Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-05
NEWMAN SOLDIER.
SAYS HE SAW TWO
MEN SHOT DOWN
Continued From Page 1.

ground overnight in the rain.
How did you get the moose OFF,
Senator Watson went on.
at slipped off over the head"
IF you took off the ropes, why
did you not remove the black caps?"
Chairman Brandegee asked.
Il wasn't ordered to take off the
cap. 1 was ordered to remove the
rope"
why were you not ordered to
take off the cap?"
II don't know"
Don l.. jacobson, formerly Of New
Haven, Conn, but now living at
Guthrie, Okla, was called next.
Ever see a soldier hanged without
trial?" Chairman Brandegee asked.
II did not"
"Do you know anything about il
legal hangings at Gievres?"
mo"
jacobson then told how he had
put the moose around the neck of
negro soldier hanged after court
martial conviction. After the hang
ing the body was cut down and a
short stretch of rope left around the
neck, he said.
1t was customary to bury man
hanged with the rope and black cap
in place." he declared.
Jacobson testified that the soldier
at whose execution he assisted, was
buried in the cemetery at Bazoilles,
where Hubbard previously had testi-
fled that three bodies were dug up.
.. Answering Senator Watson, the
witness said the man hanged was
a negro, convicted of assault, and he
died proclaiming his innocence.
Newman Man Testifies
Polk Golden, a young farmer of
Newman, Ga, who was living in
Arizona when drafted and sent over
{ seas, was, questioned concerning d
letter he recently wrote Senator
Watson and the effect that IL soldier
! was shot by orders Of a major be-
| cause he went to a spring to get a
canteen of water. The men, he
said, were ordered to remain under
cover and soldier disobeying,
started toward the spring and was
shot. A battle was raging nearby
and guards, he said, were trying to
CONCEAL the position of the squad,
GLOW far was the man out when
shot?"
Fifty yards. He was told to halt
and refused. Everybody knew we
were not to approach the spring."
Golden then testified that he saw
| an officer shoot a private in the
| Argonne sector. The man killed, he
said, was an Italian from New York.
ANY talk about it in your com
pany, or any complaint made?'
II didn't hear any,"
"After you saw the man fall dead
you got out, did you?"
Eyes"
"Why didn't you make an inquiry
| to find why the man was shot?" the
chairman persisted.
"I didn't think about it."
The officer, the witness added,
stated that he had orders to shoot
| the man.
"Can you read or writer" Senator
Watson asked Golden.
mo, sir"
Golden testified that the captain
of his company was a Captain Les
sesne. oClonel Bethel explained that
war department records showed Cap.
| tain Francis M. Lesseigne, now re-
Thirtieth infantry, with which Gold
| en- served.
"Well, we will call him." said
| Chairman Brandegee.
| The first flare of the day started
when Emmett Cochran, of Savannah
Ga, was called.
/ What do you know about hang
ings?" the chairman asked.
! Nothing. I am here to answer
charges by Senator Watson he said
! I0oo6a n
charges" the Georgia senator
: shouted. "I think this witness should
! confine himself to evidence"
| Cochran finally was permitted tC
read a letter from Colonel William
! Hayward explaining why he hac
asked that Cochran be transferred tt
| another command because of the al
legged shooting of aprivate in France
Cochran testified that he had been
| tried by court-martial and acquitted
of charges of killing a soldier. EX
planning the circumstances of the
shooting, Cochran, a lieutenant, said
he had ridden into, a town Where
soldier disorder 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 stepped back and
started to shoot, but that he shot
quickly in self-defense.
81 was acquitted, the court being
unanimous that the shooting was un
avoidable," Cochran declared.
Colonel Hayward said he did MOI
order my transfer" Cochran said.
II first suggested that I be trans
ferred. Colonel Hayward agreed as
to the advisability. My suggestion
was first made verbally and Their
in writing"
Senator Watson took Cochran II
hand for a rigid cross examination
as to the shooting and what was
brought out at the trial. Cochran
declared the statement by Colone
HAYWARD that he was placed in close
confinement pending trial was lab
solutely untrue"
Quoting from Colonel Hayward
letters Senator Watson emphaslzec
that the colonel had stated that he
personally asked for Cochran's trans
fer, as your usefulness with my
regiment is ended
"Wet, we may get Colonel Hay
ward here ourselves" said Chairman
Brandegee.
At this point the committee re
cessed until 2 p. m.
Undoing the work that Satan find
for idle hands to do furnishes EN-
ployment for a lot of other people
A dog can say more with his tai
in a minute than the average mai
| II &c