New-York tribune., 1919-12-17
Former Officer
Testifes in Behalf
OF Captain Deter
ST. Clair Smith Says Private
Confessed He Permitted
Soldiers to Steal From
Army at lie Mans, France

Captain Karl w. Detzer's first wit
ness since his trial by general court
martial for alleged brutality toward
military prisoners at LIE Mans, France.
started on Governors Island a week
ago was put on the stand yesterday
by Lieutenant Thomas L. Heffernan,
counsel for the accused, in an attempt
to disprove one of the twenty-e eight
specifications under which the former
commander of the 308th Military
Police Company is on trial
Major William f. Kelly, the Judge
advocate, consented Yesterday to allow
the defense to put on st. Clair Smith
jr. of AT West Fiftieth Street, former
ly a captain in charge of salvage
plants at lie Mans. Smith was on the
sion.
Specification 10, rega arding which
Captain Smith testified, is as follows:
"ln that Captain Deter did at lie
Mans, France, on or about the 1st
day Of April, 1919, unlawfully, feloni-
ously and corruptly advise, incite,
solicit and direct Private Louis
schmitt to appear as a witness before
a general court martial in the case of
the United States agt. Sergeant Ralph
r. Pritchard, Company A, 151st In
fantry, and then and there falsely and
corruptly testify that he and the said
Louis Schmitt had purchased salvaged
property belonging to the governme mt
of the United States from the said
Ralph r. Pritchard. whereas in truth
and in fact he, the said Private Louis
Schmitt, had never purchased any
government salvaged property from
said Sergeant Pritcnard, which fact
was then and there known to the said
Captain Detzcr."
Smith Tells Of Identification
Captain Deter brought Private
Schmltt to see Captain Smith at the
salvage Iva e plants, the latter testified.
Tell the captain what you are held
for" Captain Deter directed the
private, according to the witness.
FOR murder and for stealing sal
wage and receiving stolen salvage,
Private Schmitt replied.
Smith said Private Schmitt admitted
that he had bought the goods from ;
soldier at the salvage plant. Wher
Sergeant Pritchard came into the room
Schmitt identified him as the man wht
had sold them to him, Smith said. Cap
out of the room, and in about fifteer
minutes returned with slip ofpape1
on which. according to the witness
testimony, Prtchard had written tha
ne had permitted enlisted men at diff
ferent times to enter the building ant
steal government property, for which
he had received from 90 to 500 frame
at a time.
Denies Threats Were Made
Were any threats made to obtair
this statement" Captain Smith test
fled he asked Sergeant Pritchard, ex
planning later that he desired to pro
tect the interests of man in his com
mand
""No,' the sergeant replied.
several times in the course O.
ed, asking that the evidence be strick
en- out as hearsay and because the
statement received by Captain Detze1
from Sergeant Pritchard was not pro
duced in court. The objections were
not sustained, Lieutenant Heffernar
explaining that Il request had beer
sent to the War Department for al
; the papers of the 30Sth Military Police
Company but the War Department wa.
unable to furnish these records.
Smith, under a volley of objection,
from Major Kelly. told the court thai
Private Gonzales, who testified on Mon
day. had very bad reputation fol
truth and veracity while a member o.
the formers company in France. Ma
Jor Kelly attempted to show that
smith was trying TO "ride" Gonzale,
in France and also that he was havins
trouble with most of the members o1
his company.