Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-22
BOY TESTIFlES
AT WATSON ARMY PROBE

tee investigation of charges by Sem
ator Watson, Democrat, Georgia,
that American soldiers had been
hanged without trial in France, Ma.
rion j. Wallis, of Athens, Ca, de-
clared he saw a corporal shoot and
kill private soldier at Camp Wheel
err, Georgia.
The witness said he did not serve
overseas and had no evidence bear.
ing on executions on foreign soil.
The corporal, he said, was named
Crawford and the man shot, he
thought, was Private HALEY, OF
Tampa, Fla.
Wallis read a letter from one of
his buddies at Sandusky, Ohio, at.
lacking officers of a Georgia regif
ment, and indicating he would get
even some day.
"Some of those Georgia officers
were pretty bad from that?" Wallis
was asked.
Eyes, indeed" he replied.
"This seems to be a Georgia fam.
lily row." said Senator Ernst Re
publican, Kentucky and Senatos
Watson joined in the laughter.
At this point Senator Watson Of
fered a telegram received today from
James r. Milton, of Chattanooga, y
Tenn, saying he also had witnessed
the killing of HALEY by Crawford
and would come to Washington to
testify to that effect. Another tele-
gram from w. F. Brock, of Lindale,
Ga, said the soldier was killed be-
cause he was i'll and unable to work,
and that Crawford was not tried by
court-martial. Wallis. however, had
another version, saying that Craw-
ford was tried by court-martial, given
thirty-day furlough and then made
o sergeant. To the best of his recol-
lection, the killing was in May or
June, 1918.
Wallis said he was examined by
Major j. o. Seamon in the stockade.
but was not called to testify at the
trial.
Some Of the kilograms referred to
Crawford as a captain, bat Wallis
stuck to his story that he was a cor
poral at the time of the shooting.
Witness Admits Charges
| Wallis, on cross-examination, ex-
planned that he had been court-nar-
tailed twice for being absent with
! cut leave, losing his pay for ten days
for the first offense, and locked up
1 forty days for the second. He said
he voluntarily returned in each
case.
"There are three A w. o. L.
charges on my discharge papers,"
he said.
Reports published at the time of
the Camp Wheeler shooting, he said,
showed that HALEY was shot while
resisting arrest. but he added that
such reports were not true.
"Did he give the corporal provo
cation for shooting hin?" Senator
Watson asked
"None whatever. At the time he
was shot Halley's arm had been
broken by clubbing. HALEY was
struck down with a club for refus-
ing to work and then shot in the
back, dying the next day."
Officers of the war department said
they would examine the records to
determine if such case as that de-
scribed by Wallis was listed.
| After Wallis had concluded his tes-i
timony the names of the five other
witnesses summoned to appear to-
day were called, but none of the
five responded to his name. The
hearing then went over until after
noon, with the expectation that the
absent witnesses might arrive by
that time.
The name of Major Heroine L.
! Opie, of Staunton, Va, who COM
manded the third battalion, One Hun
dred and Sixteenth infantry, was
placed formally before the commit.
tee today. Testifying yesterday,
Henry L. Scott, of Kenmore, chic,
declared he saw a Major Opley, of
the Third battalion, One Hundred and
Sixteenth infantry, kill two soldiers
at different times, without provoca-
ton"
Major Issues Denial
Major Opie, from his home at
Staunton, issued a categorical denial,
characterizing Scott as "skulker.'
In a letter to Chairman Brandegee
today, Colonel Walter A. Bethel, as
sistant judge advocate general, stat
ed that Colonel Opie was in COM
| mand of the outfit mentioned by
Scott, that he had fine record and
since the war had been appointed
and now is a lieutenant colonel of
I the infantry reserve corps.
Should the committee decide to
call Opie as a Witness" Colonel Beth
ell wrote, II do not see how he could
raise the question Of self-incrimina-
ton. His discharge from army Of
the United States terminated his
amenability to trial by court-martial.
He cannot be tried by a civil court
| of France, for if such court ever.
did have jurisdiction over the Of
tense it was Invested of the same as
I indicated IN my testimony. He
could not be tried by civil court
of the United States, since the acts
were committed in France. Since
the witness, Scott, gave the name
of no other person who might be
called to testify i nthe case, Opie
seems to be the only available wit
ness if it is desired to pursue the
matter further"
There was no explanation as to the
absence of the six witnesses /wnoss
names were called and who had been
duly summoned to appear.
| Pope Golden, of Georgia, one of
! the five, had telegraphed that he
| would he here "PrOvidence permit.