The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-27
TO TRY CORPORAL HARRIS.
COURT-MARTIAL WILL BEGIN ITS
WORK TONIGHT.

AFOREMENTIONED Officer of Repub-
Iican Blues Charged with Insub-
ordination, Breaking Arrest and
other Military Onenses Court
Martial viii Sit at the Armory of
the First Regiment of Infantry.
Lieut.. ID. {. Barrow, Detailed Judge
Advocate. VIII Prosecute and
Capt. j. f. Cam Defend the Ac-
cused-Circumstan said to Miti-
gate Charges.
The general court-martial, directed by
orders from the office of the adjutant gen.
eral, 20 assemble for the trial of Corp.
Harris of the Republican Blues and OF
such other alleged offenders against the
martial law as may be brought before it,
will begin its sessions at the armory of
the First Regiment of Infantry tonight.
The detail for the court is as follows:
Lieut.. Col. Thomas S. Wylly, Jr., presi-
dent; Maj. Thomas Screven, Capt. Pat-
rick Gleason, Capt. Charles H. Richard
son, Second Lieut.. George H. Richter,
First Lieut.. David c. Barraw, Judge adj
vocate. All of the members of the gem
erel court-martial are officers of the First
Regiment of Infantry and residents If
savannah SO that no Inconvenience will
result because of their absence from their
homes during their attendance upon the
sessions of the court
Capt. ]. Ferris Cam will act as counsel
for the defendant. While the charges
in
manding officer of his company are rather
grave breaches of military discipline, it
is understood that the circumstances sur
rounding them tend to mitigate rather
than to enhance their gravity and that
none of them call for or demand the more
severe methods of punishment which
courts-marual are vested with power to
inlet, under the military law of the
state.
One of the charges. for instance, is bas-
ed upon his breaking arrest. The de-
PENDANT claims that the facts in this mat
ter are that he was placed under arrest
for two days because he was four minutes
late at guard mount and that he served
most of the sentence. When 1t had about
expired he got tired of his acquaintance
with durance vile and made his escape
through the window of the car
Inc evidence that Will be adduced gives
good promise of being rather more than
interesting 1t is understood that the
charges brought against Harris have pro
duced something like a division in his
company, the men being by no means
unanimous in approving the action that
has been taken. Something of this state
of facts is likely 10 come out through the
examination of witnesses during the ses-
sion of the court-martial.
The sessions of the court will be held in
public and ii is probable that there will be
a number of interested spectators. 1t is
rare that a tribunal of this character as
sembles in Savannah, this being the first
of which the members were officers of the
state service that has held session here
for number of years. The last expert
ence of this kind offered Savannahians
was in the military tribunal that tried
Capt. Oberlin NJ, Garter and adjudged him
guilty. Though The one that is to begin
its sessions TO might does not approach that
great one in interest or Importance it is
yet sufficient of a rarity to attract the at
tention of the public.
The rarity of state courts-martial up TO
the last few years is probably to be ex-
planned by the defective condition of the
state laws by which they were governed
The court had very small powers being
limited as to punishment to the infection
of a relatively small fine and a dishonor-
able discharge from the state service. 1t