Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-01-07

"BREANING" OF GRAYS DENIED.
Orderly Said to Have Been Shot by
Virginan Fell in Action,
Records Show.
Both confederation and Reputation
OF charges that Colonel II. l.. Opic. ol
Staunton, shot and killed members OF
the American eXpelitionary forces III
France during tho world war, were
made yesterday.
while Lieutenant Beverly G. Wilkes
oF%25O7 Park Avenue, Richmond, who
was adjutant to Colonel Opie overseas
+ was defending his superior officer
againstt the allegation made In sworn
atfdavit by Corporal Charles Il. Fox
of 1928 Floyd Avenue, that the Staun'
ton man whipped an automatic reVolV
err from his holster and SHOT in the
back and instantly killed q messeng
Ell. who, but a moment before hEd
) handed him a dispatch, James Kahn
Of 407 South Randolph street and
James T.. Carlton Of 1414 Beverly
street and the story Of Fox was true.
Both declared yesterday that they
were eye-witnccscs to the alleged wan
ton killing. Kahn was corporal OF
the First Pioneer Infantry, attached TO
Company b, One Hundred and SiN.
Ateenth Infantry. and Carlton was II
Y CORPORAL in Company b. Fox, too, was
n CORPORAL in the same company, form
hHarly a section of the Richmond Gray's
|VBattalon and commanded, at the time
OF the Argonne offensive by CAptnin
William a. Stack, also Of Richmond.
Both Kahn and Carlton denied Vchcm'
emily that members Of Company Is
"broke" as charged by Colonel Opic.
SAYS SMITH ADJUDGED INSANE
At the same time, William Askew, Il
buglcr in the Third Battalion. One
Hundred and Sixteenth Infantry.
which wns-commandcd by Colonel Cpic
overseas, and one Of the men who Lem
uel o. Smith, now an inmate of the
Southwestern State Hospital, at Mar.
ion In q letter to Senator Thomas -.
Watson, OF Georgia, said was with him
awben be found Colonel Opie in Il dug
ou:; standing over the dead body OF
"Wi1lia1n" Woolwinc, declared BY
Smith to- have been Colonel Optics or.
derry and to have been slain by Colonel
Opie, teleSraplrcd 10 Richmond that
the story .ior Smith was "absolutely un
founded" Colonel Optics accuscr, As
kew added. was a dcsertcr from his out
fit at Admission, Ala, and later was
brought back to his company and sent
overseas with it. Smith, according to
Askew was known rs Jersey Bull
I Smith, and was adjudgcd inane by CIV
filian authorities.
Records kept by Captain A. D.
S3nrksdalc commander of Company NJ.
1 Third Battalion, One Hundred and Six
teenth Infantry, while in France show
FSthat Smith was private III that com
pany. and not first sergeant as lie
4 claimed in his letter to Senator Wat
kson.
kDIED IN HIS ARMS.
Woolwine's first name was given
by Smith as william" Two privates
kE-Walker and Ernest-brothers from
SSouthwcst Virginia, are listed in the
muster roll Of Company M. prepared
by Captain Barksdale, November !
E1918 as this organization was retiring
from participation in the Meuse.Ar
pgonne offensive. This record shows
that Ernest Woolwine was killed In
action and Walker Woolwine was
wounded and evacuated to a hospital.
There is no William Woolwine on the
rolls, according to information reach
ing Richmond from Lynchburg yoster
day.
= Captain Barksdale was quoted YES
terday as saying that he was present
at the death Of Ernest Woolwine and
tlrat this private virtually expired In
dis arms. Private Smith is listed in
this muster roll as ''absent" according
to The Times Dispatches source Of i'll
formation
Russell o. Stone, Of Pulaski, VAS
first sergeant OF Company M accord
Ing to Captain Barksdale. major
10 could not have shot his orderly"
ain Rarksdale said, "as inherit.
N when I took command of the
Battalion after the major was
I'd. This orderly, who was witt:
a1or Opie when tire offensive began,
"as Private Blanc, Of New York, This
was never a sergeant and his
rs are lies"
II Kahn declared yesterday that
Colonel Opie shoot a soldier.
- ..ah ona hill in the Argonne ON tho
morning Of October 8, 1918 he assert
1. He declares he saw Colonel Opie
>-rab q gun and shoot tho soldier
.ead." ..GsJ II
kahn's tatement is subssantiatei'I
y James p. Carlton. ~ saw Colonel
ODie kill the man referred to-" fc said
yesterday. II walked alongside the |
man and saw him lying dead by a !
shell hole
William D. Gillie also oP thia city
formerly corporal in Company B. !
lid yesterday that he saw Colonel !
ipie with q rifle and saw him shoot !,
a man but he would not he positive !
nat the man was killed. Gillie also
lenied that members Of Company D !
BROKE"
linwood w. Jones, Of 1910 Balm. !,
bridge street, South Richmond de-. !