The daily times., 1922-01-10
TESTIFY
THAT MAJOR 0P|E
KILLED. SOLDIER
They Say They Saw the Officer
Shoot Down a Runner Who
Had Come to Him; There
Were Shells Falling But
Witness Was Sure Major
Opie Shot the Man to Death.

Washington, Jan. 1O.-Chas. E.
Fox, of Richmond, Va, testified to-
day before a senate investigating
committee that he saw Maj. Haromie
L. Opie of Staunton, Va, shoot a
soldier in the back north of Verdun
in 1918.
''The man shot was wearing the
American uniform said Fox Il was
$50 feet away. AS the boy was shot
he threw his hands in the air and
toppled over. 1 do not know if the
man died. Sergeant Cain also saw the
shooting"
| Fox declared the soldier was with
in 6 feet of the Major and that he
had approached the officer and was
moving off.
do you know Opie" Chairman
Brandegee asked,
ct was positive that it was Maj
Opie. There was much talk in the
company, Co. B 116 Infantry The
men wondered why the boy had been
shot, but they were afraid ITO ask
about it,
"You made no complaint?"
''No sir. I was afraid
i Asked why he did not report the
case to Lieut.. Maring of Richmond,
Fox said, THAT guy would shoot me;
he wouldn't take any foolishness."
Fox gave Chairman Brandegee
) letter from Maring written from Cas-
per, Wyo., saying he was sorry to
hear about Major Opie
Fox did not want all the letter read
, Saying it contained some trough
Istuff".
81 am used to rough stuff in this
case" the chairman said
The letter quoted Maring as saying
he had heard the soldier was running
away and Opie had a right to shoot
and advised Fox not to say anything
} about the case, unless you actually
: saw the shooting" adding rumors did
not stand up in court.
1 Banging the table Fox shouted that
5 he saw Opie shoot. 81 saw it with my
: own eyes,"
f From Maring's letter he believed
r Opie was justified said the chairman
r "Well I don't" Fox declared.
s Washington, Jan. 10.-Stonewal
d Jackson Alben of Kernstown, Va, de
: clared he saw Major Opie shoot ar
! American soldier in cold blood"
xr,I,o cI, nf
t ming toward the Major said Alben
l. 81 saw him hand the Major a piec'
It of paper which Major Opie glanced at
y Then the runner turned his back an,
IS started to walk away when Opie sho
d him. Major Opie gazed at the fallel
h man for a few moments and thel
) walked on. Alben declared 100 o
n more persons could have seen tn
l. shooting. Alben was gassed while il
i. the service.
j. While testifying Alben pointing
" a spectator testified the man ha
" tried to persuade him not to testif
r against Major Opie.
l. Another witness James E Car
,r he saw Major Opie shoot soldier o
se Oct. 9, 1918.
ID 'I saw Major Opie seize a rifle an
at order him to STOP" said Carlton, "H
cs shot and man fell"
I'd No bullets were falling at the tin
IN the witness said but some shells wei
falling.
n Pressed by the chairman he said l
IS Ibid not remember just what Maj,
d. Opie said.
ed do you know the bullet fired |
id Major Opie was the bullet that ma,
no the man fall?" asked the chairman
,f-l 'I won't say positively but when
w. lsaw the man Is minutes later he a
M lpeared to be dead"
.nti why didn't you complaint"
n'tt 'I was afraid I could not prove
IN and in case didn't I would be pu
iished."