Republican farmer., 1919-08-01

t4lS III Uu
 "Only a little straw"
 Did Hard Boiled Smith ever caH the men names?"
 He called lem everything he could think of.''
 What were you convicted off"
 Assault; hitting a. prisoner; using provoking speech"
 Did Smith ever take any property from the men?"
 "I know of. one man. He took money off of him, tore up his sisters picture and then slapped the mans face. The man is here in Fort Jay" BLAME-EIeven
 What was done with the property taken from the men?"
 Every time a man came into the prison his money was laid out on the table and the lieutenants would take it."
 What was done with the souvenirs the men might have?"
 ''They were thrown into big box and the box was showed into the of ficers' quarters. When it was empty it was brought back"
 Did you ever see General Harts?'
 ''No sir. I don't know him ?"
 Ball said that if he hadn't struck the prisoners in his custody he'd have been tried for disobedience of orders.
 'I was told by Lieutenant Smith,, he said, that if I didn't hit 'em when they neede1 it, I'd be put in the brig and he'd let the prisoners chase me. I knew they'd kill me if they ever got the chance"
 Did any other officers order the men beaten?"
 "Lieutenants Hufelstein, Mason and the doctor were just about as bad as Smith,"
 After you were convicted were you ever beaten?''
 "Yes, sir. In Jivres, sir. But by the prisoners. They were from Farm No. 2. Now I'd like to make 1t clear about my trial. They fetched a coun- sel for me and he was a friend of Smiths and the others. He told us what we were to say. For that reason no truth came out then.
 q got what I deserved for what done. I'm not kicking about that. Just so they don't send me to Fort Leavenworth. If they sent me there I'll get killed Some of the Farm No. men out there have got Smiths first sergeant in the hospital there now"
 You testified at your trial and Smiths that he didn't hit any one"
 "Yes sir; but he did hit them. was told what to -ify."
 Did Smith send you word here in Fort Jay to be careful what you told this committee?"
 "Tes sir. Two prisoners brought me word that if I told the truth I'd be tried for perjury"
 Private Rysezelewsixi was the last man examined yesterday He told ,F ITerf, s,,. a flying cadet of training at Prince ton and his transfer to Mineola and finally of sailing for France. Ryszel- ewski explained that he got to gambling, lost lots of money, more than he could afford, and finally was court martialed and pleaded guilty to larceny. Then he was sentenced to prison for three years, but escaped and tried { join the French Foreign Legion and British Royal Flying Corps. He was refused because of his American uniform. Then he gave himself up and was sent to Jivres. He said he was told there by a lieutenant that the purpose of the camp was to break a mans spirit. Then he said he took advan- tage of an opportunity to escape, and with the connivance of a relative in II.
 Ryszelewski was wounded and gass- ed and won the Croix de Guerre in the Polish 1st Regiment. Then, after a spell in a hospital, be transferred to the 154th Spad Escadrille and after training at Pau was commissioned a second lieutenant. He won three vic tories in the air, was cited five times and his Croix de Guerre was embel- lished with three palms and five stars. He was apprehended by the American a result of letters writ ten to his parents in Philadelphia.
 He was sent back to Jivres. man. ac1ed. chained and wearing the uni form of a French officer. There, he said, he discovered that a reign of terror was on.
 "On account of the food conditions the hungry men used to beg food from Chinese coolies,'' said the soldier. ''Lonny French, colored boy, was in a cell two doors from mine. They had caught him trying to steal something to eat from the kitchen. He had been black lacked until he was unconscious. Then he was dragged bleeding to -soli- tary confinement.
 They thought some one else had been with him when he entered the kitchen and before he was fed his bread and water they used to torture him to make him reveal the name of his supposed accomplice. They would chain him to the wall and then attack him with bIackjacks and dizzy sticks. They would beat him on the soles of his feet. They even burned his hair. These things I saw with my own eyes. Captain Dewey and Lieutenant Cooper, of the 11th Marines, were re- sponsible for conditions there.
 There is Ben Cohen here in the yard of Fort Jay. He isn't quite right mentally. He is a Russian subject He enlisted in 1917 and fought at the front He was beaten. William Du- rand and other men were bucked and gagged. Their hands would be tied and a stick showed between their bent knees and elbows, holding them in a sitting position Then gags were showed in their mouths and they would be left for hours.
 Colonel J. C. Maui, of the field ar til1ery, came to the prison and as- stunned charge. He addressed the pris- OnerS and because of his words then