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APPENDIX 58.
From
MAJOR A. DEB. Y. PAGET,
2nd Durham Light Infantry,
Camp Commandant ;
To
THE CHAIRMAN,
Plague Committee, Poona.
Camp Parvati, 20th May 1897.
SIR,
In accordance with your letter No. 1171, dated 15th instant, I have the honour to report
as follows on the conduct of the officers and men engaged under my command in the operations
for the suppression of the Plague in Poona from 12th March to 20th May 1897.
Conduct of the troops : (i) on
1.
(i) No complaints have been made against any of the
plague duty.
officers.
With the exception noted below not a single valid complaint was ever brought against
British.
any of the British Non-Commissioned Officers and men at work
in the city, cantonment and suburban areas.
A Corporal of the Durham Light Infantry was reported to me by the Cantonment
Magistrate for neglect of duty and receiving money from a native.
I severely reprimanded him and sent him back to his corps.
Native.
As regards the Native troops five cases of misconduct
while at work in the city were reported to me as follows :—
(a) A Private in the 28th Bombay Pioneers was caught stealing a cloth from a
house while fumigating it.
I sentenced him to 21 days' confinement to camp.
(b) A Private in the 28th Bombay Pioneers was reported for stealing a clock whilst
engaged in fumigating a house.
I remanded him to his corps to be dealt with by his Commanding Officer.
(c) A Private in the 28th Bombay Pioneers was reported by the officer in charge
of his division for assaulting the owner of a house which he was lime-washing.
I sentenced him to a week's imprisonment, forfeiture of 20 days plague pay, and sent
him back to his corps.
(d) A Private in the 2nd Bombay Grenadiers was caught stealing Rs. 13 from a
house while the search parties were at work. He was employed as a " watcher " at
the back of the house but had no right to enter it. Part of the money was recovered
near the place, and the rest was stopped from the plague pay due to the man.
I remanded him to his corps to be dealt with by his Commanding Officer.
(e) A Lance Naik and 3 Privates of the 2nd Bombay Grenadiers, who were on
guard at the warehouse were reported for stealing property entrusted to their charge.
On investigating the matter there appeared to me to be a prima facie case against the
Lance Náik and one of the men, as the property was discovered rolled up in their bedding
I therefore applied, in accordance with Section 13 of the Indian Articles of War, to try
them by a Regimental Court Martial. The case was apparently submitted to the Deputy
Judge Advocate General, Bombay Command, by the Officer Commanding Poona Station,
and on receiving his report, I found it impossible to proceed further in the matter. The
men who had been in arrest for three weeks were therefore released from confinement, and
sent back to duty with their corps.
(ii) As regards the conduct of the troops in camp, it has been very good. The officers
(ii) In camp.
have
all maintained a proper discipline in their detach-
ments.
There has been a little drunkeness amongst the British, which was only to be expected
British.
with
such a quantity of money at their disposal, and so little
opportunity for recreation. I gave facilities by granting
passes to cantonments for the men to put there spare money in the Post Office Savings
Bank, and many availed themselves of this privilege. I also furnished a tent for members
of A. T. Association.
No insubordination or crime of a serious nature has taken place.
I availed myself of the powers given me by the Plague Committee and stopped any
man's plague pay for absence from work on account of drunkeness or misconduct. A few
men whom it was not deemed advisable to keep in camp were sent back to their corps for
exchange.