Canteen Scandals.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 31, 28 May 1914, Page 5

Canteen Scandals.

i END OF THE SENSATION. JUDGE’S SCATHING CRITICISM. [By Electric Telegraph—Copy bight] XUniteb Press Association.] (Received 8.30 a.in.) Loudon, May 27. Whittaker and Miuto were found guilty iu the canteen scandal. Whittaker, in defence, said no favor was shown to Liptons. The oulv moneys received by him were in conpeusatiou for a visit to Crete. lie read a letter from Colonel Fiennes, representing a firm of Maidstone brewers, and offering a free trip and asking him to use his influence with a Colonel in Crete on behalf of their beer.

Judge Curling, in summing up, said it was regrettable that Colonel Fiennes, now Baron Saye-Sele, wl <se ancestor put his hand to the Magna Charta, should have written such a letter.

Whittaker, in broken accents, ca'd he was unaware he was doing wrong. At the instance of the gentleman named, he did it because he was in need of money, having two sons at Sandhurst. He threw himself on the Judge’s mercy. Judge Hurling, in' animadverting on the letter, sternly commented on the decadence shown by the representative of a great family in cadging orders for beer.

Whittaker was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, and the other military accused wore hound ever.

Minto and Cansfield were lined £SOO each; Craig, £100; Laing, Owen, Pegley and Lynch, £SO; and Swim was bound over.

Whittaker made a second appeal for clemency, but the Judge ordered his removal.

'The form of the summonses against the defendants in the Canteen Case at Bow Street is the same in each case. They are charged:— For that they did, on or about February 1, 1903, and on divers other subsequent days, unlawfully c-.v. spire, combine, confederate, and agree together and with other persons—being officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and others serving in his Majesty’s Army or being employed by Lipton, Ltd. - -that monqy , should be corruptly given to and accepted by divers officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and others serving in the Army as inducements to the said officers to do divers acts in violation of their official duties; And that gifts and considerations should be corruptly offered, and given to, and accepted by, divers Army officers as inducements and o rewards for showing favor to Lipton,. Ltd.,, in relation to the affairs and business of the Crown ” The following list of those chargeq; -Wc-v^-MIWTARY. Lieutenant-Colonel and Brevet-Colonel Whittaker, formerly in command of the Yorkshire Light Infantry at Malta. Hon. Lieutenant and Quartermaster William James Armstrong, ,\o>folk Regiment. Hon. Lieutenant and Quartermaster James Burns, Bth Hussars. Hon. Lieutenant and Quartermaster Thomas Henry Johnson, Royal Lancaster Regiment, Hon. Lieutenant and QuarArmaater William Kelly, Leicester Regiment. Staff-Eergeant Thomas Mill warn, Army Service Corps. >' Hon. Captain and Quartermaster George Edward Mitchell, Levon Regiment. Hon. Captain and Quartermaster Charles Quarrel, Suffolk Regiment. CIVILIAN. (All connected with Lipton, Ltd.) John Cansfield, general manager and a director. Archibald Minto, manager General Stores Department, and head of

naval and military department. James C. Craig, was general manager of military department i;i Ireland. Daniel Lynch, manager canteen department for Ireland. Andrew Laing, military manager, Aldershot department. Frederick William Owen, an inspector of military department, Salis-

bury district. Edward Arthur Pegley, formerly an inspector of military department.

Colchester district. Alfred Swain, principal clerk militaiy department. James Ross Ness, formerly a manager in Malta.