New-York tribune., 1922-01-05
2 Face Major;
Swear He Shot
Down Soldiers
tcoutiuued from page eno

(Continued from page enc,
as an cmbalmng assistant with the
American Graves Registration Service.
testified to-day he found a moose and
blacl. cap on the bodies OF three
American soldiers dug up in the little
French cemetery at Bazoillcs. Another
witness, who assisted in legal cxecu-
ton. Immediately declared that the
body was buried, moose and black cap
intact. IN the same cemetery where
Hubbard said three so marked had been
found. Hubbard declared there was
nothing in the coftins by which the
bodies could be identified
"Thc bodies were identified by the
cross on the outside of the cofIin, and
the black caps were not removed before
the bodies were shipped to the United
States for burial Hubbard testified
-! think it was a disgrace to the army
that the bodies went to the parents
without the black caps being removed"
Mistakes in Identification
There was too much hurry in the
registration service" he continued
and many mistakes in identification
were made"
We're bodies that were not proper
ly identified shipped home as identi-
fied?' Senator Brandegec asked
"Thcy were,' Hubbard replied.
Many women in the crowded room
who had lost sons overseas leaned for
ward and listened closely to Hubbard's s
long recital Of "carclcssncss,' some
with tears in their eyes.
DO YOU know If those three mon
were executed in accordance with the
law" the chairman asked.
81 do nofH'
Don l.. Jacobson, formerly of New
Haven, Conn, but now living at Guth-
ric, Okla. was called next and told how
he had put the moose around the neck of
a negro soldier hanged after court
martial conviction. After the hanging
the body was cut down and short
stretch of rope left around the neck,
he sad.
at was customary to bury man
hanged with the rope and black cap in
place. he declared
Answering Senator Watson, the wit
ness said the man hanged was negro
convicted Of rape and he died proclaim
ing his innocence.
Says New Yorker Was Killed
farm boy from Georgia, who frank
~ but pathctically announced he could
not read or write. cleared up his recent
statement in a letter to Senator Watson
concerning the shooting of a soldier
because he had sncakcd away from
his command to quench his thirst at
a little spring.
1t developed that the command was
trying to conceal its position from the
enemy and that all had been warned
that the first man attempting to walk
out in the open would be shot The
soldier walked fifty yards beyond the
dead Line, refused TO halt when ordered,
and they shot him in his tracks. He
then testified that he saw an officer
shoot private in the Argonne sector.
The man killed, he said, was an Italian
from New York.
Any talk about it in your company
or any complaint made?'
81 didn't hear any"
The witness declared the officer, to
the best of his knowledge, killed the
Italian because he was the last of the
platoon and "failed to report when
the platoon came up"
The witness further said the shoot
ing was in 1919, but changed to 1918
when reminded when the armistice was
signed. He couldn't give the officers
name.
He testified that the captain of his
company was a Captain Lcssesne.
Colonel Bethel explained that War De-
partmcnt records showed Captain
Francis M. Lcsseipnc. now retired, at
Madison, Wis. was with the 30th In
fantry. with which Golden served.
"Well, we will call him." said Chair
man Brandegcc.
Letter From Hayward Read
Emmett Cochran, of Savannah, Ca,
was called and read a letter from
Colonel William Hayward explaining why
he had asked that Cochran be trans
ferred to another command because Of
the alleged shooting of private in
France.
Cochran testified that he had been
tried by court martial and acquitted Of
the charge of killing a soldier. Ex-
shooting, Cochran, who was a lieuten-
ant, said he had ridden into a town
wherc disorder by soldiers had been
reported. A negro in his command, he
said, rushed up and seized his horse.
When ordered to let go, the witness
declared, the negro stopped back and
started to shoot II said he shot quick
ly, in selfdefensc.
II was acquitted, the court being
unanimous that the shooting was una
voldable,' Cochran declared
Oolonel hayward sand he did not or
der my transfer" Cochran said.
Quoting from Colonel Haywards let
ters, Senator Watson emphasized that
the Colonel stated he had personally
asked for Cochran's transfer, "as your
usefnlness with my regiment is ended"
well, we may get Colonel Hayward
here oursclves,' said Chairman Bran
degce.
There was much testimony relating
to executions at is-sur-Tille, none Of
the witnesses being ale to say whether
the victims had been tried beyond the