The Washington herald., 1921-10-27
HAITIAN DEAD NEAR
$500 IN BATTLES
WITH U. 5. MARINES
Heavy Toll Taken During
Occupation, Says Maj.
Turner.

The battling maze Of charges and
denials of atrocities of American
marines in Haiti was penetrated at
last by the Senate Committee,
headed by Senator Mccormick, of
Illinois, yesterday. and much real
light was obtained upon the
Haitian situation.
The committee learned from Maj.
T. c. Turner. United States Ma
rine Corps, that approximately a.
500 natives were killed in action
during the period of American &C.
cupation. The official records of the
Marine Corps submitted to the COM
mittee by Maj. Turner. stated that
1,132 natives were killed in action
from October l, 1919, to October 1.
1920.
Maj. Turner estimated that ap-
proximately 100 native Haitians
were killed by Haitian gendarmes.
under the command of American
marine officers, when they
attempted to escape from road
building gangs into which they had
been pressed against their will.
Executed without Trial.
Some native Haitians were exc
cuted without trial, according to
Maj. Turner. The major was ques-
toned at length about a constantly
recurring report that band of fif-
teen to nineteen Haitians were exc
cuted without trial in a cemetery
by a body of Haitian gendarmes
under the command of a Lieut.. La
Vote, an American marine. He
tad investigated this report, he
stated, but had been unable to To-
cate any actual eye witnesses of
the reported execution. Neverthe-
ISIS. he expressed the opinion that
"somthing like that did occur
DO you mean that natives were
unlawfully killed." he was asked.
Yes" he replied.
Under the direction and conni-
vance of La Voie?"
Yes"
And you believe that his denial
was untrue?
Yes"
Maj. Turner told the committee
that a few airplanes were used by
the Marine Corps for scouting pur-
poses and to drop bombs upon re-
bellious natives. After a time, how
ever, the natives refrained from
gathering in groups of sufficient
size to Justify bombing and this
form of warfare was abandoned.
The natives also stated that the
practice of forcing Haitians into
involuntary servitude in road
building gangs under the rifles OF
the American Differed gendarmes
has led to unsatisfactory results
and had been stopped.
Blames Maj. Wells.
Maj. Turner was detailed in 1913
to investigate the charges of indis-
criminate killing of natives. In his
report, parts of which were made
public yesterday, for the first time.
he laid the responsibility for alleged
killings largely upon Maj. Clark II.
Wells, a marine officer, in command
of the district where many natives
were shot. The report stated that
Maj. Wells told his men to bump
OF" the Cacos, the most warlike
natives. In his testimony yesterday,
however, Maj. Turner stated he was
not sure now that Maj. Wells de-
served so large a share of the re-
sponsibility. because he since had
found the Haitians extremely unre-
liable witnesses.
The committee also received as
evidence a copy of a report made
by Lieut.. Col. Hooker to Gen. A.
w. Catlin, in January. 1919. The
reported stated that Lieut.. B. D.
Williams admitted killing several
natives who attempted to escape
from road work and that Lieut.. "a
Vote admitted six persons had been