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The Court Martial convened at 2
Kronprinzenstrasse, Bonn, Germany on January 6, 1919
President of the proceedings was
Brig-General GE McCuaig, DSO, Commander of the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade
Members of the Court
L/Col ES Doughty,
DSO
(Alberta Regiment)
L/Col CF Ritchie,
DSO, MC
(Quebec Regiment)
Maj FGD Bond, MC
(Saskatchewan Regiment)
Maj AWP Weston
(Nova Scotia Regiment)
Maj JA Cooper
(1st Cent Ont Regiment)
Waiting Members of the Court
Capt WA
Livingston, MC
(Nova Scotia Regiment)
Capt JA Harstone,
MC
(1st Cent Ont Regiment)
Capt AB Smith
(Saskatchewan Regiment)
Judge Advocate
Capt JA Thorpe
(Manchester Regiment)
Lieutenant AW May pleaded “Not Guilty”
Several pages of witness testimony are
recorded which all say pretty much the same thing. On
the night of December 23, 1918, Lieut AW May was witnessed to be staggering on the stairs
of the Dom Hotel at Cologne Germany. It was
suggested that he go to his room and sleep it off. He
objected and tried to proceed out of the hotel. He
insisted that he wasn’t drunk.
The Provost Martial got involved and
ordered him to his room. The accused refused
and became abusive. The Provost Martial then
decided that he would place the accused under arrest and remove him to the Guardroom. Lieut May became violent and force was used to
subdue and handcuff him. He was then taken
under escort of 6 men to the guardroom cells.
When he was placed in a cell, he asked to
see a Medical Officer. The MO attended to
him. Sworn testimony of Capt Halsey, as sworn
below was typical of the evidence given.
In his defence, Lieutenant Donald Wood (21st
Canadian Battalion) testified that he was with the accused most of the day of the day in
question. He testified that the accused
had nothing to drink in the afternoon, but they had drank some wine with dinner, and then
shared a single beer afterwards. They were to
catch a train the next day and Lieut May was on his way to check on train times when he
was apprehended.
He testified that the Military police
ordered him not to get involved when the accused became violent.
Capt H Black (21st Battalion
Medical Officer) then testified that he had been treating the accused for a severe boil on
his neck for the past week, and part of that treatment included daily doses of Morphine
for pain. He testified that the drug would
make the man drowsy and very irritable. He
also testified that he failed to warn the accused about the dangers of drinking alcohol
while under the effects of morphine. He
testified that he had given him a shot of morphine the day of the incident.
Capt Black also testified that when he
attended to the accused at the guardroom on the night of his arrest, he was bruised on
both arms and legs, and had 2 rather large lumps on his head. He was also bleeding from the boil on his neck
that was being treated.
After it’s deliberations, the Court
found the accused Not Guilty, and he was free to leave.
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