The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-18
Farce of Army Court-Martial
Told by One Who Knows
Some Experiences Chattanooga Boy Enjoyed Rather Under
went, in France-Broke Rock on Newspaper Day
That Democracy Might Live

brave. He saw the Argonne night
through field glasses l shall never
forget the guardhouse nor the OPEN
air stockade. We called II open
air gymnasium"
/ was breaking rock in here New
Years night In company with thirty
or forty others. A cold sleet was
falling and we had to work fast and
furious to keep from freezing. Some
of my friends passed by and hol-
Tered. Happy New Year. Divine!v
Happy as h" replied, and
broke another rock. what are you
doing in that eager" was the repair
tee. Making the world safe for de-
mocracy and protecting my family
against the Hun" | said.
The military offense for which we
were confined was, In soldiers par
lance, that Of "ducking n detail" and
Beating 1t five kilometers to Longres.
We >were picked up that night by
the A. z. M. himself for being out
after hours. Our first knowledge OF
this dignitary was his fashlight and
his stentorian voice In the night.
Take these two and that one" he
said. as they added quartermaster
sergeant to our party.
We were marched to Jail down the
narrow streets of the dark and an
cient city, past the old cathedral to
the A. p. MS office. Here we were
duly registered and put into a bare
room with iron cots. It did not look
very prepossessing, but / thought
could stand 1t. In jail. anywhere, to
the uninitiated Is bad enough, but In
Jail in foreign land 1000 miles from
home is consul nation devoutly to
be avoided.
philip, 1t has come to this!" No,
indeed, it has not come to this yet
Such quarters would never do.
In q very few minutes we were
ushered into a truck like the tum-
brels of the French revolution and
hurried across town at the witching
hour of IL to the old, Turrene bar
racks of Napoleon.
ominous Pile of Stone.
Our escort pulled a little bell be-
fore this ominous pile of stone and
presently we were ushered through
dark passage to the lighted guard
room, where we were again regis
tered and relieved OF all money.
Worse Than the Other.
This place was much worse look
ing than the other, but / thought
COulu live tllC hi6iI' IL nav
grown cold. 1t was Christmas time
and the winter was on. ut had moi
come to this The guard took down
ring of keys from the wall, picked
up a lantern and said: "Follow me.
Out into an open air passage, under
the wondering stars. Ye gods!
Where to now? Our ironclad shoes
beat against the asphalt floor of the
old French prison and echoed lugu-
briously in the stiffness of the night
We arrived, and the guard, insert
ing his key, pulled open ponderous
door, and flashing his light over the
cell, said he would find us place tc
flop.
The rough plank hunks, In tiers
three high, were all occupied to q
man. The guard went out and shut
the door and left us to our fate
Phillip, 1t has come to this!"
We had no blankets. There was
no room on the plank hunks. The
asphalt floor was damp and the night
was bitter cold. l stood on soap
box and through the one narrow
window called the corporal of the
guard, explaining to him that we
were all soldiers together; that our
offense was minor. and there was no
use in killing us in one night; in
fact it was not regulation.
What did he care? Who would
ever know?
He told us to shut up or he would
put us in solitary confinement. And
the other prisoners who had blankets
bawled at us to "cut 1t out"
morning, White Man."
I became so cold that ! "scrouged''