Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-10
LAST BRITISH ARMY EXECUTION.
W. j. H., Who Was an Eyewitness,
Tells Of the Tragedy.

W. J. H., Who Was an Eyewitness,
Tells of the Tragedy.
From the Chicago Chronicle
In last Sundays paper reference was
made to the last execution in the British
army for "disobedience Of orders" l re-
member that occurrence, which happened
in India, and was the outcome of the trans
fer of the soldiers enlisted under the late
East India Company to the regular queen 8
service. in many cases against the will Of
the soldiers so transferred.
The last shooting of British soldier was
in 1861, at Malta. and of which the writer
was an eyewitness. Military discipline
was unnecessarily severe in Malta at that
period, the then governor being strict
martinez, man CT foreign EXTRACTION, who
by some mysterious pull had risen to be
a major general in the British service.
The summer Of 1861 was unusually hot and
the governor, Sir Gaspard LIE NJ, ha 1
caused much hardship to be inflicted upon
the soldiers of the garrison by his eccentric
Innovations. .r- +.
Arduous duties were imposed upon the
men by unnecessary guard. apd fatigue du-
ties, men frequently mounting giiard on al
ternate days and large fatigue parties
were paraded daily at am. and 5 pm.
and employed hauling heavy Armstrong
guns from one end Of the island to the
other and back again, there being no earth
~ reason fer these matieuvers except to
haraSS the men ana keep them unneceS-
sarily at la Dor. '
Numerous cases Of characterization &C.
Cured. and men formerly good soldiers)
were driven 10 commit offenses "subversive
of good order and military discipline for
the purpose of evading these extra duties
and obtaining, If possible (by being SEN
fenced to imprisonment for term of four
years or upward, dishonorable discharge
from the army.
Jack E, soldier Of the - brigade,
Royal artillery. was one who became dis
gusted with his lot. One morning off,
Ger of artillery, crossing the barrack
square. heard a bullet whiz past him, and
Gunner E. who had fired the Shot was
at once put in irons in the guard room. A
general court-martial was the result, and
as the governor had previously notified the
the next attack upon an officer must be
visited with the soverest punishment pos
sible under the mutiny act code, Gunner
E was sentenced to be shot.
He asserted his innocence of the crime Of
attempted murder, saying his object was to
get his discharge, and he pointed to the
gold cross guns on his arm, which proved
he was the best shot in his brigade and
could have easily killed or wounded the
officer had such been his intention. Nu-
merous appeals We're made to the gov
ernor for a communication of the sentence,
but, although the latter had short time
previous reprieved two Maltese who had
been condemned to death for the murder of
an English seaman, he remained obdurate
IN this case, under the excuse that 1.-The
cause Of discipline" demanded that a Sc
rious example should be made.
On the morning of December 90 1861, the
whole of the available troops in the island
were paraded in the square of old Fort
Ricasoli. The soldiers ammunition had,
several Gays before, been collected, under
pretense of changing 1t for a new pattern.
and probably this was prudent step, for 1t
was evident that the soldiers were much
excited, and the action of few turbulent
5piIlts nlsht nave caused serious mutiny.
Discipline and esprit du corps" prevailed.
however, and the conduct of the troops was
all that was desired
After long. painful silence we were
startled by beat Of the muff1ed drum
which announced the starting of the death
procession Foremost came the firing par
ty. twelve men from the condemned mans
own regiment, then the coffin borne by the
prisoner, by the side Of the chaplain of the
garrison, reading the funeral service. The
condemned man was as meat" as new
pin,' and marched as erect and proud as
and collected as any one there. Having
arrived at the top or open sfde of the
square, the procession was halteds and the
ad]utant general read the proceedings and
sentence of the court-martial.
To the credit of this officer. gBe It said
mat ne delayed his part Of the proceedings
as much as possible, occasionally turning
nj ms . eyes followed by hundreds, 81 others
was expected. and ardently Wished, the
signal of reprieve would be hoisted before
the death signal was given. The foreigner
mercy, and poor Gunner E.. knaelins on
his coffin, was sent into eternity, riddled
with bullets from the rifles IL bis com
rades.
During the remainder of my military and
civil career I have never Witnessed anv
thing SO affecting as the sad happenings
on that December morning. W. j. H