Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-17
DENY M|STAK|NG
SOLDIERS BODIES
Chance Of Wrong ldentifications
Slight, Senate Investi-
gators Are Told
HEAR OF ROPES AND CAPS
nv the Associated Press


Washington. Jan. 17.--Thc chance, OF
mistakes in identification Of soldiers
who lost their lives in France was very
small. Captain Charles j. Wynne, In
charge Of records, told Senate In
vestigating Committee today. "0f the
43 900 bodies shipped TO the United
States. every single one was identified"
he said
There were six records. Captain
Wynnc testified. of the wrong body
being shipped, but in each case the
errors were corrected. Major Samuel
J. Heidner. Of West Point, another
witness. said orders were specific that
n body should not be sent home until
It's identity had been fully established.
Several witnesses today characterized
Rufus l.. Hubbard. who recently testi-
fed that he saw bodies Of hanged
soldiers with rope md black cap intact,
MS n "troublc maker" Testimony con-
cerning such bodies differed widely.
CAPTAIN Wynnc said he never came
across body with Il rope around the
neck. Major Hedncr, however, agreed
with Hubbard that a rope and black
cap were found on two bodies dup mp
at Bazaillcs, but said that these were
removed.
George A. Bamford. of Washington,
and John Il. Flynn. of Cambridge,
Mass, testified that they had heard Of
nothing 90 substantiate Hubbard's
charges. Edwin Il. Lamb. Of Hartford.
Conn. lieutenant colonel in the
expedtionary force. said he witnessed
two legal executions at Bazailles. and
that he thought the body Of one was
placed in n coffin with the rope and cap
still on Il. Richard c. Sullivan, Of
Somervillc. Mass. an assistant en-
balmer. said he saw two bodies taken
up with the rope and black cap intact.
Novak Tabler. Of Washington. said
the bodies OF two Negroes were disin-
tered with rope and cap in the cofiins.
but that he knew the rope was removed
from the body "before 1t was buried
first
john Sebastian. of Jacksonville.
Fla, said that while on his way TO
work at a prison camp at Gricves he
passed the bodies Of two Negro soldiers
and that the sergeant announced that
the Negroes had been lynchcd.
Former Lieutenant Colonel Lamb in
his testimony declared that there was
not the slightest probability of men
being hanged without trial.
You mean TO say that these men
hanged for an unmentionablc crime
were buried along with the honorable
dcad?' Senator Tom Watson, who In
stigated the investigation, asked him
when the question of burial places
arose.
yes" was the reply. "They were
our men who had fallen and paid the
| pytrppln npDnity ~
Taking UP the case Of Benjamin King.
I War Department as killed in action,
and claimed By former witness to have
been lynched. the committee called Val
ney Y. Wells, OF Wilmington. who said
King was member Of his platoon.
81 saw King just before we Jumped
off in battle. and I never saw him
again." said Wells. II am satisfied he
was killed in action. King was one
of the best soldiers in the outfit. ant
there never was u complaint against
him."
The first woman to appear before II,
committee, Mrs. Griffths. of Washing
ton, whose husband. Colonel Richar,
II. Grifiths, was killed in Trance. tolt
Of going 70 France in an effort TO 10
cate and identify his body. at was
headless body" shc declared, "anc
there was no tag on It.
Are you sure the body was or wa
not that Of your husband?' Senate
Ovcrman asked.
. "lt was quite impossible 10 tell. ;"
Mrs. GritiithS declared there wer
no Identification marks on crosses nbov
the graves at the cemetery where he
husband was burier.