The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-17
DENY ROPES
ON NECK OF
DEAD YANKS
Witnesses Tell Senators
Stories of Such Bur
ials Are False.

w dSnlnSLOn, Jan. III Ormer
service men detailed for duty with
the American graves registration
service in France. denied before a
senate investigation committee to-
day that the bodies of soldiers le-
gally put TO death in France were
buried with a stub of rope around
the neck and the black cap which
had been placed on them on the
gallows.
George Beamford of Washington,
and John r. Flynn of Cambridge,
Mass, each testified he had heard
of nothing to substantiate such
charges. Flynn declared that Ru-
fus P. Hubbard of New York, who
had testified that he saw bodies
with rope and cap intact, was a
trouble maker" who had to be
transferred on that account.
The committee went into hanging
methods as part of its general in
vestigation of charges laid before
the senate by Senator Watson,
Democrat, of Georgia, that soldiers
were hanged without trial in
France
Flynn insisted that if the service
corps was unable to identify a body
for shipment home, it was rein
TERED.
Hing Killed In Action.
Taking the case of Benjamin
King of Wilmington, N c., reported
by the war department as killed in
action" and claimed by a former
witness to bave been lynched. the
committee called Vainey E. Wells
of Wilmington, who said King was
member of his platoon.
Il saw KiIs5 just before we
jumped off in battle and L never
saw him again." Wells said. Il am
King was one of the best soldiers
in the outfit and there never was a.
complaint against him"
How was it reported to you that
King was killed?' Senator Over
man, Democrat, of North Carolina,
asked.
Il have no direct proof" he said.
"but it is my honest opinion he
was killed. A sergeant who was
nearby told me King was blown
up with a she'll 1 know he went
into the battle and never came out.
Like many others he was reported
missing when the battle ended"
Third Witness Disagrees.
Disagr eeing with witnesses who
preceded him, Richard c. Sullivan,
of Somerville, Mass, an assistant
embalmer with the graves registra-
ton service, declared he saw two
bodies taken up with rope and
black cap intact.
Every body l helped prepare for
shipment home was identified" he
said.
WAS there any evidence that the
heart and brain were removed from
the bodies of the men hanged ?''
Senator Watson asked.
Il did not notice"
Were the men buried in a sep
arate part of the cemetery?"
"They were not"
"If the skulls had been opened
to remove the brain you would have
noticed it?" Chairman Brandegee
asked.
Undoubtedly"
Edwin f. Lamb of Hartford,
Conn, a lieutenant colonel with
the expeditionary forces, was called.
Did you witness any executions
in France?"
Eyes, two at Bazailles. Both
were court-martialed," he said.
Lamb gave the committee the
names of both men who made
rambling. statements, which were
taken down." he said.
Condemned Given Opiatcs.
The condemned men were given
opiates before the hanging to COM
pose their nerves, the witness de-
clared.
Did the men claim they had not
been tried?'
mo SIR
Neither protested his inno-
cence?"
NO"
I'm the case of these hangings l
think the body was placed quickly
in a coffin with the rope and cap
still on it." Lamb added.
What is the probability of men
being hanged without trial?" asked
the chairman.
Not the slightest" Lamb replied.
And these men, hanged for an
almost uncomfortable crime, were
buried along with the honorable
dead?' Senator Watson asked.
Yes. they were buried with our
men who had fallen and had paid
the extreme penalty"
Some of the doctors later sug-
gested, he added, that in future exc
cutions the bodies be buried in sep
arate lots, but there were no other
executions at that post.