The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-06

States. A prisoner of war is a public
enemy armed or attached to the hostile
army for active aid, either fighting or
wounded on the field or in the hos
pital, by individual surrender or ca
pitulatiOn. Citizens who accompany
an army such as suffers. reporters
or contractors, if captured, may be
made prisoners of war, and be de-
tanned as such.
The enemy's chapains, surgeons,
apothecaries, hospital nurses and SER
wants, if they fall into the hands of
the American army, are not prisoners
of war, unless the commander has
reason to retain them. A prisoner of
war is subject to no punishment for
being a public enemy. nor is any re-
venge wreaked upon him by the in
territorial infiction of any suffering or
disgrace by cruel imprisonment want
of food mutilation, death or any other
barbarity.
Prisoners of war are subject to con-
finement or Imprisonment such as
may be deemed necessary on account
of safety. They may be required to
work for the benefit of the Captor's
government according to their rank
and condition Those who attempt es-
cape may be killed in flight. In case
of conspiracy for the purpose of
general escape the cOnspirators may be
vigorously punished, even with death.
Outposts, sentinels or piCketS are not
to be fired upon. except TO drive them
In or when a positive order, specified or
general, has been issued to that effect
The use of poison in any manner is
wholly excluded from modern warfare.
and he who uses it places himself out
OF the pale OF the law and usaEes of
war
Whoever Intentionally inniCts addi-
tional wounds on an enemy already
disabled or kills such an enemy, or who
orders an encourages soldiers to do
so, shall suffer death, if duly convicted,
whether he belongs to the army of the
United States or is an enemy captured
after having committed his misdeed.
SPIES AND FLAGS OF TRUCE.
Scouts or single soldiers, if disguised
in the dress of the country or in the
uniform Of the army hostile to their
own, employed in obtaining informa-
the lines of the captor, are treated as
spies, and suffer death. Armed Prov
lcrs by whatever names they may he
called, or persons of the enemy's ter
ritory who steal within the lines of the
hostile army for the purpose of robbing
killing or of destroying bridges, roads,
canals or telegraph wires are not en-
titled to the privileges of the prisoner
of war
A spy is defined as a person who Sc
cretly, in disguise or under false pre-
tenCcs, seeks information with the in
tention of communicating it to the en-
! emy. The spy is punishable with
| death by hanging by the neck, whether
or not he succeeds in obtaining the
| information or in conveying it to the
| enemy If citizen of the United
| States obtains information in a legitl-
mate manner, and betrays it to the
| enemy be he a military or civil officer
| or private citizen, he shall suffer
| death The law of war, like the criminal
| law regarding other offences, makes no
| difference on account of the difference
| Of sexes concerning the spy or the
! traitor.
The bearer of a flag Of truce cannot
| insist upon being admitted He M.
| always he admitted with great caution.
! Unnecessary frequency is to be care
| fully avoided. If the bearer of flag
| of truce offer himself during an en-
! gaEement, he can be admitted as a
! very rare exception, 1t is no breach of
! good faith to retain such a flag of truce,
| If admitted during an engagement.
| Firing is not required to cease on the
! appearance of a flag of true in battle.
! If the bearer Of a flag Of truce, pre-
| sontirC himself during an engagement,
| is killed or wounded, il furnishes no
| ground Of complaint whatever. If it be
| discovered, and fairly proved that a
| flag Of truce has been abused for sur
! reptitiously obtaining military knowl-
edge the bearer of the tlag is deemed "A
| spy
1t is customary to designate Ivy GER
tain flags, usually yellow, the hospitals
in places which are shelled, so that the
| bcsieging army may avoid FIRING on
them. 1t is just considered an act OF
| bad faith to deceive the enemy by Iags
of protection, Such acts of bad faith
may be good cause for refusing to re,
| spect such flags.