Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-07
MAJOR OPlE AND WITNESSES
DENY KILLING OF SOLDIERS

WASHINGTON. Jan. 6.-Major
Heroine L. Opie, of Staunton, Va.
commander of the Third battalion
One Hundred and Sixteenth infantry
overseas, declared Thursday before a
senate investigating committee there
was not a word of truth in charges
by former service men that he had
shot his own soldiers.
II never shot a man in my life,'
he asserted, unless, perhaps an
enemy in battle"
Major Opie declared he never shot
runner as charged, or demanded
that a runner stop and deliver or.
ders. IT have absolutely nothing to
conceal" he said.
Major Opie broke down and wept
bitterly as he denied charges that
he shot two of his soldiers in France.
He explained in detail how he
had attempted to get his men in a
line after they had been demoralized
and were running wildly, some say
ing they had been ordered to retreat
while others were shouting that the
enemy was approaching. A tense
situation, developing suddenly, found
him alone in the effort to reform the
lines. Al the moment he was with
out sidearms, was wearing a rain
coat the insignia of which was COW
cred with mud and it was with diff
Guilty that he could make the men
halt.
II took a rifle and fired twice.
he said, knowing perfectly web
what I was doing. One shot was
fired in the air and one on the
ground. Nobody was hit. After I
fired the lines stopped and L got
them in shape, putting men 1 recog-
nized in command I sent runners
to bring all the men up. There was
not dead soldier on the line and
there had been no firing"
Never Fired Pistol
'Did you shoot runner with a
revolver, as charged?" the chairman
asked.
II never fired a pistol the whole
time I was in the army" Major Opie
declared, with emphasis.
Chairman Brandegee wanted to
know if Major Opie had any theory
as to how the reports about him had
started.
"None, sir" he said. "It may be
that one circumstance led to it. /
dislike to mention names, but it
mint be the only thing to do in JUS
tice to others. It happened that
Lieutenant Floyd w. Cunningham
accidentally killed himself with IA
rifle and was the first to reach
him. bent down, opened his blouse,
and while there alone in that posi-
ton some stragglers may have been
around. I sometimes think this
scene may have started rumors of
which I was the victinn.''
Senator Willis, Republican, Ohio,
questioned Major Opie regarding the
testimony Of Henry L Scott, of Ken
more, Ohio, that he saw the major
shoot a runner. cit is deliberately
untrue" he exclaimed
Senator Willis said he merely de-
sired to get the majors denial in
the record.
The examination Of Major Opie
was brief, Senator Watson taking no
part in it.
Major Opie said he had been
awarded the distinguished service
cross, the Legion of Honor, and
Croix de Guerre with two palms.
Called to testify as to charges that
Major Opie had shot two soldiers in
France, Horace Cooke, of Covington,
Va, declared that all he knew about
the case was hearsay.
Claude Breedon. of Covington, a
former service man. also was called.
What do you know about the
charges against Major Opie?" Chair.
man Brandegee asked.
Nothing"
You are excused"
The names of Breedon and Cooke,
who served in Major Opie's COM
mand-Third battalion. One Hun
dred and Sixteenth infantry-over-
seas, were mentioned in n letter to
Senator Watson as likely to have
evidence, but they insisted they
knew nothing of their own knowl-
edge.
A moment later. however, Lemuel
o. Smith. of Dublin. Va, who has
been in an institution for the insane
since the war, declared he saw
Major Opie shoot a soldier.
"While in a dugout with three
comrades and four German prison
ers." said Smith. "I saw Major Opie
take a gun and deliberately shoot a
man. The man Opie shot was Will
liam WoolWine. He was shot in the
dugout, about in the middle of it.