Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-14
1EST|F|ES CAPT. DETER
SLAPPED HIM ABOUT
Private Fred N. Yates Also De-
clares Rope Binding His Hands
' Cut to Quick.

NEW YORK. December 13.-The
court-martial that is trying Capt.
Deter on charges of brutality to
American soldiers in France held no
session today, having adjourned until
Monday.
Private Fred NJ. Yates, now serv-
ing a sentence in Fort Jay for draw
ing a revolver on Capt. Deter. con-
tinued his testimony yesterday art
ernoon. He declared that after he
was arrested on a charge of THEFT
and taken to DetZer's office the cap
tain jerked him from chair In
which he was DOING and slapped
him about" Later. he asserted. Sergt.
U. S. Madden. one Of Detzer's aids.
beat him in the face with his hstS
in the presence of the captain.
After he had signed the alleged
confession to the theft he says ne
did not commit, the witness said, ne
was ordered TO stand at attention for
q long period.
Ropes Cut Hands.
Later, the witness told the court,
he was ordered to confinement
camp and his hands bound so tightly
that the ropes cut to the quick"
When the captain put two guards
In charge of him and Gonzales, an
other prisoner, the witness said. the
defendant told the guards that II
Gonzales made a crooked move to
knock his head off with the butt OF
a revolve err"
IF the other one. Yates. makes a
move" the captain is alleged to have
said. "shoot him so full OF holes that
he'll look like a sieve"
Yates claimed that he saw the cap
tain beat up other prisoners one OF
whom was pulled from. chair by
the hair and knocked about.
In cross-examination he denied that
he had been stealing in LIE Mans. that
he was connected with a gang there
or that he had drawn 4 revolver on
the captain as alleged in the charges
on which he was convicted.
Saw Captain Strike Yates.
Arthur r. Graham. a bank clerk of
Sioux City, Iowa. who worked in the
Office of DetZer's company, declared
that he once saw the. captain strike
Yates. saying ''Oh, how 1 love you.' as
he did so. He declared he saw signs
of other prisoners having been beaten,
but he didn't know by whom. He
once saw Sergt. Frank Heyt. Detzer's
assistant, strike prisoner in the
stomach with his fist in the captains
presence, he said. In cross-examina
ton he said that Yates showed q
"contemptuous attitude" toward the
captain.
After his attention had been called
TO his testimony in direct examination
that Sergt. Hoyt had been allowed to
remain in petzer's company after
beating a prisoner. the witness ad-
United that the transfer of Hoye by
Deter was halted by an order of
judgssadvoeate. who said he wanted
Hoyt:aS a witness in Il robbery case"
Askedswho the judge advocate was,
he rePled. Il believe Capt Weir
CaFt Weir is assistant judge adj
q M tod
oence against Deter.
Graham also testified he had seen
othersQrisoners bearing marks of vio-
lenceSy The defense drew from him
that he had never seen man forced
to SIN confession at the point of a
pistol" He also testified that he
hadSheard the accused order his men
not-RNse their blackjacks on prison.
ers except for self-defense and that
he - not seen any cruelty ION the
partnf Capt Deter personally"
alss' s. G. Roth Recalled.
s3euel c. Roth, Chicago salesman
whosapce served as Detzer's desk SER
geaD then was recalled. He testified
that he had frequently seen Deter
comSS1nto the room where men who
had been beaten up" were seated and
askSlsS
"Nsfat brick wall fell against your"
Asked by the court if ne had not
had sstEouble with Sergt. Hoyt, Roth
said ne had been "cussed out" by the
SERGEANT, who abused men in the
COMPANY with words as he did prison.
ers E5th his fists" and that although
he hAd.eomplained to Deter, no action
had-fhn taken.
"Idkthe organization I was in. all
sawA66es bIoodshed and abuse" he
aid-EsThe sergeants were inhuman
to air.of US, ordering us around like