New-York tribune., 1922-01-11
Five Say Opiie
Shot Soldiers:
Others Deny 1t
testimony Of Dozen Wit
nesses at Senate Inquiry
About Evenly Divided for
and Against the Major
Committee in Quandary
Accused Officer Requests
Speedy Finding aud Asks
All Evidence Be Offered

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10. Nearly p
dozen witnesses, all from Virginia
hroke about even in numbers to-day ir
.estifyng for and against Major
Heroine L. Opic, of Staunton, Va. be.
/ fore a Senate committee investigating
/ charges that American soldiers had
/ been hanged without trial in France.
But at the all-day session there wa,
70 evidence relating specifically tc
Iangngs. II all swung around charge.
| shat Major Opic, as commander Of tho
~ Battalion, l16th Infantry. had shot
{'ono Of his own men. Men who had
kerved with the regiment. supplement-
rg testimony submitted last week. de
c.areo they saw Major Opic shoot run.
refs IN October. 1918. while his com.
'nand was in the Argonnc offensive
Nthefs, who were with the officer or
the dates mentioned asserted that he
had shot no one, and that he only fired
70 stop some Of his men, apparently in
oisofuere0 retreat, in an effort to re-
. :oTm ms llnc and get troops back into
fighting state.
Evidence Puzzles Committee
Chairman Brandegee, seeking to cut
through the conflicting evidence, en-
| deavored 10 ascertain the exact number
| slleged TO have been shot, but in the
end there was some doubt in the minds
oi members as to whether the wit
resses had seen and were attcmpting
Counsel for Major ONO n hr;
,sstemenI at the conclusion of tbo 0n;e
sost;rnonv oxnressod Tho bona pat .La.
.toxo ,,;e1bt he eneod,, s.d; .." !
..Soa 49, frrtbor ol,;don.a rola.; GU
s'S. go r;,,L. he nr.eo,tod - W
San.,or s,ln Watson Democra+ o,e .ll'e'
Shoso sneech IN rhe senate ioS 'eo ~ t,' ,a'
;,.est;ratior onnosed anv ,+.a,,+ w. ~ ~
,;roa Ont the 0nje case Onie s'a'Ips ~
las Irs +esf;fed before the con,n;+tna e'ns an
rr;ny ho SHOT arv Amer;car soid;e,.
Snr;ng the war
'srirs The wjtnesses who testified !, +,rn
Al, lue "''o 'eS'ileo IN turn
wa, sars tas cbsrles @~ s ox S9R of man o0wn
Va: lanes +. carlton. of P;cbmord ~
Va: John r. Loedv. of I,urav Vs and
pswev D Hester. of Marion Va Enr If'S
Raced the incident he descrihed "a
tback Of Vordun in 1918" A]bin and
Hester did not give tho location of Tho
'iI,.s 'uaros sLoo.,,,s s,,a s'l.,oli ol 'ne
that il occurred IN "October 1olsu
Shot !, tho P.ck Ch.-
N"a,so
fox teStliiea mat ne saw Major Opic
roo' so,aler IN 'he back north of
NeMuh IN .'iN;
Inc man NOT was wearing the
American rnlform,' said Fox. Il was
Jay isFt away AS the boy was shot he
'hf'" MS hangs IN the AR and toppled
% y..n qS Fane ne' f0w II TN fae man d1ed
3 Fsz declared the soldier was within
& irg @curred that he had apnroached
& the oRcer and was moving off,
Asked why he did not report the case
to Lieutenant Moring. of Richmond
Fox said: That guv would shoot me-.
he uonldrY +a,.o ' KY sooI;h ~oIiu Snoos me-
Albin declared he saw "Maior On;e
shoot an American soldier in cold
blood"
The runraTs who WAS shot was r,n.
ming toward the major y SID Alb;n
Il saw him hand the maior Y,;oca of
paper. which Major Onie oioncod a.
Then the runner Turned h;e hanl AND
Started to wa awav. when Na;or On;a
SHOT him. Onje razed 81 ~ fa1fer
4 man for few ninn+es and tben