The sun., 1919-07-16
US. SOLDIERS
BARE CRUELTY
!: IN ARMY BRIG
House Committee Told One
Prison Camp Was Ruled by
Convicted Officer.
POOR FOOD AND SCARCE
Men Held on "a. w. L."
Charge Mention 2 Lieuten-
ants and 8 Sergeants.

wAsHINoToN, July 15.-Six former
American soldiers testifying to-day be-
fore a special House committee investi-
eating alleged cruelties to military pris-
oners in France declared that merciless
assaults were committed without provo
cation on the prisoners by arrogant Of
fcers in charge of prisons and camps.
Only one of the witnesses. all of whom
were charged with being absent without
leave, was convicted. the others having
been acquitted or the charge dismissed
The Bastile,"s THE Stockade,"
"Prison Farm No. 2" and "Stann's
Hotel" also known as The Brig" were
the places named by the witnesses as
the scenes of the alleged cruelties, which
were said to have extended over several
months In 1918. Some Of the officers In
charge of the prison camps, II was said.
had been convicted by court-martial and
others were awaiting trial.
Lieut.. "Hardboiied" Smith, one Of the
prison camp officers, was mentioned FREE
quently. while othcrs named were
Lieuts. Mason and Sullivan and Ser
geants Ball. Wolfmeyer and Bush.
D,dn.t Try In. General.
sDid they try the General in charge
OF the camp?" asked Chairman Royal
johnson Is. d.. who left his seat IN
SoukTeuS 10 serve with inc HrTly tDTOhu
mot that any one heard" responded
a witness.
When Lieut. "Hardboiled" Smith was
tried at Tours early this year a hundred
witnesses appeared against him. and
he was convicted, testified Sidney Kemp
47s West 146th street, New York. who
was corporal with Company F, 1929
Engineers, Twenty-seventh Division.
Fifty witnesses who / can name will
verify everything said here, and will
tell more too" asserted Kemp.
Several of the soldiers testified that
in addition to being beaten, food in
small amounts and of poor quality was
supplied. and that the bedding was poor.
sometimes the mattress being in mud
under a small tent.
"a prisoner was smiling. and an officer
says. Take that smile of. or I will" A
H. Mendleburg. Baltimore. who served
with Base Hospital 81, testified. "The
officer did by rolling the man In the
mud" Mendleburg added.
did you get that officers manner"
asked Representative Flood Va.). DEM
ocrat.
TIN sorry I did not take his name"
answered Mendleburg.
Poor Food Served to Men.
When telling Of poor food, Mendleburg
said that elf you asked for an extra piece
OF bread you were fiat on your back"
Meals. he and others said. consisted Of
stew made from canned beef. one slice
OF bread and part Of a cup of coffee.
Sometimes only the stew was served,
witnesses said.
Charles Goldberg. $40 Central Park
West. New York, corporal in Company
G, 38th Infantry. Third Division, said
that while at the brig" he was knocked
down by an officer and one OF his teeth
knocked out when he refused to surren-
der his money belt. Drawing a black
Jack, the officer and Goldberg fought a
few minutes but the witness said he
was forced to surrender because of the
pain he suffered from blows on the arms.
-once when was scrubbing a floor
a sergeant swung club at my head
every five seconds" testified Goldberg.
Paul Boggs, Baldwin, N. Y. 31Sth
Field Signal Battalion, said men at the
farm were often so hungry that they
were glad to eat dirty potato Feelings.
He said that he dipped a lineup in a
swill barrel SO az to get some grease
that he would eat with relish"
Instead of giving a command. It was
generally given with a club" asserted
Bosgs. who said he saw at least fifty
men beaten.
Beaten Every Five Minutes.
Alvin Bates, AZ Hawthorne street.
Brooklyn. who was with the headquar-
ters troops, Second Army, said when
ever there was q formation. a man
was beaten up every five minutes at
the prison farm. He and 9oggs said
that a Pole, serving in the American
Army. was brutally beaten and soon
afterWard tina Drisoner emf his fhroa :