The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-02-10
"conscientious Directors Find
Difficult Time in Their
Army Life.
CRUELTY AMONG CHARGES
Four Non-Commlssioned officers Are
Tried Before Courtmartial and
New Light Is Thrown on Man.
ner Of Drilling.

ticular variety Of British recruits who
call themselves conscientious objeC
tors" The term itself was originated
by Mr. Asquith Mt the time when as
prime minister he introduced into the
house " commons the famous cOnscrip-
ZION bill. II will be recalled that In
announcing the fact that all British
subjects between the ages Of eighteen
and f0rty-one would be compelled Ia
Join the cOlors Mr.. Asdulth included
among those who would be EXEMPTED
men who could prove that they had a
conscientious objection" TO carving
arms or to taking life.
In the course Of the last year a large
number Of those conscientious obIcc-
tors" have claimed exemption. and
while very few have been successful in
winning dispensation from military
service the majority have been incor-
porated In special regiments which are
used abroad or In England for special
labor, which. although not involving
the carrying or the use Of arms, is of
national Importance in connection with
the war
The officers who have been placed In
charge Of these special units have been
expel.encing IA considerable amount Of
trouble I'm the handling of these men,
and a great number of the inSuhOrdi-
mates have been cOurtmartialed and
sentenced to prison terms.
The latest case to come before the
public Is that Of four non-cOmmissiOn-
ed officers. who were brought before a
courtmartial on charges of illtreating
private soldiers of the battalion. The
case is particularly interesting mas
much as II throws new light on the
manner In which the drills for new
recruits take place.
~ Treatment Charged.
The cases arose out of allegations Of
I'll treatment made by Charles Dukes
and George BeardswOrth, who are
conscientious ObjectOrs," at the time
of their trial for disOhedience of mill
ltary orders. A war office inquiry into
the case Of these men followed with |
the result that the nOn-cOmmissiOned |
officers implicated were ordered to be
tried by courtmartial. The accused |
were Corporal Thomas Cheers, Lance |
Corporal J. w. A. Williams, Lance Cor |
poral J. w. Williams and acting Ser
geant Fred Marshall
The first to be tried was Marshall, |
'and he was charged with illtreating q |
soldier In Birkenhead Park on August |
% last by forcibly compelling Private
Charles Dukes to execute certain gym
Inastic exercises and that In doing 80
he used unnecessary violence, thereby
causing pain and suffering to Private
Dukes.
Captain Rimmer said that In spite
of the refusal Of witnesses who had
given evidence at the inquiry to at
tend that court Brigadler General Ed
'wardes had directed that the court
must be held, although II was as a re-
suit Of the statements Of these wit
nesses that the charges against nom
commissioned officers were preferred.
On being brought before the command
ing officer In order that he might take
summary of their evidence Dukes
and Beardsworth refused to give evil
dence. They had been summoned to
that courtmartIal and had emphatical-
ly refused to attend.
Witnesses Tell Story.
Eight civilian witnesses had been
subpenaed and from two OF these let
tiers had been received stating that
they declined to attend. Under these
circumstances he would proceed with
what evidence he had and would call
Corporal Baker. who was the gym
nastic instructor of the regiment and
who would identify the prisoner Mar
shall as the man who handled Dukes
and BeardswOrth on the occasions
named and who must have illtreated
them II such Ill treatment did occur.
Corporal Robert Baker gave evil
dence to the effect that he was in
Park on August % in
charge OF the gymnastic party. Private
Charles Dukes was brought to himsfor
training by the accused and Corporal
]. w. Williams and he was put
through the gymnastlc exercises. as
sisted by those two.
Samuel Lindop Of Arthur street. II
spoke of being In the park i
the gymnastic exercises. He II
saw four soldiers told Off to shove an
other one about, but he could not iden-
ify the man who was being showed
about. The man was rushed up to the \
Taulting pole and then rushed to the. /
water jump, where he was partly 4
brown in. The soldiers were knock
ng him about. but he could not identi.
y any OF them. n
Arthur c. Berry OF Frederick street, al
Warrington. trade union IN
ranch secretary OF the National m
Union Of General Workers, said he do
aw Dukes on August "a and he was 70
n very distressed condition. Indeed. ca
was practically impossible for him ge
D express himself. Three days later &c
e saw the injuries on the lower part co
Z the legs and ankles as well as sew Is
raj bruises on the arms. The injuries
that he had been thrown he
bout roughly. This closed the evil en-