San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16
Prepares Evidence to OPP.
pose Plan to Eliminate
His Salary.
WURZBACH TO AID
Army Officer Offers Com.
mittee Report to Sus-
tain Claim. IS

commence that the House or Rep-
resentatives will strike out the pro-
vision in the army appropriation bill
that would deny him army pay in
the future is expressed by Maj. c.
G. Cresson, who states that he is
sending documentary evidence to Con-
gresham II. NJ. Wurzbach and other
friends in Washington for use in
fighting the measure. The bill as
proposed leaves Major Cresson and
Colonel Hunt, now retired, off the
payroll.
"As evidence that I did my full
duty" states Major Cresson. Gin
prosecuting the case against Colonel
Hunt, who was tried by court martial
on charges growing out of the escape
of Grover c. Bergdoll, can produce
statements made by the COMPRESSION
al committee that investigated the
trial after Colonel Hunt had been &C.
quilted.
I'm discussing the report Of the
trial Of the case which included five
counts, the committee report states
that Colonel Hunt specifically ad-
mitted three of them in his testimony
and the other two were established.
Notwithstanding his admission of
guilt as to the first specification, the
court acquitted him."
The report of the Congressional
committee then continues as fol-
lows" states Major Cresson:
Another count in the specifica-
tons was that Colonel Hunt failed
to provide the guard with the hand
cuffs. To that charge he also plead
mot guilty." yet, upon the witness
stand, he admitted the truth of the
charge. In the face of that admis-
sion the court acquitted him.
Says He Drew Admissions.
so all five counts were proven,
three of them by Hunts admissions,
and yet the court found him mot
guilty" on each and every one Of
them
"As trial Judge advocate, / was the
man who drew the admissions of
guilt from Colonel Hunt and brought
out the evidence that the committee
states proved the other two counts.
| As in all cases tried by court martial,
| was AVt Oiul INV ptA " WV
! on the guilt or innocence of the ac-
cused but was also excluded from
| the court room while the vote was
being taken.
"After stating that all five counts
were established by admissions and
proof, the committee report severely
criticises me for not attempting to
prove the colonePs guilt"
f. Il. alcA ,arAsn0 10
Washington copies of letters written
by members of the court that tried
Colonel Hunt and other officers who
were connected with the trial. He
has one from Maj. Gen. r. J.. Bull.
lard, at whose headquarters the trial
was held, in which General Billiard
wrote as follows:
Il noted especially Major Cres-
sons zeal and interest for the gov
crnment in this case. 1t seemed to
me too great. 1t was so strong /
felt it necessary to caution him to
feel less personal concern in the
prosecution of the case and that he
should limit himself to doing his Of
fetal duty as laid down in the Army
Regulations and military law. Laxity
in the prosecution of the case (Which
took place at my headquarters) no.
where appeared to me either in the
actual fact or in the report Of the
case"
Congressman to Aid Cresson.
Colonel Ralph Harrison, who Is
now stationed at Fort Sam Houston;
was a member of the court that tried
Colonel Hunt. In a letter regarding
the case he makes the following state
ment:
"As a member Of the court. was
in a position TO judge of the matter,
and i consider that you handled the
prosecution in an admirable and very
Vigorous manner, and did more than
your full duty in an effort to bring
about the conviction OF Colonel Hunt.
Brig. Gen. William Weigel states
in a letter to Major Cresson "lf any
thing, i should say you were over
Jealous for conviction"
Major Cresson is represented IN
Washington BY Hiram Z. Todd, a law
yer from New York. Congressman
Wurzbach has also stated to MAJOR
Cresson that he will do. all he can
to have the provision in the appropri-
alton bill stricken out.
~ am confident" states Congress
man Wurzbach in a telegram to Ma
Tor Cresson, "that the provision con-
corning you will be stricken from
the bifl. l think you have been out
rageously treated and am confident
the House will not stand for IL.