THE LONSDALE CASE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 January 1915, Page 3

THE LONSDALE CASE.

UKUTAL SKVTKNCE. A iteuter message irom Amsterdam, published in the English papers of December sth, says:— A British prisoner ol war named Loiisdalo, who is intcvrnod at Doberitsz, has been sentenced by courtmartial to ten years' imprisonment tor striking a- soldier of the Landsturm. Xno affair throws an interesting sidelight on the life of the prison camp at Doberitz. According to the JUokal Anzeiger, prisoners interned at Doberiu aro obliged on a signal given by trumpet call to leave their tente and start work. On November &th when the signal was given, the prisoners whose turn it was to work did not leave their tents. The sergeant-major who was acting as overseer on the work, seeing no English prisoners In their places ordered the r>risonor« toTfe brought out from the tents. A collision then occurred between some Landsturm men and the prisoners in tent No. 5. Aβ a non-commissioned officer was passing through the tent and ordering out the prisoners, who numbered 250, they jeered at him, and at the same time the majority of them pretended to be ill. A Landstuirrn ■man aimed his rifle at one of the English prisoners, but he refrained from shooting for fear of hitting the wrong man. Soldiers then assisted in driving out the prisoners with the butt ends of their rifles. At this moment Lonsdale, it is alleged, squared up to a Landsturm man and struck him on the chest and tried to hit him on the face. The sergeantmajor, who iu the meantime, hacli 1 come upon the scene, drew hie swoi-.l 1 and struck LonsdaJe several 'blows on the back. Lonsdal© then went from one tent to the other, to show his comrades the wounds which he had received from blows of the sergeant- , major's sword. ■Next day, as Lonsdale did not form- , ally report, himself as required by the regulations, punishment was inflicted on the entire tent. At the coiurt--1 martial the president advised the wit--1 nesses to tell the truth, aniTuot be influenced by their hatred of the English i Lonsdale admitted the act imputed to, r him. and the sentence passed upon- him > was the lightest possible for the offence the prosecutor remarking that hj I would not press for the death penalty i in order to give an example to hostile s Powons. - . (Subsequently Lonsdale was senteno- - cd to cfeath for aggravated assault, and a this has boen commuted to twenty J years' imprisonment).