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. 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 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. 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 and for his friends
that he were dead. 1t is not unusual.
And as for the action of his friends
not unnatural. once upon a time"
Suggested Same Method.
And General Evans told of an in
cident in his subaItern DAYS, when he,
sincerely enough, suggested to COM
( rade in disgrace that death probably
was the best way out. The comrade,
a young officer, mad lost through gam
| bling some public money which had
| been entrusted to him. mad fled, was
/ reca ptured
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 L, 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 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
| ficers withdrew and decided to send
/ him a 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 62 years of age with
/ 40 years record of service in the navy
/ 10 his credit, an opportunity to re-
/ sign. Ensign Sherwood A. Taffender,
| 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 ad-
miral wired Washington asking that
/ he be retired at once
In the meantime the officers Of the
/ Virginia drafted charges against Ad-
| miraI Barry containing the statement
/ Of what Ensign Taffender had seen in
| the admirars cabin. The document
/ was addressed to the secretary Of the
/ navy handed TO Captain Orchad Of
/ the Virginia who passed il up to Rear
| Admiral Barry with the request that
/ II 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 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
/ crst Service Department. He was
| charged With selling imDnrtant secrets
| to the Russian G~~srnment. His
apartment was scare and a num-
| Der OF discriminating --.cuments were
I found some of which showed that he
/ had given to the Russian Government
I 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-
hrmation of the report sent two OF
! his fellow officers TO Redl. During
the night thew informed him Of The
/ charges against him. As ne was IN
able TO clear himself, they warned him
that thew would return AZ 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 II I'm front
Of Redl with n 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
Red was dead, and reported TO the
war office
1T 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 anv charge of giving him onpor-
tunity 10 escape. The whole affair is
not unusual. however. and may occur
in private life