Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-05
ACCUSER and
ACCUSEDFACE
EACH OTHER
Strong Charges Made in
Probe Of Charges Of
Soldier Hangiings

Washington, D. c.. Jan. 4.-Accuser
and accused faced each other today
before senate committee investieat-
ing charges that American soldiers
had been hanged without trial in
France.
Eear the close OF the session Major
II. L. Opie of staunton, Va, command
er of the third battalion. 1l6th infantry
overseas went on the stand to enter
emphatic denial of charges by former
service men that he had shot dowa
some of his soldiers In cold blood on
the battlefield. He was asked however
to step aside until other witnesses
testified against him, meanwhile being
given the right thru counsel to cross
examine them.
Grayson II. Withrow of Baltimore,
still in his early twenties. testified that
he saw the officer seize a gun from "a
private and fire a n man In his com
mand. Shells were falling he said and
there was tremendous excitement but
W-lthrow swore that from his retreat
in q shell hole he saw the msu fall as
tho majors gun barked, But he could
not say whether Opie had killed him.
declaring that the latter standing out
In the open was within arms reach OF
half a dozen officers when the shot was
fired.
AS withrow LETT the stand. William +.
SaIntjohn of Lynchhurg. Pa. suffering
services overseas. accused the Nir-
ginian of shooting down runner" at
the front, because he failed to heed
after thrice being ordered to halt. Four
other men say the killing, he declared,
but he refused to give their names on
the ground that he had not been able
to confer With them and that II would
not be just to him II they should sp-
pear and not back up his charges:
One. he said. had developed cold feet,
spd unwilling n come.
Reminded by Chairman RrsudeEee
that the names must be submitted.
satnttchn complied mentioning first
tho cousin OF one OF Major opic's coun-
cross examined by John Hutchins OF
Richmond. Va. Major Opie's counsel.
that he lost control OF his shattered
nervee. and shouted he was dealing
with a bunch Of fanatics who are try
Sir. Gntchins discIainSd such an in
tention.
seeing tina, the young man was worn
out hy excitement, senator Watson:
Democrat OF Georgia. who's. charges OF
Illegal executions are under inycstiRa-
ton declined to Question him.
Tomorrow Major opie will testify.
Starting out with tho testimony OF
Rufus T. Hubbard, OF New York. who.
ar an smbalniins assistant, with the
American graves registration service,
declared he found n moose and black
cap on the bodies of three American
soldiers dug up In the little French
cemetery nt Bazoilles the committee
permitted the inquiry to run its course.
Another witness who assisted In a legal
execution declared that body was
buried. moose and black cap intact. in
the same cemetery where Hubbard said
three so marked had been found.
A farm boy from Georgia who frank
" but pathctically announced he could
not read or write. cleared mp his state
ment concerning the shooting of a SOL
dier because he had sncaked away from
his command to quench his thirst at a
spring II developed that the command
was trying to conceal It's position from
the enemy and that all hands had been
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