Republican farmer., 1919-08-01

ask for an investigati ton of an assault made on him by prisoners after he was convicted and sent to the prison at St. Sulpice.
 "I also request that a thorough in vestigation be made of all prisons and detention camps in France" he add ed. "The investigators will find that even if Farm No. 2 was as bad as represented, it was 0 pleasure resort compared with the others. I know one prisoner who can give names, dates and places. This mans name is Croker. I should like to have the prison at Jivres investigated; also the Bastille, St. Anne's, Clingcourt ana the others"
 Smith. in describing the assault made on him, said: T was received at St Sulpice June 24 or 25 to do my sentence. The word soon spread that 'Hardboiled' Smith was there. While I was in the shower bath about twenty prisoners tried to rush me, but were held off by a cor poral.
 The corporal then put me in so1i- taTy. Though a sentry was on duty outside the cell, the prisoners crowd ed outside and shouted insults at me. They told me what they would do to me and to my family. The sentry ig- nored this. Then they began to pump the fire extinguisher on me. They did this repeatedly.
 Later in the afternoon the sentry told me to come along with him for supper. I knew the men were wait ing for me, and told him I didn't want any. He said I'd only get it worse later and to come along. I had not gone far when fifteen or twenty pris- oners jumped on me. I think they .9 r,-- T knocked unconscious.
 "A prison sergeant was cursinF me when I came to and to my right was an army chaplain and on my left an officer. 1 expected them to interfere but they just smiled and walked away.
 Then 1 was put back in solitary and other prisoners came and amused themselves by pumping sewage on me After two hours of this Dr. Hunter, also a prisoner, prevailed on them to put me in the infirmary, and l was there two weeks. 1 feel that I owe my life to Hunter and I also feel that he is not guilty of any crime and ask that his case be inv, stigated.
 'I don't expect to live much longer. and I'll never tell anything but the truth about Farm No. 2. l think the prison system is at fault"
 Sergeant Clarence Ball contradict cd IHe testimony or Lieutenant SllllIE in nearly every particular.
 My instructions were to beat the men to treat them rough" he said. 'Lieutenant Smith told me they would have to be misused. I began just as soon as I was made a prison sergeant"
 Were you ever instructed directly by Lieutenant Smith to beat a pris- oner?" Representative Johnson ask ed.
 "One time" replied Ball, "some- body took a bah in oil and Smith said to me, Take this man and edu- cate him. On the way to the solitary cell I told the man I didn't want to hit him, and I said, When I shove you in the cell you fall down as though I had knocked you down He was a red-headed sergeant out of the Tank Corps.
 Another time I hit a fellow in front of Smith and five other ofi- cers''
 What else did you hit them with besides your ist?" asked Mir John son.
 Just my fist"
 You are pretty strong, aren't your" "Yes; I'm strong. all right"
  out of the hospitaI?' 'Yes sir; l was myself too.'
 How many prisoners did you hit | with your fist? %
 "Oh I couldn't count 'em.'' Fifty or one hundred?" ! Yes sir"
 ] Were you ever ordered to hit any other men?''
 ! BURTON W. sHERBURNE, | | vice.
 ! "IAeutenant Huckelstein told me to beat up four other men who had run ' away. The other sergeants helped, and he watched us"
 1 Did the prisoners fight back?"
 No. sir" he replied with a grin. | Did they ever fight or hit back?" l No, sir.t
 What were some of the offences for which the men were beaten?' | Well, if they were caught smoking 7 in barracks or outside the 2O-minute period after meals they were beaten. l used to pass up lots of such cases, but the officers never ddd."
 Were the men beaten for chewing tobacco?" I Lots of 'em." Would the men be bloody after a beating. and then put under a hose and washed down?" I've seen many of 'em, sir" ''If they complained about the food, what happened?'
 | Beaten up; in trouble again." If they made plea for medical attention because they were sick?" They got no attention l Did you ever see Colonel Grin | stead?"
 | "Yes, sir" | Didn't he interfere with the brutal | treatment?"
 | The colonel came through the | prison frequently, but he was in it as much as anybody. He knew what | was going on."
 Could he see the bloody men?" "Tf he couldn't see them he's got | bad eyesight"
 | Where would the men sleep?" Anywhere a man could be stuck; 1! out in the fields. In pup tents."