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
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. RedI 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.
at showed spirit. 1t 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 and for his friends
that he were dead. 1t is not unusual.
And as for the action of his friends
in offering the solution. wen, it 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 a 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 d 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 i'm private life"
However, the u. 5. navy had a
somewhat similar episode less than
two years ago
on January IS. 1911. dispatches
from San Francisco told of a scandal
i'm navy that came TO light with the
enforced retirement of Rear Admiral
Edward h. 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 loaded revolver as a sugges-
tion that he end his career in the navy
by suicide. This was not done, the
officers waiting to give Admiral Bar
~ who was then 81 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 in his cabin.
The officers swore TO keep the mat
ter secret If Barry would resign.
Instead of doing this the rear adj
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
was addressed to the secretary of the
navy, handed to Captain Orchad Of
the Virginia who passed It up TO Rear
Admiral Barry with the request that
in be forwarded. Barry did not for
ward IL. Then the officers wrote an
other set Of charges and mailed them
to the secretary Of the navy Barrv's
retirement followed a sweeping denial
of the charges
Sensation In Europe.
The case Of Colonel RedI has caused
sensation i'm 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 a 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-
frmation Of the report. sent two Of
his fellow officers to RedI During
the night they informed him OF the
charges against him. As ne was un-
able % clear himself, they warned him
that they would return AT daybreak
and arrest him
On leaving the room. one Of them
took a loaded pistol from his pocket
and book Of instructions. He open
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 TO the
war office
"Tt was their duty 70 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 10 escape. The whole affair is
not unusual. however. and may occur
In private life"
H0Y0TEC ANN Pate univ