Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-27
PRIVATE LAMS' CASE.
Instances Of Severe Punishment I'm the
Regular Army.

Instances Of q Severe Punishment In the
Regular Army.
1.-The army officer amuses me-" said soldier
to STAR reporter yesterday evening. Il
mean," he continued, ''the army officer who
has been going into spasms over the punish
ment of Private Iams, who was strung up by the
thumbs at Homestead for applsuding the at
tempt to sssassinate Mr.. Frick. Any one would
SUPPOSE that such punishments had never been
heard OF in the army. I have boen out of the
service for q few years, but unless things have
changed wonderfully 1t is common to string
fellows up for many Of the offenses common
among enlisted men. know Of one instance
where the punishment was more than severe.
1t was at an eastern post, and unless I
am very much mistaken there are
others besides myself in Washington who know
OF this instance. One Of the ieutenants, when
he was officer Of the guard, always insisted on
all the prisoners being turned out at midnight,
and because some of the boys loafed little in
dressing he issued order that the last prisoner
out should walk with No. (the sentry on post
No. y until reveille.
BRUTAL LIEUTENANT.
zone night one of the best men in the battery
got drunk-for the first time, think-and was
confined in the guard house. This particular
lieutenant was on duty and when the prisoners
turned out there was a great rush among the
old timers to get to the 'front.' The man have
referred to was the last to appear, for not being
regular case, he knew nothing Of the order.
He was told to march with No. 1. and when he
very properly and very mildly protested the
lieutenant ordered him to be strung up. Then
the man became abusive, SO q bayonet was tied
between his teeth to impede his speech
at was a bitter night and the guard tied blan-
tets around the poor devil to keep him from
freezing. The sergeant too had some compass
sion, for he lowered the sufferer until his toes
touched the ground. When he was finally re-
leased-which WIS at daylight-his thumbs and
other portions of his hands were found to be
badly frozen and his mouth was frozen where it
had been pulled back by the bayonet Crippled
and facially distorted he was taken to hospital,
but 1t was long time before he began to look
anything like himself. Did that officer lose his
commission? No. He is in the service today
DRAGGED BEHIND A GUN cAIssoS
"Another officer, who is on duty in this city
now, had a drunken man tied by the thumbs to
the rear Of gun caisson and dragged (for the
fellow was too drunk to walk more than half
the tIme) from a southern town to post sew
eral miles distant. 1t has always been a wonder
to me that the victim did not die Did that
officer lose his shoulder straps?' Not he. He
has new ones with another bar on them.
CRUEL couRT-MARrIAL-
"But the cruelty of individual officers was no
greater than that of some courts-martial.
know of one court that sentenced a man to
stand on the chimes Of barrel-the head was
knocked in-from sunrise 10 sunset for
six successive days Around that barrel
were stacked rifles with fixed bayo-
nets. Had that unfortunate, whose hands
were tied behind him, put one pound more of
weight on one foot than on the other he must
inevitably have been impaled on some of the
bayonets. Yes, that was the sentence of a
court. Stringing up may not be as common
recent instances of 1t in O surprisingly large
number of army posts. That's why these
highly indign ant officers make me q t-ife
weary"