Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-01-14

| KILLED SOLDIERS
outrageous to Havo Officers Bullyras
| This Poor Nervous Man." Shouts
| Senator From Georgia.
SMITH TEsTIFIEs HID SAW MAN
' SHOT DOWN
Wdolwine Dead When Picked Up, De.
clares Accuser Of Major Opie on
! Stand in Washington.
| Washington, Jan. 5.-Called before
a senate committee to testify as to
charges that Major Heroine l.. Opie.
OF Staunton, Va, had shot two soldiers
III france, Horace Cooke Of Coying-
, ton va, declared today that all he
! Knew about the case was hcarsay.
Claude breeder, Of Covington, a
| former service man, also was excused
! when he said he know nothing Of the
charges against Major Opie.
me names OF Breeden and Cooke.
who served in Major Optics command
! Third battalion, 10th infantry over
seas, were mentioned in a letter 10
Senator Watson as likely to have evil
dence.
Lemuel o. Smith Of Dublin, Va.
! wh has been in an institution for the
insane since the war, declared he saw
Major Opie shoot soldier.
| while in a dugout with three con,
rades and four German prisoners"
said Smith, II saw Major Opie take q
! gun and deliberately shoot a man. Tue.
man Opie shot was William Wanlwine.
lie was shot III the dugout, about In
tho middle Of it. Opie was ten steps,
from Woolwine.
no WORD PASSED, HE SAYS
What did Major Opie say?'"' he
was asked.
HE said: I shot him; take him
out s~'1,
What was said before the shoot.
ing?" -.
Not word was passed. Major
| Ople gave no reason"
! How many shots were fired?-
! One. 1t hit Woolwine in the chest.
lie was dead when we picked him up."
! Did you make complaint about
| the shooting?"
II did not"
! In letter to Senator Watson Smith
said Ire had been decorated by .ihe
French and American cove .nlncnts,
but he admitted that no had received
! no such honors.
| why did you say it them"
! "A friend Of mine, patient in the
hospital at Marion with me, wrote the
letter and signed it without reading
| t." 0'7" -
Who wrote the letter."
| benjamin Huger."
DON'T BE AFRAID, SAYS WATSON
! Smith said he had been physically
I unable to work since leaving tho
1 army.
/ Taking the witness, Senator Watson
told Smith to compose himself and
not to be afraid of Major Opie or any
body else in the committee room.
Have you any personal grievance
against Major Opie?p
" None whatever. told no one to
write you that had been decorated.
I was q volunteer"
! Senator Watson took sharp eXccp.
ton to line Of cross,examinatlon ny
John A. Cutchins of Richmond, Va.
counsel for Major Opie. The lawyer
had asked Smith II he believed a man
killed In battle died an honorable
death.
| death.
ITS outrageous TO have officers who
bullyrag this poor nervous mani Sen
ator Watson shouted. ave are after
evidence, not opinions"
After the flare-up Chairman Bran.
degee held the question was not ma.
terial and 1t was withdrawn.
Mr.. Cutchins declared he was not
now an officer.
Chairman Brandegee, calling atten.
ton to discrepancies in statements in
Smiths letter and testimony as to the
dugout shooting, asked which was cor
| rect.
what testified was right" he said.
TESTIFIED TO EXECUTIONS
! Further testimony relating to The
hanging of American soldiers was
presented today to the senate commit
tee investigating charges by Senator
Watson, Democrat, George, that SOL
diers were put to death without trial.
Herbert L. ,Cadenlread Of Greenville,
Miss, 81 years old, q former service
man said he saw ten or twelve mon
executed at Is-Sur-Tile. War depart
ment records previously submitted
showed two soldiers were hanged at
Is Sur Tile and that eleven soldiers
were hanged in France after convic
tion by general c0urtmartial.
"How many hangings did you see
altogether" Chairman Brandegee ask
ed. 49," r.. ...
"Ten or twelve" he replied.
The witness did not know how many
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