The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-05
Dramatic Scenes Enacted Before
Senate Committee Hear
ing. Charges of IL
legal Hangings.
ONE WITNESS OVERCOME
AND NERVES SHATTERED
Declares That He Is Dealing
With a Bunch of Fanatics
Who Are Trying to
Prove Him Nutty.
Etey The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-AccuSer
and accused, in dramatic fashion, faced
each other today before d senate com
mittee investigating charges that
American soldiers shad been hanged
without trial in France.
Near the close of a. seven hour ses-
sion Major Heroine I.4Opie of Staun-
ton, Va, commander of the third bat
talon, 116th infantry, overseas, went
on the stand to enter emphatic denial
of charges by former service men that
he had shot down some of his own
soldiers in cold blood on the battle
field. He was asked, however to step
aside until other witnesses then in
the room could testify against him.
meanwhile being given the right
through counsel to cross examine
them.
Responding to his name when the
Opie charges We're taken up. Grayson
H Withfow of Baltimore. still in. his
early twenties stepped to the front
aud festfae3 tnat re saw The officer
seize gun from a private and fire at
a man in his command. Shells were
falling overhead, he said, and there
was tremendous excitement, but With
row swore that from his retreat in
shell hole he peeped out and saw the
man fall as the majors gun barked.
But he could not say whether Opte
had killed him, declaring the latter,
standing out in the open, was within
arms reach of half a dozen officers
when the shot was fired.
AS WJthrow left the smnd, William
F. st. John, a young man from Lynch
burg, Va, suffering from nervous trout
bles resulting from service overseas,
accused the Virginian OF shooting
down runner" at the front because
he failed to heed after twice being or
.dered to halt. Four other men saw
the killing, ha declared, but he refused
of his own accord to give their names
on the ground that he had not been
able to confer with them and that it
would not be just to him if they
should appear and mot back up" his
charges. One of them, he said, had
developed cold feet and was unwill-
ing to come.
Reminded by Chairman Brandegee
that the names must be submitted,
st. John complied, mentioning first
the cousin of one of the majors coun-
sci, sitting across the table. 1t was
while st. John was being cross exam
ined by John A. Cutshins of Rich
mond, Va, Major Opie's counsel that
he lost control of his shattered nerves,
and dramatically shouted that he was
dealing with a bunch of fanatics who
''are trying to prove l am nutty"
Cutshins promptly disclaimed such
an intention.
Seeing that the young man was
worn out by excitement, Senator Wat
son, democrat, Georgia, whose charges
of Illegal executions are under inves-
tigation, declined to question him. To-
morrow Major Opie will testify in his
own behalf.
Starting out with the testimony of
Rufus P. Hubbard OF New York, who
as an en7balming assistant with the
American graves registration service,
declared he found moose and black
cap on the bodies of three American
soldiers dug up in the little French
cemetery at Bazoilles, the committea
permitted the inquiry to run it's course
Right after the testimony OF Hubbard
another witness, who assisted in a
legal execution, declared that the
body was buried, moose and black cap
intact, in the same cemetery where
Hubbard said three so marked had
been found.
A farm boy from Georgia, who
frankly but pathetically announced he
could not read or write, cleared up
his recent statement concerning the
shooting Of soldier because he had
sneaked away from his command to
auench his thirst at a little spring. II
developed that the command was try
ing to conceal its position from the
enemy and that all hands had been
warned that the first man attempting
to walk out in the open would be shot
The soldier walked 90 yards beyond
the dead line. refused TO halt when
ordered. and they shot him in his
tracks.
There was much testimony relating
10 executions at Is-Sur-T1lle, none Of
the witnesses being able 10 say wheth-
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