The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1915-06-18
ARMY OFFENDERS.
Punishments They Underwent In
England In 0Iden Days.


One Of the Mildest Of the lnflictions
Was Drumming the Culprit Out of
Camp and This Was Attended With
Branding and Humiliation.
In times happily gone by discipline
In the British army was maintained
by methods the majority of which can
only be described as vindictive, tyran-
meal and even brutal in severity. 1t
Is doubtful If the savages OF the dark
ages could have conceived more re-
voting penalties than some which
were inflicted by 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
ders of oiden days, pale before the
cruelty involved In the various forms
of death penalty, the riding OF the
wooden horse, piclceting. running the
gantlet, branding and Hogging. 1t Is
comforting that these punishments
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 different char
acter. 1t was vindictive, unnecessarily
so. but not brutal or even painful 1t
was quaint and at the present DAY
might almost have been considered
theatrical. The prisoner, handcuned.
was brought from the guardroom 10
the parade ground under escort Inc
crime Of which he had been FOUND
guilty and the sentence Of the court
martial, were read aloud by the ad-
dutant. he was to be degraded, brand
ed as a bad character, discharged from
the service with ignominy and to suf-
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 were
stripped from his tunic. Then came
the branding. There Is nothing neces-
sarfly degrading in branding. All re-
cruits In the Roman army, for instance,
were branded on final approval, but its
infection as punishment Is another
matter altogether. and not SO easily de-
Tended. It was apparently custom
peculiar to the British army. During
the reign of George /. deserters were
''stigmatized on the forehead" At a
later period in history they were brand
ed on the left side two inches below the
armpit, and later generally on the arm.
The tattooing was applied with a
brass instrument containing series OF
needle points. the punctures made by
which were rubbed with composition
of pulverized indigo, India ink and wa
ter. It 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, 1t must be admitted
that 1t was accomplished with as little
pain as possible.
Further than that there is little that
can be urged in its justification. Brand
jng was relic of bad times and car
ried something revolving to humanity
along with it Any indelible stigma or
brand Of infamy is fearful punish
lnent. For one thing, the infection was
completely irremissible. 1t could be re-
moved neither by repentance nor by
any subsequent period of good conduct
70 brand 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 an honest livelihood
Hunger frequently urges its victims
to follow dishonest courses, and what
else could be expected from branded
and discharged soldier, precauded from
all honest means of future support 1t
was cowardly and vindictive form Of
punishment, since It's infection could
neither promote the amendment of the
offender nor render him more subordi-
nate.
The last scene In the drama OF drum.
ming out of the army was perhaps the
quaintest. The regiment being formed
in line, with a 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 be 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
a kick from the youngest drummer.
Formerly he was conducted by the
drummers of the regiment through
the streets of the camp or garrison,
with halter round his neck and a
written label containing the particu'
lars Of his crime---Chambers Journal