The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-11-04
Major Turner Tells of Reported
Order To Bump OFF, Cacos
BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE
Secret Report Submitted - Colonel
Hooker Declares Gendarmes'
Brutality Made Bandits
Of Natives.

lngIOH.-OlHCS Iuc AmSAiooh
occupation of Haiti, about six years
ago, $500 natives have been killed lin
action" Major T. c. Turner of the
Marine Corps estimated during testi-
mony at hearing of the special Sen
ate committee investigating conditions
in Haiti. Of that number, he added,
1882 were killed between October !,
1919 and October /, 1920
Major Turner reviewed many fea-
lures of the report he made of al
legged killings and brutal treatment of
the natives to the commandant of the
marine forces in Haiti two years ago,
explaining that he had devoted two
months in the fall of 1919 to the in
quiry on which the report was based
and that his instructions had required
him ''to get to the bottom" of the sit
uation.
Although he made the investigation
as sweeping as possible he explained,
he could find no evidence of the killing
of natives held as prisoners by the
Americans.
while / heard rumors of murders
of prisoners" he said, mo one was
found who, under oath, would give
testimony of such outrages. That
there were killings was undoubtedly
true, and many of them can be d.
rectly traced to Major Clark H. Wells
"a Marine oficer), but these were not
prisoners, but were natives trying to
escape from the corvee, or enforced
roadwork."
Major Turner stated that non-com-
missioned officers of the Marines,
who acted as officers Of the gendarmes,
were reported to have received in
structions from Major Wells Ito bump
off the Cacos," who were regarded as
bandits.
In reply to question, the Major
stated that he was of the opinion that
there were executions of natives with
out trial" He denied that evidence
could be found that prisoners were
roughly handled. When asked for his
opinion of the report that Capt.
Ernest Lavoie, of the Marines, had
taken from Is to 10 natives to GENE
terry, and ordered their execution by
machine guns, the Major replied that
he believed that many have hap
pened." He added that Captain La
vote had denied the killing.
Airplanes were used by the marines
in scouting, Major Turner said, and
bombs were carried as well as ma
chine guns. The natives gathered in
such small groups, however he added,
that bombing was not effective.
A report by lieutenant Colonel
Hooker, of the Marine Corps, to Briga-
dier General A. w. Catlin, at one time
in command of the forces of occupa-
ton, on conditions in Haiti, which has
been held on the confidential files of
the Navy Department, was submitted
to the committee, 1t was made in
January, 1919, and in it Colonel Hook
er stated that the "gendarmes used
the natives so brutally that many had
Joined the bandits" and that Lieut..
B. D. Williams, sergeant in the Ma
rines, admitted that he had killed
several persons when they had at
tempted to escape" He asserted also
that Captain Lavoie had admitted that
six persons had been shot.
Colonel Hooker's report was offered
to support Major Turner's statement
that the natives were forcibly held in
servitude for work on the roads for
months, and that conditions became
SO bad that an order was issued pro-
hibiting forced labor. This, however,
did not break UP the practice, it was
said.