The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-27
WATSON HEARING
WILL CLOSE SOON
Expected That This Wesk Will Wind
Up investigation of Lynchings
in France.
10y The Associated rressl

\ WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-The SEN
ate committee investigating charges
that American soldiers were hanged
without trial in France probably viii
wind up it's work next week.
After hearing today eighteen wit
nesses, none Of whom testified direct
" in support of the charges, the COM
mittee adjourned until next Wednes-
day at which time twelve witnesses
Will be examined. In the event no
others are found meanwhile, the hear
ing viii be closed and Chairman
Brandagee Indicated that an early re-
port would be presented to the senate.
The hearing today covered a broad
field. Ivy Henderson Of Chester, S. c.,
who served overseas as orderly for
Colonel B. c. Langdon, declared in a
letter presented by a lawyer that
Colonel Paul Malone, a brigadier gen.
eral in France. had shot and killed
soldier because he could not keep up
with his command, and that Colonel
Langdon, who, he said, was witness,
reported the Shooting. Colonel Lang
don, who was testifying when the let
ter was read, asserted that he never
heard of an officer shooting a private
and expressed the opinion that Hen
derson was not very bright" and that
because Of his mental condition PROB
ably thought the thing was true, but
that it did not actually happen. He
Ienied all knowledge OF the alleged
shooting.
Senator Watson, democrat, Georgia,
whose charges as to Illegal executions
led to the investigation, asked that
Henderson be summoned. Colonel
Malone is stationed at Camp Benntng
Ga and 1t is probable he may appear
IN his own behalf.
The two hangings at Ts-Sur-Tille,
brought out a big crowd, which flocked
after the trap had been sprung to the
canteel, according to Mrs. Mary Ellen
Furnish of Memphis, Tenn. a welfare
worker, who declared soldiers and
French civilians raced for all the van
tage points, including trees, to wit
ness the spectacle. Another witness
said officers at nearby camps always
wanted 10 be notified of hangings in
advance so they might be able to at
tend, Through the testimony OF two
North Carolina witnesses the commit
tee apparently disposed Of the rumOrs
as to the shooting of Benny F. King
of Wilmington, by a firing squad. Clay
A Gardner of Hamlet. n. c., told how
he was proceeding with an ambulance
filled with wounded in the thick of the
Meuse-Argonne fighting when he saw
a soldier mounted on a motorcycle,
topple over with a great cash from
shrapnel in his stomach.
THE soldier was headed toward the
front line when struck" said Gardner,
land as we reached him it was evil
dent he would die. He had lost his
Identification tag. but he told me his
name was Benny T. King and that he
was q member of the 18th Infantry.
He died a little later while we were
trying to move him to a hospital"
Eugene E. McNelley of Hamlet,
driver Of the ambulance, testified he
wrote the name as King gave II on
a tag which he attached to the body, |
but in tearing the slip out Of the book
he took both the tag and duplicate,
which he submitted to the committee,
This error on his part accounted, it
was explained, for the failure to locate
the body.
King told me he was from Carolina
and / replied we were from that state
too and would do everything to help !
him." said McNeney. But he was so
badly wounded he could not give much |
information. At the time he had no
helmet or gas mask"