GERMAN MILITARY DISCIPLINE.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 735, 4 October 1870, Page 3

GERMAN MILITARY DISCIPLINE.

A correspondent at Coblentz writes : — A painful impression has been created here by the following incident. Three | soldiers of the line were undergoing a long j period of imprisonment in the fortress of ] Ehrenbreitstein for desertion. They had originally deserted at Saarlouis, and crossed the frontier into France, but on the persuasion of their families had surrendered themselves to their regiment. Their term of punishment was seven years, of which only six months had expired. Finding their lives, as is asserted, insup- j portable, they determined to drown them- j selves on the first favorable opportunity as a preferable fate. A few days ago they were employed on the Carthause, the fine plateau which separates the Rhine from the Moselle, and it seemed a fitting moment to attempt their rash enterprise. One sentry alcne was in charge of them, and he witnessed their flight. He immediately fired and brought one victim down dead, the bullet having passed through his head. With extraordinary iangfroid and determination ho loaded a second time, and again fired with fatal precision ; the deserter fell dead, pierced through the heart. Once more loading he fired at the third fugitive, and the bullet passed completely through his body, inflicting frightful injuries to his intes inea. The unfortunate man was brought to the military lazaretto in Coblenlz, where he lies in a hopeless condition. In military circles this sad catastrophe is regarded as a fitting retribution for a grave breach cf discip line, a view of tie cisc not altogether shared in by the civil portion of the community. One thing is certain, the needle gun in the hands of a good marksman is a sure and terrible weapon."