Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-12
CALL YATES IN
DETZER TRIAL
Military Prisoner Expected to
Testify Today Against
Army Officer

J New York, Dec. 12.-Private Fred
M. Yates, now a military prisoner,
was expected to take the stand to-
day for the prosecution in the court
martial against Captain Karl w.
Deter, charged with brutality to
prisoners in France.
On several occasions DETER stood
by with a pistol in one hand and n
blackjack in the other while his SER
! geants beat up" a man in his
custody, according to testimony Nv
clarence Fl. Lacey of Indianaoo1is.
one OF the principal witnesses for the
prosecution.
Lacey, an ex-soldier, admitted he
nad escaped from Captain Detzer
,.r Loiiner commander of the 3Osth
iinlitary police company, after he
had peen arrested by him on A street
III LIE Mans for being absent with
ouI ieaVe' The defenses brought out
llon In this country before If had
sailed for France and that in 1o11
ne had been accused of dase,ti1e
from the Sixth Cavalry.
Lacey Testifies
Lacey testified that he had first
met Deter when he had rome ont
OF cafe with Private Yates.
He said Deter had chaIIenped
them, that they lacked passes, bnt
that Yates had pretended he was
taxing him to the provost rnarsbars
once after having found him in the
railroad yards where Government
property was lying in freight cars.
Lacey said Deter ordered them to
come along with him, but that after
they mad gone short distance. Yate
dropped his hand to his revolver,
and told the captain to beat if -
Deter did, according to Lacey, and
he and Yates fed, but were later
rearrested.
Lacey testified that on heing
Drought before Deter again he had
received rough treatment from him
and his two sergeants, U. S. Madden
and Frank L. Hoyt. He asserted
that once Deter had ordered his
sergeants TO take him out, give him
a chance to run and if he didn't.
make him. shoot and waste no bull
lets" He said he had been beaten
dozen times on seven occasions
before Deter, who he said stood
by with a pistol in one hand and a
blackpack in the other. In addition.
Lacey said Deter had made MIN sit
on bench for five days without
sleep. If he dozed off, he said. he
was grabbed by the hair and pulled
to his feet. He added that he had
been made to sign false statements
after he had been led to believe
he would be punished by death" il
he disobeyed.
Denies Charges
In cross-examining Lacey, Lieu,
tenant Thomas l.. Heffernan, defense
counsel, who at the opening of the
trial declared the defendant had in
Cured the wrath of many hard
characters while abroad asked the
witness If he did not know of talk
of getting Captain DETER" He
followed this with another question
as to whether II was not true he
had agreed with others to get to-
gether on one story" To both ques-
tions Lacey replied in the negative.
Before calling Lacey, the prose-
cution put on two new witnesses.
Louis Schmitt, of Long Island CITY.
and Glen Burrell, of Bedford, Iowa
Schmitt testified that after he had
been brought into Detzer's office. no
saw Deter catch MarceIlo Gonzales.
another prisoner. smoking a cigaret
and ordered him ito eat the thing"
Schmitt said he left the room and
did not see whether Gonzales obeyed.
Schmitt admitted that he had
served as a stool pigeon or rat" for
Deter; that he had "squealed" on
acquaintances> absent without leave
and that he would trap up" anyone
who gave him "a dirty deal" He
added that he would not do it per-