The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-10-03
HERE'S MORE ABOUT
CRONKHITE
STARTS ON PAGE 1

mrr, Of Chicago. who was nj.
taehrd 10 the sl3th NJ surgeon.
the major said: "Well. Nc won't
20 that way: I DON'T WANT
TO DIE YET"
SO tho company vccrod OF. thru
a forest path. toward an abandoned
farm.
The company halted. preparatory
20 eating lunch. and the major. with
Sergeant Pothicr. went on little
further. According 10 some evidence
Captain Roncnhluth was near them
according 20 other testimony Ia afr,
lavits. he was behind tho company,
T,HE company heard three OF four
l. shots. Then silence.
Then. minute or two later. Cap
tain Roaenbluth called for a doctor.
Or. Elmer W. seahurg. now Of
Peoria. H.. went forward and found.
no says. the body Of Major cronk.
bite. supported by the captain. The
captain said. seaburg AYERS: Il
think his heart failsd-Rivo him
aromatic spirits or hypodermie."
Then artificial respiration was
tried. none Of those At the scene.
apparently. realizing that Cronk.
hite was dead. n was only
when seaburg opened tho majors
clothing that the bullet wound.
on the right side Of the chest,
was noticed.
witnesses Of the events surround
Ing the tragedy arc unanimous that
they thought & an accident. SO did
a military board Of inquiry composed
Of Col. z. S. Howard. c. z. Mai.
Henry Tucker and MAJ. J. +. Zajlnek.
This board said death was due 10 an
accidental selt.lnfiictcd wound"
THERE the matter was allowed
l. to rest-for tho time being.
But the finding OF tho inquiry
board did no, satisfy Gen. AdeIbcrt
Cronkhite. commanding hla troops
in France. After the armistico had
been signed and he had returned. he
caused n now investigation. both By
private detectives and by depart.
ment Of Justice agents.
Starting In October. 1920. de.
partmsnt agent named James J.
Lee found Pothier working on the
New Haven railroad. AZ Central
Falls. II. l. Gaining Pothier'a con.
fidencc. Lee finally caused arrest Of
Pothier. March II. 1921.
Pothicr made. altogether. five
varying statements concerning Mai.
Cronkhlte's death. In ono OF them
he accused Capt. Rosenbluth Of or.
dering him TO shoot the major. with
this in their possession. department
OF Justice agents arrested Capt. RIOS.
enbluth at the Civic club. ~ w.
i2th ST.. New York. on March %.
Pothier was accused OF manslaugh.
ter. Rosenbluth OF murder.
Pothler pleaded guilty TO "lnvol.
untary manslaughter." before n
United States commissioner at Prov.
Idence. II. 7.
A T THIS time. however, the dc.
n partment came 10 the conciu.
sion that the federal courts had no
Jurisdiction in tho matter. This do.
cision was Sased on tho assumption
that. at the time OF Major Cronkite's
death. the transfer Of tho land on
which he was shot. from Pierce
county 20 the federal government.
was not complete and that. there.
fore, technically. the tragedy did not
occur on military reservation.
The question Of Jurisdiction being
at issue. Prosecutor J. w. Selden,
Of Pierce county. after an investlgn.
ton OF the facts. made n remark
able and exhaustive report in which
he completely exonerntes Captain
Roscnbluth OF any connection with
the death.
"A great injustice has been
done him, which should he
righted and we are
firmly convinced he should be
again restored 10 public conf.
dcnce." the report says.
Meanwhile. while his old bubbles
we're flocklng to his aid. Captain
Rosenbluth found his case assigned
by reason OF n federal court ruling
to the Western district Of Washing
ton court, over which Judge II. II
Cushman presldes. The PothIer
case wns assigned TO the same court
and last June Judge Cushm0n set
September 30 for tho start OF the
trial Rosenbluth's trial Is set for
October 20, in the samo court.
Rosenbluth rs at liberty under
100000 bonds, Pothier Ia held In jail
In default Of the same amount.