The sun., 1903-02-11
YOUNG OFFICERS SPANKED.
r\POSJ RE or 4 SCANDAL IN THE
BRITJSH army.
near Admiral Cochrane Tells the Full
story OF Ills Nephew's Retirement
From the Grenadicr Guards-Illegni
tourt,.NIariiai ny senior SNbalt erns.
s,,elal ci,le Despatch to Tas Sun.

n rc,irr owing TO the injustice manifested
,ovard him by his superior officers, has
lc,trr in the Tunes TO-DAY on the spanking
A logging Of subalterns IN that regiment.
ol kirloch vas in the habi, Of turning
.ou,r officers over to suhaltcru ,purts-
martial for rial on charges OF social or
military oCcrces. The sentence was us
uly logging
Blows of great severity were applied
With cane or stick, in numbers varying
from ,ix to forty. A young officer last
year. who received the latter rumber,
,,ir,cd under the punishment. But even
.iy blows. the Admiral says. with the in
.,nlmcn, "'lployed. were sufficient to make
che blood NV, as was constantly the case.
What greatly added to the inhumanity
ofthe.c proceedings was that all the officers
present were compelled to administer
their share Of the strokes if the numbers
ertnttcd. and comrades were obliged
to apply blows to their own personal
friends under threats of receiving similar
punishment themselves. II a young
officer in comniseration Of his friend APP
piled stroke which was considered too
ligt by the president he was called on to
repeat the blow.
Tie Admiral continues. -lnstead of "a
lie Of absolute frivolily my nephew. on en-
icring the army through oxford. ACQUIRED
Al ouoc a taste for the mlit AIRY Fart Of his
new ;ro'ession. Soon after what seemed
10 lie successful commencement O. h.
military career an extraordinary Incident
occurred which brought my nephew before
he fogging tribunal. He had been in
v'ed to stay five days at the home OF u
comrade in Scotland. He asked leave for
this short period Of the chief stan officer
under whose immediate orders he was
then serving. He omitted to ask leave as
we'll Of the Colonel of the battalion. which
II appears he ought to have done under the
cirr,Imst ances. After two days, absenc,
The Colonel recalled him by telegram and
severely reprinanded him for Being absent
without leave. The Colonel refused to
recognize the leave Of absence obt aimed
from the chief It aff officer as a mt cation
Of this offence. Col. Kinloch finally told
him thai he would be handed over to the
senior subaltern officer under arrest.
Knowing what this formula meant he asked
to see Gen. Sir II. Trotter. on whose staf
he was serving. Col. Kinloch thereupon
plared him under arrest
and therefore my nephew was released
from arrest. In the afternoon he was
brought before the subalterns' court
martial. The president Of the court told
him that he had been handed over to him
10y the commanding officer. Evidence on
oath as to this can be obtained from many
Of the officers present. He was found
guilty Of causing trouble to his commanding
officer and sentenced to be beaten.
Whether the members of the court dis
approved OF fogging for military offences
and considered the Colonel's punishment
already quite sufficiently severe. or whether
they wers influenced by the character Of
my nephew as good comrade. 1t is a fact
that unusual consideration was displayed
in his case. He was not subjected to the de-
grading removal of his dress and the blows
received were Of no excessive severity.
At this juncture my nephew consulted
me a. to reporting to the General this L.
leg proceeding for military offence. but
| advised him TO hold his tongue. fearing
that he would lose popularity by protesting
against customs which are apparently
traditional in this extraordinary regiment.
He went before the General in the hope
that he would modify Col. kinloch's ex-
element for so inadequate cause. Gen,
Trottcr. on the contrary, upheld Col. Kim
ochs view, reprimanded my nephew and
deprived him of his post of acting district
signalling officer Shortly afterward
my nephew and two other subalterns were
brought before the senior subaltern. who
told them that unless they rode with the
brigade drag to the hunting at Windsor
they would be fogged.
Living thus under a reign OF terror.
they resolved to complain against this
trea,men At a meeting at the house Of
one Of their comrades they begged his
father, a retired General, to give them
'he benefit OF his advice as to whether they
would lie permitted by the rules Of the
service TO appeal for protection to the
Commander Chief. He drew up paper
which he judged from his experience to he
justified under such very exceptional cir
cumstances This paper was to he sent
through the Colonel. but before this could
be done information was given to the
Colonel and he pronounced il to be mutiny.
After a while Col. Kinloch addressed
the subalterns and said the matter was
closed excepting as il regarded my nephew,
who, he said. had made serious statements
dgdlI'-l hlm meaning thereby 'ndt my
nephew had mentioned the words used by
The Colonel, that he would hand him over
10 the senior subaltern. which caused his
trial ard fogging My nephew having.
the evening before this trial. written a
friend these words. which letter can be
produced, and having. moreover. given
the family the same version, adhered at
first 20 this statement. which was, in fact.
lhe plain truth, but after considerable
pressure from the Colonel and in view Of
his absolute denial. with the additional
Genial Of his adjutant, he adopted the
advice Of a military friend, a Major in the
army, to accept the Colonels denial ard to
Nay that he must have been mist aiken.
This he did in the belief that he was enabling
he Colonel to withdraw from very en-
'arrsssing position and that the affair
would then close
Advantage, however. was taken Of this
~ Col. Ricardo. the commander OF the
'"rimcht, 70 accuse my nephew OF telling
'anfaced lies and Of melting his brother
'i'lGns To mutiny. Col. Ricardo sent
Or him and told him he would have to leave
ne regiment. Col Ricardo also wrote the
-anp to n not her of my neDhews re In ives.