Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-06
IAMs' PUNISHMENT.
Capt. Hunt Defends tho Action of Lieut.. Col.
Streator.

Capt. Hunt Defends tho Action of Lieut.. Col.
Streator.
The Nashua. NJ H., Erening Telegraph prints
letter from Capt. Alfred E. Hunt. command
ing battery + at Homestead Pa. in reply to a
recent editorial in the paper charging that the
punishment of Private Iams was unjustifedly
brutal, &C.
Capt. Hunt says: "Private Iams was not
tortured in punishment by Col. Streator. as the
suspension by the thumbs did not throw the
whole weight of his body on those members.
After five minutes suspension he asked for n
chew of tobacco in the same arrogant, insolent
manner which was characteristic of his entire
conduct in camp, and also all through his SER
vice in the guard. He purposely swallowed
some of the tobacco to make himself SICK ac-
cording to his own self-c onfessed statement
sfterward.
''He was let down from the ridge pole of the
tent after twenty minutes suspension, suffer-
ing from nausea. occasioned by his having
swallowed the tobacco. During the entire
evening and night. after this punishment the
man treated the matter loosely, and made no
complaints OF having suffered. The following
morning the one-half of his head was clean
shaver, the only real corporal punishment the
man endured of which he complained while in
camp.
by orders of the general in command of
the division. be was discharged from the guard
Tor the good of the service His uniform, be-
longing to the state. was stripped off him and
cheap, coarse, but clean, new clothing placed
on him. He was then drummed out of camp
| to the tune of the 'ROgue's March in the pres
ence OF his entire brigade, drawn up in line.
AS to the further statement that the offense
was nothing more than 'thoughtless exclama-
| ton, let me saw that Private Iams. whore pre-
record has py hnd bppO
soldier long enough to become conversant
with the duties and discipline of the guard He
knew full well the dangerous position occupied
by the guard and the liability of the camp to be
shot into at any time by the lawless strikers,
| yet the day before he had carried q rail for be-
ing detected asleep on his post as sentinel,
quoting the words of Gen. Snowden. in the
face OF rebellion, treason, murder and an
archy.'
| Among n mass of iron workers, numbering
many thousands, who were then striking. and
| AMID the open rejoicing of these men of the
then supposed assassination of Mr.. II. G. Prick,
this man proposed three cheers for the assassin
right in the presence of his colonel And, when
expostulated with and reprimanded and earn
estly requested to withdraw his exclamation he
doggedly and persistently refused to do it.
| HE was entreated, not only by his colonel
but by other officers of the brigade, to whom
| the matter was referred not once, but many
| times and the same logged. persistent refusal
was made. Certainly this could not be called
"A thoughtless exclamation
"When it is considered that the peace and
| good order of this place was only restored and
| is now maintained by the armed guard of the
state, that the strikers only through fear of the
troops are held in subsection even yet, and
when large proportion of the guard has been
ordered home, it will be apparent, think that
the situation has been, and is yet of great un-
easiness and anxiety.
The newspapers alSne are responsible for
the statement that Private. Ialns was disfran-
chised and robbed of his rights a citizen.
This is not true. No such results follow the
military sentence in this case. The position
taken by the majority of the newspapers of the
country has not aided in settling the present
difficulty. nor will it aid in the lesson which
striking laboreIs should learn from the history
of the Homestead riots-a lesson which if not
learned thoroughly by the events here will have
to be learned, probably at greater loss of both
life and property, in the very near future"