Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-15
ORDER
Of DEATH NOT
NEW IN ARMY
Evans Says Suicide of TraitOrOus
Austrian by Command of Fell
lows Has U. S. Precedents.

Army men of Atlanta are discus 4
sing among themselves the tragic
death Of young Colonel Redl, of the
army of Austria, the story of whose
suicide is related in vivid press dis
patches. Proved a traitor. Redl was
presented with a revolver by his best
friends, and was left alone in his
room. He shot himself through the
head.
Brigadier General r. K. Evans, head
of the Department of the Gulf, feels
| that the course of both the young
| Austrian and his friends probably was
the best.
TT showed spirit. It was soldier
| ly," he said. And yet such situa-
lions and such remedies are not con-
fined to the army. A man in any
profession. disgraced, NAV feel it bet
ter for himself mm6 for his friends
that he were dea&. tit is not unusual
And as for the action Of his friends
in offering the solution, well, 1t was
not unnatural Once upon a time"
Suggested Same Method.
And General Evans told of an in
cident in his subaltern DAYS. when he,
sincerely enough, suggested to COM
rade in disgrace that death probably
was the best way out. The comrade,
a young officer, had lost through gam
| bling some public money which had
been entrusted to him, had fled. was
recaptured.
He didn't do It, though" said the
general, He went to prison instead
he, born and reared a gentleman.
Maybe he didn't have the spirit OF
this Austrian soldier. Anyhow, when
he got out, he was the most miserable
person alive, and is now. perhaps
such a case as that of the Aus
trian is not recorded in the annals
of the American army. But l have
no doubt that affairs like that have
occurred in private life"
However, the u. S. navy had a
| somewhat similar episode less than
/ two years ago.
on January is, 1911. dispatches
| from San Francisco told of a scandal
| in navy that came 20 light with the
| enforced retirement of Rear Admiral
| Edward b. Barry, then commanding
| the Pacific fleet. A demand had been
made upon him to resign by subordi-
nate officers on board his flagship the
| Virginia.
Sent Admiral Revolver.
Barry refused to resign and the Of
ficers withdrew and decided to send
him a loaded revolver as a suggss-
ton that he end his career In the navy
by suicide. This was not done, the
officers waiting to give Admiral Bar
~ who was then 62 years of age with
40 years record of service in the navy
to his credit, an opportunity to re-
sign. Ensign Sherwood A. bartender
officer Of the deck had reported to his
superior officers that he witnessed
scandalous conduct on the part OF the
admiral Barry I'm his cabin.
The officers swore TO keen the mat
ter secret II Barry would resign.
Instead of doing this the rear ad-
miral wired Washington asking that
he be retired at once.
In the meantime the officers Of the
Virginia drafted charges against Ad-
miral Barry containing the statement
Of what Ensign Taffender had seen in
the admirals cabin. The document
was addressed to the secretary Of the
| navy handed TO Captain Orchad Of
the Virginia who passed II UP to Rear
| Admiral Barry with the request that
IL be forwarded. Barry did not for
ward II. Then the officers wrote an
other set Of charges and mailed them
to the secretary of the navy Barry's
retirement followed a sweeping denial
of the charges.
Sensation In Europe.
The case of Colonel Redl has caused
a sensation in Europe
He was one Of the chiefs OF the Sc
cret Service Department. He was
charged with selling IMPORTANT secrets
to the Russian Government. His
apartment was searched. and num-
Der Of discriminating documents were
found, some OF which showed that he
had given TO the Russian Government
draft plans for simultaneous action
on the part Of the Austrian and Ger
man armies against Russia in case Of
war.
The war office, on receiving con-
firmation OF the report. sent two OF
his fellow officers 70 RedL During
the night they informed him Of the
charges against him. AS ne was IN
able TO clear himself, they warned him
that thew would return AT daybreak
and arrest him.
On leaving the room, one OF them
took a loaded pistol from his pocket
1
ed the book. and placed il IN front
Of Redl with a meaning glance. The
officers then mounted guard outside
the room until the noise OF a shot
told them that the accused had chosen
the only way. They ascertained that
Redl was dead, and reported 10 the
war ONCE.
1T was their duty IN arrest him
having found the evidence against
him" said General Evans. comment
ing on the story. "But the fact that
they guarded his quarters freed them
Of any charge Of giving him oppor-
tunity TO escape. The whole affair is
not unusual. however, and may occur
I'm private life"
NAV Ynhn Laws IIIlck