Salt Lake Telegram | 1944-11-16 | Page 2 | Sergeant on Trial for Abusing Men

Sergeant on Trial i For Abusing Men LINCOLN Neb Nov 16 UP Stat Staff Staff Odus Ve West t on trial before a court martial at Lincoln I army air base on charges of Unnecessary unnecessary unnecessary un necessary abuse of ot prisoners once forced a soldier prisoner oner to torun torun torun run in front of ot a jeep traveling at 12 miles an hour according to testimony testimony testimony tes tes- by Mrs Carrie Robson Lincoln Mrs Robson a a. civilian truck driver at the motor pool at the air airbase airbase airbase base testified Wednesday that she witnessed the jeep chasing incident inci inci- incident dent which Infuriated her so that she tried to force the jeep off oCl the road with her truck I She said she was driving near the guardhouse when she saw a prisoner identified as John JohnH H H. Palmer running a few feet ahead of ot a jeep driven by West Followed Jeep She tried to force the jeep or off the road with her truck she said but the jeep was running so 50 close to the prisoner that she was afraid she might Injure him She followed the jeep for three blocks she added and clocked its speed at 12 miles per hour by the speedometer speedometer speedometer speed speed- ometer In her truck Another soldier Raymond Rittenhouse testified that he saw West Vest take Palmer from his cell In Inthe Inthe inthe the guardhouse and force him to stand in front of ot the jeep West and another soldier then entered the vehicle he said Palmer who was held In the guardhouse because he ho previously had escaped custody and was apprehended apprehended apprehended ap ap- ap- ap by the tho federal bureau of ot Investigation at Kansas City was one of eight soldiers West was accused of abusing between April and July of this year Committed ted Suicide One of or the soldiers allegedly mistreated by West Vest Identified as John A. A Putnam has since committed suicide and another Is in the psychiatric ward at the base hospital t the h o prosecutor charged The defense contended however that Putnam had attempted to toI commit suicide several times prior I to the alleged ml mistreatment treatment I Two witnesses eye Henry I E. E Davis and Raymond Schneider testified by deposition that they had been mistreated by West I Schneider said West Vest beat him himI I last July 29 20 after he had protested against what he termed the rough treatment of ot a chaser assigned to guard him West Vest is being being- defended by Lt Col John A A. A Croghan Washington Washing Washing- ton D D. D C C. aided by Attorney Richard Richard Richard Rich Rich- ard Johnson former mayor oj ot of Lincoln