New-York tribune., 1919-07-30
the prisoners in his custody he'd have
been tried for disobedience of orders.
Coyc Cr,;fh Throotonod Hin,

=
"I was told by Lieutenant Smith," he
said, "that if didn't hit 'em when
they needed it I'd be put in the brig
and he'd let the prisoners chase me.
l knew they'd kill me if they ever got
the chance"
"Did any other officers order the
men beaten?"
"Lieutenants Hufelstein, Mason and
the doctor we're just about as bad as
Smith"
"After you were convicted were you
ever beaten?"
eyes, sir. In Jivres, sir. But by
the prisoners. They were from Farm
No. 2. Now I'd like to make it clear
about my trial. They fetched a coun-
sci for me and he was a friend Of
Smiths and the others. He told us
what we were to say For that reason
no truth came out then.
~ got what l deserved for what
done. Pm not kicking about that. Just
so they don't send me to Fort Leaven-
worth. If they sent me there I'd get
killed. Some of the Farm No. men
geant in the hospital there now"
You testified at your trial and
Smiths that he didn't hit any one"
eyes, sir; but he did hit them. l
was told what to testify.''
did Smith send you word here in
Fort Jay to be careful what you told
this committed" ?"
eyes, sir. Two prisoners brought me
word that if told the truth I'd be
tried for perjury"
Private Ryszelewski's Story
Private Rysezelcwsl;i was the last man
examined yesterday. he told of enlist
ing in the aviation service as a flying
cadet, of training at Princeton and his
transfer to Mineola, and finally of sail
ing for France. Rysczelcwski explained
money more than he could afford, and
finally was court martialed and plead
ed guilty to larcency. Then he was
sentenced to prison for three years,
but escaped and tried to join the
French Foreign Legion and the British
Royal Flying Corps. He was refused
because Of his American uniform.
Then he gave himself up and was sent
to Jivres. He said he was told there
camp was to break mans spirit.
Then he said he took advantage of an
opportunity to escape, and with the
| connivance of a relative in Paris Joined
| the Polish Legion.
| Ryszelewski was wounded and gassed
and won the Croix de Guerre in the
Polish 1st Regiment Then, after a
spell in a hospital, he transferred to
the 154th Spad Escadrille, and after
training at Pau was commissioned q
second lieutenant. ic won three vic
tories in the air, was cited five times
and his Croil de Guerre was cmbel-
llshed with three palms and five stars
He was apprehended by the American
authorities as result of letters writ
ten to his parents in Philadelphia.
Back in French Uniform
He was sent back to Jivres, manacled
chained and wearing the uniform of
a French officer. There, he said, he
discovered that reign of terror was
| on.
con account of the food conditions
the hungry men used to beg food from
Chinese coolies" said the soldier
"Lonny French, a colored boy, was in
a cell two doors from mine. They had
caught him trying to steal sometime
to eat from the kitchen. He had been
blackjacked until he was unconscious
Then he was dragged bleeding to soil.
tary confinement
"They thought some one else had
been with him when he entered the
kitchen and before he was fed his bread
and water they used 70 torture him tc
make him reveal the name of his sun
posed accomplice. They would chain
HIM to the wall and then attack him
with blackjacks and dizzy sticks. The,
would beat him on the soles of his
feet. They even burned his hair. These
things | saw with my own eyes. CAP
tam Dewey and Lieutenant Cooper. OF
the llth Marines, were responsible TO,
conditions there.
There is Ben Cohen here in the yarc
Of Fort Jay He isn't quite right men