Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1913-02-15
PENALTIES FOR TOMMY ATKINS.
How British Soldier Is Punished for OHenses In
Time of War.

When soldier proceeds active service he
has TO mind his ''ps" and "qs," for ofenses which
in peace time would be lightly punished may III
the field render him liable to death, says LONDON
TitBits. In time Of peace II Tommy Atklns' De
ing on sentry 60 sleeps or is drunk on his post
or units II without being properly relieved, he
will probably get off with short dose OF 1mprls
onment or perhaps of detention" only. On ac
tive service the penalty for these ofenses Is
death.
1t would not usually be enforced nowadays
except for repeated offense or where. owing to
the prevalence Of misbehavior among sentries 1t
Is necessary to make example" but stu the
liability to death is there.
In peace the maximum penalty for deseftion
is two years Imprisonment, with or without hnrd
labor but in practice first ofense Will get
short term Of Imprisonment. On active service
the deserter takes the risk Of death IL receptured
and IL the offenss Is committed actually In race Oh
the enemy he will probably be shot.
Similarly, acts OF characterization which In the
ordinary way would be comparatively venial Of
lenses become punishable by death on active
service In passing it may be mentioned that
even in peace an insubordnate soldier may be
sentenced to death II convicted by a general
court martial on one or another Of the following
charges: Striking or using or onerlng any
violence to his superior officer, being In the exc
cution OF his Office; disobeyng, in such man
ner as to show a willful defiance Of authority,
perior officer in the execution of his Office
whether the same is given orally or in writing
or by signal or otherwise.
In peace however, the maximum penalty has
not been inflicted for these offenses for many
years.
Active service brings into being ofenses which
practically do not exist in peace. One OF the
most serious of crimes peculiar to active service
is forcing q safeguard" The commander of
invading army will often detach parties of his
own men to protect the persons and property OF
civilian inhabitants from violence by his own
side. To force such safeguard almost invari
ably death.
Breaking into house or any other place in
search OF plumber may also death, even
when there is no safeguard; but rule les
penalty would be inflicted. 1t depends a
good deal the commander. Some generals
wink at looting; others-Lord Roberta, for one
are very severe on II.
During the Boer war more than one OF our
men was executed for the sake of a poer fowl
or bottle of "square.face" On one occasion only
the readiness OF an Irish Tommy" saved him
from the firing party or the gallows. He was
caught with a couple of fowls under his coat and
by less a parsonage than "Bobs" himself, out
riding with his staff
Asked for explanation, he instantly replied
that he had caught the fowls running loose on
the vedt and that hearing the commander in
chief was short rations, he on his way to
ask his lordship to accept them as a present
The fowls and the explanation were accepted
1t is possible for soldier to show cowardice
in time of peace. In such n case he would prob
ably be charged with an act or conduct Ito the.
prejudice OF good order and military discipline"
sentenced to stiff dose OF imprisonment and to
be discharged with ignomny"
On active service any act of cowardice is pun
ishable by death, while soldier who 'in action
or previously to going into action, words cal
cuated to create unnecessary alarm or despon-
dency," Is liable to penal servitude
Who carries out sentence OF death on active
service? This is the duty of the provost marshal
who. with large force, is an officer of fairly
high rank He is responsible for making all ar
engagements for the execution and. II necessary
he must himself act executioner. In the Boer
provost.marshal was Major (now Col
oneD r. NJ Poore. the famous Hampshire crick
eter.