The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1944-12-13
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Arthur L. Stone. private. ac-
cused, age "a, of Detroit. said
he was making a long distance
call to his fiancee, then changed
1t to his common law wife. then
went to his barracks and went
to bed. He gave the court a
god laugh trying to identify his
own hand-written statement.
Private Spencer. accused, age
3S, married, Detroit. brought
from overseas. says he was in
he barracks playing poker.
Someone came up and said Willie
Montgomery was knocked out.
Then a whistle for fall out
was blown to which he respond
ed. He went to the area because
someone said his buddies needed
help. He had been ordered to
this area before to quell disturb
ances and thought it was the
same thing. He saw Private
John Caesar closely embraced
with white soldier and he
started to strike him to help
his comrade. But Caesar stopped
him by saying this is an Ameri-
can soldier. The M. P.s then
ordered all back to barracks, and
he obeyed. He never struck any
one.
Booker Townsend, accused, age
%, married, children, of Milwau-
kee, Wis, said he was in his
barracks in bed, to which he re-
tired between $3.50 or 9 o'clock,
and remained there all evening.
He was awakened by the o. D.. a
Lit. and his first sergeant, who
were making their rounds of in
spection. Said he was never in
the italian area.
One of the soldiers who was
granted immunity testified that
he remarked: 81 got the first
Italian" He denied making the
statement because he had not
been to the Italian area.
He was also identified by an
Italian prisoner. The court will
make an inspection of the Italian
area tonight to get informed as
to the visibility there at night.
This is an excerpt of a letter
from my phew, who is one of
the three indicted for murder in
that court martial of Negro SOL
diers at Fort Lawton, Wash,
where an Italian prisoners was
hung.
II guess you've seen it in the
papers already. It's a lie be-
cause they know we didn't do
what they are trying us for. Two
other soldier and / are being ac-
cused of the hanging of an Ital-
ian prisoner of war. We are go
ing to be court martialed and
can expect nothing less than life
Imprisonment or death, all for
crime we did not commit.
II feel so helpless in this
frameup. and know nothing
about it at all. You see now,
why l haven't written you in so
long. I've been so downhearted
haven't written home and I'm
not going to write mother any
more until l get out of this dirty
situation. If that is possible. The
fact remains that we are not
guilty and whether or not the
truth will have any effect on our
jurors or not is yet to be seen.
We feel at the mercy of these
people who, 1t seems, will do
what they want to with us.
know. however. that God Will
make someone suffer for the in
Justice that is being done us
here"
1t is a sad letter and they
claim it is a frame-up and that
they are not guilty. They are
pleading for help. l don't know
what proof they have that the
soldiers did the killing, but 1t
could be that someone took the
when there was trou-
Bile to make it appear that the
boys did it. Mrs. Minnie c. Carr.
Ill.