Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-10

e s.tsr,f ! b %l had !, signed 4; FIRST saying

4.
he d, Fox later denied authorshipA
An important point in the letter,
according to Mr.. Cutchins, was the
statement by the writer that he was an
orphan. Fox today insisted that his
mother was living.
Finally Senator Ernst attempted to
settle the point by directing Fox to
copy the letter, the Senator debating.
Senator Ernst then compared the two
letters closely.
DO ! understand you to say you did
not write it?'' he asked Fox.
81 am positive about it. NV mother
is not dead. Some Of it looks like nv
writing, but I didn't do It,"
Both letters were filed. Fox was
excused, but ordered to stay in town
until other witnesses from Richmond
could be summoned.
Tells Of Shooting in Cold Blood
Albin, who followed Fox as a wit
ness. declared he saw Major Opie shoot
an American soldier in cold blood.
"The runner who was shot was run
ring toward the major" said Albin.
81 saw him hand the major piece Of
paper, which Major Opie glanced at.
Then che runner turned his lack aud
started 10 walk away, when Major Opic
shot him. Opie gazed at the fallen man
n few minutes and then moved on"
Albin declared 100 or more, persons
could have seen the shooting. The wit
ness was gassed in the war and has
heen unable to work, he said. While
testifying Albin, pointing to a spec
tator, asserted that the man had tried
to persuade him not to testify against
Major Opie.
Carlton testified that he saw Major
Opie shoot n soldier on October 8, 1918.
~ saw Major Opie seize rife and
order him to STOP said Carlton. "He
shot and man fell"
No other bullets were falling ut the
time. the witness said, but some shells
were dropping.
Pressed by Chairman Brandcgec, the
witness said he did not hccr Just what
Major Opie said, but that he appeared
to be addressing his men.
Man Appeared to BE Dead
'.Do you know that the bullet fred
by Major Opie was the bullet that made
81 won't say positively. But when
l saw the man fifteen minutes later he
appeared to be dead"
II was afraid l could not prove II
and in that case / would be shot" he
added.
Answering Senator Overman. Carlton
said ne was out of job and was
receiving no compensation from the
Government, not having been wounded.
"At that time wasn't Major Opie
trying to form his scattered lines?'
asked Mr.. Cutchins.
GTIo trrinn .n go ,
Carlton replied.
Next came Glllie, who testified he saw
Major Opie shoot a soldier on October
o. 1918.
AT. that time Major Opie seemed
bent on stopping retreat by his men,
Gillie said. IL saw Major Opie take
q rife and fire: I saw him shoot and
the man fall. but can't swear the
major killed him. The man may have
been gold bricking, pretending to be
dead. Such things can happen"
Colonel Walter a. Bethel, Assistant
Judge Advocate in the army. another
witness today, testified that records in
the cases of American soldiers hanged
after court martial in France were ca
bled Immediately to the War Depart
ment.
Colonel Bethel had been pressed by
Senator Tom Watson. whose charges
in the Senate that soldiers were put tC
death without trial led to the appoint
ment Of the committee. as to why nc
reports cf legal executions were made
Dublic until long after the armistice.
1--WE sent the department the name
of the man hanged. the fact of the exc.
cution and the offense," said Colone
Bethel. II do not know how soon tn,
department made the facts public"
Recall Hard -Bolled's" Acts
Touching on the case Of Beniamir
King, Of Wilmington. \. c., who, ac-
cording TO previous witnesses. was killed
by orders Of Hard Boiled" Smith, an
officer in charge of prison guard
Colonel Bethel reiterated that availa
BILE War Department records ''indi
Gated" that King was killed in action
or died Of wounds. No evidence, he
said, has been obtained to support the
charge that King was murdered, and
information to this effect has been con =
vCNcd to his family.
Questioned by Chairman Brandcget
Colonel Bethel declared notice of execu
tions was published overseas in general
court martial orders, and was sent to
all organizations with the eXpeditionary
forces.
There were several references q I'd
"JIard- Boiled" Smith, who Colonel
Bethel said had been sentenced to
three ycays' Imprisonment for cruelty to
prisoners. He had recommended that
the term be reduced to eighteen months,
Colonel Bethel added.
Senator Watson asked that Repre-
sentative johnson, of South Dakota
who had stated IN the House it proba
bly, was true that soldiers at the front
lad been shot by their officers because
they had become demented or showed
cowardice, be summoned.
Colonel Bethel said that, while be
lad no personal knowledge Of such
shooting, lit may have happened. II
can imagine circumstances where nm
officer would be justified in shooting a
man to prevent n stampede" he added
such shooting would not be for pun
ishment hut to prevent dissolution oi
the ranks"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS