The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-05-06

One of the Midest of the infections
Was Drumming the CuIprit Out of
Camp and This Was Attended With
Branding and Humiliation.
In times happily gone by discipline
in the British army was maintained
Ivy methods the majority of which can
only be described as vindictive tyran-
ncal and even brutal in severity. 1t
is doubtful il the savages of the dark
ages could have conceived more re-
voting penalt,s than some which
were inflicted b. courts martial, and
even by commanding officers on their
own responsibility, in former times.
The voluntary sufferings of the
saints. the tortures of the religious or
,lers of olden DAYS pale before the
cruelty involved in tie various forms
Of death penalty. the riding of the
wooden horse. picketing, running the
gantlet branding and fiogglng. 1t IS
comforting that these punlshments
have gradually succumbed to the force
of public opinion and the progress of
civilization.
Drumming out of the army-or trum-
peting. as it was called in the cavalry
and artillery-was of n different char
acter. 1t was vindctive, unnecessarily
so. but not brutal or even painful. It
was quaint and ut the present day
might almost have been considered
theatrical. The prisoner, handculfed.
was brought from the guardroom to
the parade ground under escort. The
crime of which he had been found
guilty and the sentence of the court
martial. were read aloud by the adj
iutant, he was to be degraded, brand
ed us bad character discharged from
the service with ignomny and to snf-
fer term of Imprisonment with hard
labor.
In the process of degradation the but
tons braid, badges, facings and even
the medal which he had earned We're
stripped from his tunic. Then came
the branding. There is nothing neces-
sarily degrading in branding. All re
crufs In the Roman army, for instance,
were branded on final approval, but its
inlicton as a punishment is another
natter altogether, and not so easily de-
Tended 1t was apparently custom
peculiar 10 the British army. During
Tie reign Of George /. desertcrs were
"Stigmatizcd on the forehead" At
later period in history they were brand
ed on the left side two inches below The
nrmpit, and later generally on the arm.
The tattooins was applied with
brass instrument containing Il series of
needle points, the punctureS made by
which were rubbed withkl composition
of pnverized indigo. India ink and WA
ter II was administered by the drum
major under the supervision of the
medical officer in the presence of the
regiment on parade, and, in justice TO
the authorities. it must be admitted
that it was accomplished with as little
pain rs possible.
Further than that there is little that
can be urged in its Justification. Brand
ing was Il relic of bad times and car
ried something revolving to humanity
brand of infamy is Il fearful punish
ment. For one thing. the iniliction was
completely PERMISSIBLE. 1t could be re-
moved neither by repentance nor by
any subsequent period of good conduct.
To brand II soldier and then discharge
him from the service, as in this case,
was TO turn him adrift in the world
with greatly impaired means of earn
ing m honest livelihood.
Hunger frequently urges its victims
to follow dishonest courses, and what
else could be expected from branded
and discharged soldier, precluded from
all honest means of future support? 1t
was Il coWardly and yndictive form of
punishment, since its infiction could
neither promote the amendment of the
offender nor render him more suborli-
nate.
The last scene in the drama of drum
ming out of the army was perhaps the
quaintest. The regiment being formed
lin line, with sufficient interval be-
tween the front and rear ranks, the
prisoner was escorted down the ranks.
followed by the band playing what
was known as the "Rogue's March"
In this manner he was practically
turned out of barracks, the escort
finally marching him TO the military
prison TO undergo his sentence of hard
labor In cases where man was dis
charged with ignominy without impris-
onment, his exit from the barracks
was not infreQuently accompanied by
Il kick from the youngest drummer.
Formerly he was conducted by the
drnmmcrs of the regiment through
the streets of the camp or garrison,
with Il halter round his neck and
written label containing the particu-
lars of his crime -Chambers' Journal
What Was II, Then?
II don't see why you call your place
a bungalow" said Smith to his neigh