The Washington times., 1921-12-17

!. .CLUbbED
To DEATH
-WATSON.
Georgian Promises to Adducs
Proof 200 Were Illegally
Done Away With.
By I.ssrn.sss.al Nsws Service.

Senator "Tom" Watson Demo
crst) Of Georgia announced today
that he would insert in the record
Of the next meeting of the Senate
COMMITTEES investigating his charges
that American soldiers were Illegal
" killed IN France . letter charE}ng
that ~0yor 200 soldiers were UaRal-
/ " huh& ~ clubbed to dsath by Off
|essB md nsver Tsoertod.~ IN FrAnees'
Kentuckinn Writes.
81 Win offer this and similar letters
by syswitnesses. directly disprovtng
the statement of the War Departemnt
that only slevent soldiers were hung
IN France" announced Watson. Il
win offer . Letter from one man who
was the eyewitness to four hangings
ct 0fsvrss. where the War Depart.
ment says only one man was hanged.
Senator watson produced = letter
written by Arthur Q. Burlington. Full
ton, KY, but who said his home was
Detroit, Mich.
How such an untruth ~ that only
eleven American soldiers were hung
In France could be handed out to the
aid Burlington, who then added his
charge of over 200 soldiers being
hung or club6ed to death"
II am going to tell you what oc.
CURED before my own eyes. Some OF
II was not intended for me to see but
managed to see it," he continued.
There was a boy named Radcliff,
from Mobile, Ala. whom ! saw every
day for two months. One evening at
supper he refused q meai-said q bad
can Of meat was part OF his supper.
and threw II away.
IAN American and . French officer
told him to pick II up and eat II. He
refused and struck one Of the officers.
Tho boy was hung that night with
two others-all white. on the gallcws'
at Gievres. He was reported missing"
Comrade Clubbed.
Burlington, in tho letter which Wat
! son exhibited, also told of the club
bing OF q boy named James, from El
Paso, Tex. by an officer. while on
the firing line.
| He was my comrade, and he and
wsre together ono evening during 4
battle" said Burlington. He turned
| to me and said, 4 am sick: / will
have to Give It up He started back
| to the rear. An officer stopped him
and told him to get back In line. The
sick boy refused. The OFFICER dubbed
i
/ In the left ear. and was carried back.
I never saw him again. He was re-
ported missing
II have another letter" said 9ena-
tor Watson, from q man at present
In the navy and stationed at Charles
ton, 8. c. / am not going to give his
name now, but will ask the commit
tee to call him ~ q witness. This
man was with the 313th Supply Com
pany. Q. M. c.. and was stationed at
Gievres. He gives a graphic descrip-
ton Of the hanging Of several soldiers
which he accidentally witnessed, and
which has all the earmarks Of being
\ an illegal affair"
In the letter referred to the soldier
says:
sugar to lie Mans, France. About
o'clock in the morning I left for the
freight yard. As I was going through
the engineers camp I saw two negro
number Of other negro soldiers hiding
behind a steel warehouse, watching
the execution.
II asked one Of the sergeants why
these men were being hung, and ne
told me that the first thing that he
knew OF the proposed execution was
when some soldiers broke into their
barracks about Z o'clock that morning
and dragged these two soldiers from
their hunks. later found out upon
whose orders these men were execut-
ed. but would rather not divulge his
name at present. II necessary. I am
testify"
This soldier" commented Senator
Watson, personally witnessed four
hangings at Gievres. the place where
the War Department says only one
man was hanged. In addition to the
two hanginGs just described, he Wit.
messed the hanging OF two white men