Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-23
MORE WILD RUMORS

In a local story just published in The Evening
Herald mention is made Of reports that have been in
circulation for some little time to the effect that a SOL
der from Grand Forks county had been courtmartialed
and shot for some act Of INSTRUMENTATION or other Of
tense which he was said to have committed. It is
pointed out that not only are the stories relating to the
alleged offense and its punishment entirely unauthenti-
Gated, and the manner in which punishment ia said to
have been administered contrary to the invariable rules
Of the war department, but letters have been received
from the young man, written at a training camp in Eng
land since the reported execution is said to have taken
place.
Stories of this kind are constantly getting into CIR
,culation. Often it is impossible either to trace them to
their origin or to head them of. Many wild yarns have
been told Of the summary execution, sometimes Of SOL
diers and sometimes of civilians. 1t has often been stated
that some person who was heard to utter grossly dis
loyal sentiments was summarily seized by government
authorities, and that that was the last that his acquaint-
ances saw or heard Of him. The locale and details have
been varied according to the fancy Of the narrator
Sometimes the culprit was said to have been shot, and,
at other times he was said to have been immured in
unnamed prison in solitary confinement.
No soldier is killed for any offense committed while
in the service without a trial at which he is given full
opportunity to defend himself or be defended. The trial
which is given him is as formal and regular as is any
trial in a civil court, and a full record is made of all
the proceedings. II the omense with which he is charged
is a capital one, and he is found guilty and sentence ia
imposed, the findings and the sentence must be approved
by the president before sentence of death can be carried
into effect. There is no secrecy about the matter, and
the facts are reported in the Army and Navy Journal.
to which every person has access who wishes to SUBJ
scribe for it.
In the case of civilians within the United States,
they are under the civil law, and proceedings against
them must be instituted exactly as If the country were
at peace. No person within or without the army has
been imprisoned or put to death without a regular mill
tary or civil trial, and in the case Of civilians within the
United States. before an accused person can be placed on
trial he must be indicted by a federal grand jury-as-
Stunning that the onense is one against the United States,
such as the utterance Of seditious language-and he must
then be tried by a jury regularly empanelled at a resu-
lar term of court He is entitled to be represented by
counsel. to have witnesses testify in his behalf, and to
insist on full compliance with all the usual forms Of
law.
The best way to stop the circulation Of these wild
rumors is to ask Who told you SO 2" and to inform the
teller Of the story that his own name and that Of his in
formant will be reported to the proper authorities in
order that the story may be investigated.