as far he knew the man was in perfect health
 The description by Smith of Farm No. as 'pleasure resort was flatly contradicted by Sergeant Clarence E. Ball. form erly the lieutenant's subOr- dinate at the prison and now serving six months on charges of brutality. Sergeant Ball swore that he and other sergeants had been forced to beat scores of prisoners on the direct orders of Smith and frequently, in his presence. The sergeant was asked what instructions were given by Smith when he was made prison ser geant.
 q was ordered to beat the men, to treat them rough" 'HoW many men did you beat up?''
 'I could not say.'
 You mean they were so many you could not count them?' "YeS''
 Fifty or 1902"
 Yes"
 bcaC Up ftOSpltaI Gases.
 Ball asserted that some of the men beaten were just out of hospital, that on one occasion he was ordered to beat man in the presence of Smith and five other officers and that an officer was generally present when a man was thrashed. When men were beaten so badly that they were cov- cred with blood, he said they were taken out into the yard and the hose played on them.
 Sergeant Ball claimed that he had no choice, because Smith threatened that if he did not obey orders, he himself would be turned over to the prisoners and that he knew they would kill him.
 Did the colonel know about these thlngs,' he was asked.
 The colonel was in it as much as anyone else. If he didn't see things he must have had bad eyesight"
 In testifying about one court-mar- tial in France, when he was charged with hitting a prisoner and using abusive language, Sergeant Ball claimed he was told what to say" by a lieutenant who, he said was sent to him as counsel by Major Nobel'' and who claimed he would "get him off light.' Ball said he testified at this trial as instructed and received a light sentence
 He told us what to say' testified 1 Ball, and we said what he told us. , That is the reason the truth did not come out at that trial.''
 Ball said he was told to say that he had never seen Smith strike a prisoner and said it. He added, in reply to a question, that under the circumstances" and considering the charge against him, he thought he had received a flair deal" T prefer to stay here and serve out my term" Ball said in reply to another question. "If they send me to Leavenworth I might be killed. They have got Lieut.. Smiths first sergeant in the hospital there now" He explained that the men he thought would "get him. were pris- oners who had been at farm No. in France.
 The most sensational testimony of the hearing was given by Joseph c. RyszeleWski, sophomore of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, who enlisted in the aviation corps. RySZeleWSki. who speaks Fnc1ish