The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-31
PRIVATE IAMs' CASE.
Instances of a Severe Punishment Ia
the Regular Army.
From the WASHINGTON Star.

From the WASHINGTON Star.
1.-THE army officer amuses me-" said
soldier TO Stor reporter yesterday oven.
| ing. II mean," he continued, 'the army
officer who has been going into spssms over
the punishment of Private Iams, who was
strung up by the thumbs at Homestead for
applauding the attempt to asSassinate Mr..
| Frick. Any one would suppose That such
| punishments had never been heard of in the
army. [ have been out of the service for
| few years, but unless things have changed
wonderfully it is common to string
fellows up for many of the offenses comma
among enlisted men. know OF one instance
where the punishment was more than
severe. 1t was at an eastern post, and IN
| less | am very much mistaken, there are
| others besides myself in Washington WHO
| know of this instance. One of the lieuten-
ants, when he WAS officer of the guard, al
ways insisted on all the prisoners being
| turned out at midnight and because soma
of the boys loafed a little in dressing he Is
sued an order that the last prisoner out
should walk with No. (the sentry on post
| No. y until revellle.
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
toe front. The mau l have referred to was
| the last to appear, for, not being a regular
case, he knew nothing of the order. He was
| told to march with No. /, and when he very
| properly and very mildly protested tie
| lieutenant ordered him TO be strung up.
Then the man became abusive, SO a bayonet
was tied between his teeth to impede his
| speech.
at was bitter night and the guard tied
blankets around the poor devil to keep him
| from freezing. The sergeant, too, had some
| compassion, for he lowered the sufferer until
his toes touched the ground. When he was
| finally released-which was at daylight-his
| thumbs and other portions OF his hands
we're found to be badly frozen and his mouth
was frozen where it hak been pulled back
| by the bayonet. Crippled and facially dis
torted, he was taken to hospital, but it wGs
a long time before he began TO look any
| thing like himself. Did that officer lose bis
commission9 No. He is in the service to-
day.
another officer, who is on duty In this
| city now, had drunken man tied by the
thumbs to the rear of gun caisson ana
| dragged for the fellow was too drunk 20
walk more than half the time) from a south
| ern town TO a post several miles distant. IL
| has always been q wonder TO me that tire
victim did not die. Did that officer lose his
shoulder strapsl Not he. he has new ones
with another bar on them.
But the cruelty Of individual officers
was no greater than that of some court
| martiRls. l know of one court that SEN
fenced one man TO stand on the chimes of a
| berrel-the head was knocked in-from
sunrise to sunset for six successive days
Around that barrel we're stacked rifles with
fixed bayonets. Had that unfortunate,
whose hands were tied behind him, put one
pound more of weight on one foot than Oh
- "a. IL haaf
impaled on some of tho bayonets. Yes,
that was the sentence of a court. String
ing no may not bs as common now as 1t
was during the war, but you can find re-
cent instances OF it in a surprisingly large
number Of army posts. That's why these
highly indignant officers make me triiia
weary"