The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14
UNwRITTEN LAW HARSH.
No Escape for Army Officers Found
Guilty of Certain Onenses.


Kansas City Journal.
In discussing the suicide of the late Gen.
eral Sir Hector Macdonald, Gen. Milton
Moore yesterday pointed out that the most
severe law known to man seemed 10 govern
army officers the world over.
at is just as harsh in our country as in
anv other" said IT, --~-e-ei at -araembcr
that within the last five years an ir9hntfy
captain disappeared from Fort Douglass,
near Salt Lake, and In due time the dis
found on the prairies. The suggestion was
added that perhaps the unfortunate officer
had lost his way in a blizzard and had died
of exposure. Afterwards we learned that the
death of the man alone kept quiet a scam
dal the depth of which nobody outside his
post ever knew. probably.
''Only this morning the JOurnal 40 a dis
patch from Washington .-yIng that anoth-
er infantry officer mad been dropped from
ne rolls and classified as a deserter. That
man left Leavenworth the day MS wife ar
rived He had married her before entering
the army. on being commissioned as an
officer. he was too vain To admit her TO the
post. Rebelling at such treatment. the w0m-
an went to where he was. The man pro-
tested she was not his Wife Perhaps thu
other officers at the post did not believe
him. In any event. he disappeared, and
make no doubt is dead as he ever will De.
The most memorable instance IL this rIili-
tary hari-kari was when General Skobflon.
/ think his name was, was found dead N
his room Two days before dis name ha
been coupled with that Of Z. court woman.
Skobeloff. hero of the RUoso-Turkish war
though he was. had 20 accept his sen :ence
and put an end 10 himself
Next in Importance to the Russian gem
eral will come this miserable affair OF last
week, which cost the life frthat example
of personified valor. Macdonald Betw zen
the time SlKobeloff was found dead I'm his
room and that French nurse girl peerln
over Sir Hector MacDonald's transom. there
was the affair of Colonel Baker. Baker was
colonel of a huZZar regiment On train
reaching a station near London. woman.
jumped from OF the compartments and
summoned the police TO arrest Colonel Bak-
err She accused him OF making a personal
assault her. Baker had To leave Eng
land, though almost all England and the
continent believed IL 10 be blackmail The
unwritten law at headquarters is that no
officer about whom there Is a certain faint
must remain 10 spread IL. Baker did not
blow his brains out. He did a better thing.
He rushed 90 the front and engaged in war.
He Joined the Turkish army and tried to
get killed In front Of his troops. Instead OF
that ne survived and Tor his heroism and
ability was made a pasha by the Sultan.
While serving the Sublime Porte. the first
war in the Sudan broke out Pasha Baker
left his feZ behind him, dotted his dignity
and hurried 10 Egypt. He made an effort TO
conceal his identity and Joined an infantry
regiment as a hanger-on. When discovered.
he was at the head OF the column carrying
a double barreled shotgun. That weapon
was a guarantee that he meant 10 get into
close quarters with the enemy. He was not
permitted 10 remain there. The British or
death than Macdonald or SkobelOn. for ne
died Of a broken heart in exile, forbidden
To even march with the dogs that hung on
the fianks Of a campaigning division.
II am sorry that my memory does not
carry the name Of an English Lieutenant
because the anecdOte interests me and may
YOU. but this youngster was riding with the
late prince imperial. when the Zulus am
bushed the party. killed the heir TO the
throne of France the pride OF poor EuEe-
MES heart. and after mutilating the body
left H. This young officer rode at the top Of
his speed 10 the commanding general. Lord
Chelmsford l believe IL was. and reported
the death of the prince. He told how the
prince had broken a stirrup leather In at
tempting 10 mount. and how the asSegais
had pinned him. lie told how he had swung
around 10 try and rescue the prince. but
had been unable 10 reach him because 81
the enemy.
{" How comes IL you are here 90 tell it,
was the cruel sentence that followed. The
youngster never has been heard or since, I
suppose and no doubt the army priGes
itself. that the birds Of the air and the
beasts OF the forest picked his bones.
'"rhe unwritten law OF the army Il
harsh one