The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-02
COURT MARTIAL
IS ORDERED
Charges Filed Against
Artinerymen.
ELEVEN MEN TO BE TRIED
To Investigate Train Fight Near
Flomaton.
Captain Todd Of Battery Oh" win Ia
fIict Limit Penalties Upon Those
Guilty Of Serious
ELEVEN MEN TO BE TRIED

Charges Of drunkenness. disorderly
conduct and fighting. to the prejudice
Of good order and military discipline
OF the Alabama National Guard have
been filed against eleven members Of
Battery b" Of Montgomery. First
| Field Artillery. by Captain George II.
Todd. Jr. The charges. which were
| drafted yesterday and which will be
served today, grow out Of the pitched
| battle which occurred on the Louis
VILE and Nashville train between MEM
bers OF the Montgomery and the Biz
mingham batteries. as the artillery
men were en- route to their homes
| from the camp In Mobile.
To answer the charges. the eleven
| upon whom summons will be served
| will report. Thursday night at o.
| clock, to a court martial. Testimony
will be taken, witnesses examined.
| and either fines or dismissal, or both,
will be the penalties inflicted upon
| those found guilty as charged.
Captain Todd announces that he will
| inflict the limit penalties upon those
whom he finds guilty Of the disorder.
for the discipline Of his battery. and
| as an example to the national guard
Of the state. He will sit as sum-
mary court, and his decision in the
matter will be final. from which. in
case 1t Is upheld by Major Smith Of
the artillery battalion and Adjutant
| General Bibb Graves. there will be no
appeal. Captain Todd hopes that there
| will be no hitch. nor any failure to
endorse his decision. as he Is out at
! ter the heads of the arttllerymen who
are guilty of misconduct.
Throughout Sunday Captain Todd
and his officers worked, drafting the
charges and specifications and the
N<<.-,.
| as prescribed In the Articles Of War.
| The men are to be tried under the
provisions of Article s2.
Forms of the documents which will
figure In the court-martial are:
Montgomery. Ala. Aug. /. 1909.
"'B' Battery, Field Artillery. a. N. c.:
Commanding Ohicer b Battery, LIST
Field Artillery. A. N. G.. vs..
Charges and SPECIFICATIONS:
"Charge--Drunkenne and disor-
Derby conduct and fighting to the pref
udice Of good order and military dis
cipline of the Alabama National Guard
In violation Of the 62nd Article of War.
"Speeification-In that -, b
battery. LIST Field Artillery. A. N. c..
fighting on the Louisville and Nash
vile train. enroute from the camp OF
instructions at Mobile. Ala, to Mont
| gomery, Ala.
This on Louisville and Nashville
train near Flomaton. Ala. on the 30th
day OF July. 1903.
George II. Todd. Captain list Field
Artillery. A. N. g.. commanding b
Battery.
.'The summons which are served up
on the men 10:
private -. n Battery, list
Field Artillery, A. N. G.
'Sir.
"You are hereby ordered to report
at the Armory of b Battery, LIST Field
Thursday night August 5. 1909. to an.
swer to charges by court martial.
"A failure to report will DO treated
as contempt OF court.
"Ry order of
George Fl. Todd, Jr,N
capt. LIST Field Artillery"
The names Of the men who are sum.
tial are for the present withheld. but
those upon whom punishment will be
inflicted will be revealed.
Charges have also been brought
against two OF the membefs for de-
sertion. The two alleged deserters are
said to have left the camp at Mobile of
their own volition, two days after camp
was opened. and to have returned homo
to Mont gomery.
In telling Of the fight between the
Montgomery and Birmingham artil-
lerymen. Captain Todd declares that
members Of the Montgomery battery
had been harassed, almost from the
beginning Of the camp, by men Of the
other battery and that trouble was
brewing for some time. The invasion
of the Battery "B" coach by members
of the Birmingham battery brought to
head the scrap. and It waged with a
vengeance for several minutes. the pas
sions of the few participants having
been inflamed by whiskey on which
the artillerymen had "tanked up" dur
ing an enforced stay in Mobile while.
waiting for a train to Montgomery.