The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-05-11
BERCDOLL CASE
BEING INVESTIGATED
Col. Hunt, Formerly in Charge of
Stacker, Placed Under Grill
ing Cross Examination
WHITE WASHING CHARGED
Representative Johnson. Democrat.
kentuckcy, Rips Into Record OF
Hunts Court Martial.

Washington, May 10.---Thc charge
that Col. John E. Hunt, former com
mandant at the disciplinary barracks
at Governors Island was "white
washed" by a court martial resulting
from his alleged failure to take proper
precautions to prevent the escape of
Grover Cleveland Bcrgdoll, Philadel-
phla draft dodgcr, was made late to-
day at the end Of long session of
the iiouse investigating committee.
oalled before the committee to tell
safeguard Bergdoll while on a gold
hunting expedition to the MARYLAND
mountains, Col. Hunt had been OH the
stand for nearly five hours when he
was taken in hand by Representative
Johnson, Democrat, Kentucky, for
gfllllng croSS-cXamination
Some OF the questions put to the
witness were extremely blunt and of
a personal nature. Then, after asking
Tor a yes or no answer, as to whether
ne had been given fair trial and
whether he had been aggressively ger
secuted. Mr.. Johnson proceeded to
quote from the court martial record
CERTAIN statements by the prosecuting
olilcef directed at the good standing
of the accused.
"Vigorous Prosecuting Speech
is that vigorous prosecuting
speech" Mr.: johnson asked, and Hunt
instantly replied that it was plea for
ms conviction las he saw it.
At this Juncturc John II. Shcrburne,
OF Boston, counsel for the committee
lnterposcd that it was only fair to
read fro mthc judge advocates ad~
dress, course which the committee
approved.
IL is my purpose to show, although
l may not have the full cooperation of
counsel for this committee" Mr.. John
son declared. that the court-martial
record contains more than suspicion
that this witness was whitcwashed
and that counsel participated only in
ha1-hearted prosecution. And
tnmk | will show more as I get fur
ther into it,"
= Inc loud changing Of the House oeli
ior vote on the army bill and brief
INFORMAL discussion as to the advis
ablilty OF inserting the entire court
niartlal proceedings in the records of
the committee hearing broke up the
meeting at this point.
"Thc Sorriest of An"
Extracts fro mthc Judge advocates
ADDRESS quoted by Mr.. Johnson set
1orth that the prosecution did not
thlnk or intimate that Col. Hunt
waited Bcrgdoll to escape or was in
any conspiracy to that end, and that
1t was realized Hunt was ''thc sorricst
Ct ali' that the prisoner got away.
Col. Hunt recently recovered from
a long illness, took no part in the
discussion. In the course Of his exam
lhatlon he described plans for Berg
doll to leave under military guard for
iiaEerstoWn, Mr., in search of the
buried gold, and declared that no otfi-
Ger was available at the time and
that he had had the utmost confidence
IN Sergeant O'flare, who was directly
responsible for the safe return of the
prisoner.
Asked by Chairman Peters if the
escape was due to his own fault or
TO the mcompetcncy Of the guard.
Hunt denied vigorously that he was
responsible for the mans escape and
added that he did not want to char
actcrlZc the conduct of the sergeant
as dcrcllctiom Of duty.