COURT-MARTIAL.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16451, 19 February 1919, Page 7

COURT-MARTIAL.

TRIAL OF LIEUTENANT CRAMPTON. (FBESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM) WANGANUI, February 13 Tho sittings of the court rr,n • » Lieutenant J. W CraZ ' I°n sumed this morning Pt ° n WCre rc * Major Osborne-Lilly, Director of Per aonal services, gave evidence that in consequence, of a letter published £ came tn w* with instructions to investicafci^ did not tell Crampton tho ® his visit—ho said he was onlv P l° Se - 0t a look round. He ns£l trol of the men in detention rv, ton and tlio staff were . Crani P" wlien he was with tho men 0t Alness interviewed every man particularlv tJio signatories of the letter ii vited their confidence, but he did n Jt disclose the purpose 0 f his visit Th« only complaint he received wis the bread ration was not bio- enough John M. Jenkins, i n his Stated that he saw no marks on Dono •an, except a swollen hand, which he id when he came into the barracks tnovan did not appear to bo ox' istcd. Vaff Sergeant-Major Bell described t methods adopted in one of the hie d tion barracks in Egypt. Some 2i len were under control there T. - men were told what was ed thorn, and if a man refused to ca out orders, force was applied. \\\ .a saw tliis happen frequently. A man who refused to don tho uniform was forcibly dressed, and if he struggled more force was applied. Sometimes he would be knocked about. When a man refused to march he was kept on tho move by relays of tho staff. Another method was to place a man either two or three in four, when a parade was in column of fours, and give the order "Quick March.'' Tho man had either to inarch or be marchcd over. This plan was generally effective. Sometimes a rope was placed round a man and he was pulled round till he gave in. There were safeguards against abuse «f force. More severe treatment was meted out at other detention barracks. The staff handling tho men were the judges of the amount of force that was necessary to make the men obey. Exceptional cases wore roferred to the superintendent. but, as a general principle, sufficient force was used to overcome the resistance offorod. The afternoon sitting was devoted to addresses by counsel, who covered the same ground as on the previous days. Two of the charges will not bo proceeded with, owing to an important witness being oversea.