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 FeI-
lows Has u. S. Presidents.

F, 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. 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.
1T showed spirit 1t was soldier
ly," he said. And yet such situa-
| tions 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, WELL 1t was
not unnatural. Once upon 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,
young officer, had lost through gam
| bling some public money which had
| been entrusted to him, had fled, was
recaptured.
He didn't do 1t, 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
10 doubt that affairs like that have
occurred in private life"
| However, the u. s. navy had
somewhat similar episode less than
two years ago.
On January Is, 1911, dispatches
| from San Francisco told of a scandal
| in navy that came to 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
fcers withdrew and decided to send
him loaded revolver as a sugges-
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 So 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 hts 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
the admiraFs cabin, The document
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
It be forwarded. Barry did not for
ward It, 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
sensation in Europe
=, He was one Of the chiefs of the Sc
cret Service Department. He was
| charged with selling important secrets
10 the Russian Government. His
apartment was searched. and a mum
Der Of discriminating documents were
found. some of which showed that he
3 had given to the Russian Government
Z 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-
: armation Of the report, sent two Of
his fellow officers TO Redl. During
: the night they informed him OF the
+, charges against him. As ne was un-
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
and a 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
e the room until the noise of a shot
I told them that the accused had chosen
the only way. They asCerained that
Redl was dead, and reported to the
r war Office.
, 1T was their duty IN arrest him
/ having found the evidence against
him" said General Evans, comment
Ling 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
! mot unusual. however and may occur
! in private life"
May Yohe Lays Luck