Republican farmer., 1919-08-15

BocIODs Aug l@.--~NH tlAAEr V. -t4%AiAAS former private Company A. 1Olst In fantry who saw the infamous cruel ties visited upon helpless privates by officers in prison camps comments as follows on tho statements made by Captain l.. B. Flintom of the United States Marine Corps, former com maudinR officer of the SOth company of marines while they were on pro vost duty in Paris, who gave the lie to Sergeant Major Tom Wilkinson and Corporal Edward Cahtil of tho 1O1st Infantry, 26th Division.
 There were cases of desertion under nrv in the A. E. F. There were isolated cases of rank cowardice. There were rare cases of treason. But nowhere was there such complete disgrace, SD filthy a blot on Arnerica's s military escutcheon as was staged as the military prison at number 10 Rue Sainte Anne. Paris.
 His story follows:
 'T was n prisoner in the place for four days, almost exactly a year ago. My crime was overstayins my leave by two hours, ovcrstaying my 4S- hour pass. the first pass any of our division had received after six months In the line.
 During my stay 1 saw such bru- talfty as amazed me. The marines, and I Include all but q very few fin thls charge, appeared to be the vic tins of some blood mania. l saw men beaten up without any reason what ever. horribly beaten up. I saw clubs used on men on the slightest pre- text. I saw men forced to do "the Swedish" until they fell from exhaus- ton. saw them deluged with water and forced to continue. have had A man beside me through the night, his head bleeding from two or three blows. This man had been clubbed into unconsciousness by one sentry. and when that sentry was relieved his successor pulled the boy into the corridor again and added a few more blows for his own satisfaction. The boy had given a false name when he was arrested.
 But even worse than these actual brutnIities was one feature which none of the soldiers have mentioned. I saw men who had faced death with n laugh at Toul and Chateau Thierry reduced to crinRinR. trembling. fear ful wretchcs. They had no chance 10 fight back Tho loss of self-respect to men who had acquitted themselves ns heroes. their utter se1f-abasemens under the strain of the always inn rninent "cIub'' was by all means the most horrible feature In series of horrors.
 ------aptain Flintom said that he saw none of these brutalitfes. I believe him absolutely. for they were not committed in the presence of officers. and any request from a prisoner to see an officer would only draw upon him an avalanche of blows.
 "Hoycver, there is one officer who knows He Is a captain and sur geon who had charge of the dress ing station in the St. Anne Hotel. When he was fixing up my head one morning q had received a blow from tho club for asking q question with such civiiity that it approached hu- ufity) he said: My God, it's awful the way they are beating up these boys The marine sentry was stand ing beside me, so I never said word. I knew that 1 had to go upstairs again.
 Two of the marines stand out in my memory, will always stand out in it. They were Corporal Freder1cks md Private Moran. The two were the nearest to beasts that ever saw in American uniforms. They used their fists for no reason whatever. and Moran used the club. Fredericks would line the men up anu SllE Af one out for a beating. while Moran simply attacked anybody who dared look him fin the eye.
 CT saw Moran call out youngster named wright Cthats all know of hfrn) who had given a false name when arrested. He punched him in the face twice and then made the bleeding boy do the Swedish When Wright dropped after some 20 min utes of torture. Moran kicked him. and told him to get up and stop his 'Etnlliug' six times the boy tried to 20 on. six times he fell on his face. six times he was kicked and beaten. and finally Moran threw him fin bodily on the floor beside me.
 "If there Is anybody who wants to go on record as being that guys friend. let him step up and get him a drink of water. said Moran. chal- longing the room. And to my shame as well as the rest. we allowed Wright to remain there unconscious and bleeding. the spirit of all of us too utterly broken to dare Moran's anger Not until two hours later when Moran was relieved by a young marine called "B1ondie Mack" did ] venture to ask permission to get somc water. Mack gnve it to me ana I did
 
 prayed to ne allowed to die.
 "In the Night of the sane America we are living fin now all this seems Incredible. must seem incredible tc the parents of boys who were doing their country's fighting over there know that every man I knew came out of that place with murder in his heart. with a blood-lust that nc Hefnie who fought fair fight and took his own chances had ever aroused.
 Captain FTintom said that this company did see action. That is true: sut rt was not unti1 after they had bSeu taken from Paris, and they were fr7 the fines but few weeks At the time when they were perform ing their c-uelties they had never seen action of any kind, but had been stationed in Paris. where their tailor made uniforms and neat appearance mado them the pride of the officers back of the lines-far, far back oi the lines.