RINGAROOMA COURT-MARTIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9808, 1 May 1895, Page 5

RINGAROOMA COURTMARTIAL.

Press Association.—Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Sydney, April 30. The Courb-niartial in connection with the trouble on board H.M.s. Ringarooma has commenced. The following charges are laid against Surgeon Lea by Capt. Johnson, viz.: Treating the captain contemptuously; refusing to go below when ordered to be placed under arrest; and refusing to obey the command to sign an entry in the log stating that he had been placed under arrest. It transpires that Captain Johnson charged Surgeon Lea with neglect of duty in connection with certain provision made for the treatment of the wounded in action. The doctor held that the master complained of was not part of his duty. Latter in the day the doctor ordered the captain to go below as he was on the sick list, and required to be placed under observation. Captain Johnson declined, and in turn placed the doctor under arrest. The latter refused to obey the order as the captain was on the sick list, and therefore nob in command of the ship. Surgeon Lea was subsequently released by direction of Captain Castle, the senior officer in charge of the station.

The Sydney Telegraph of April 22 says : — Matters in connection with the disagreement which arose on Wednesday morning last on board H.M.s. Ringarooma remain in a stationary condition, and will probably do so until the return of Rear-Admiral Bridge from Adelaide in H.M.s. Orlando. From what can be gathered, it appears that the captain of the Ringarooma has nob been in robust health for some time, and on Wednesday morning last, while the exercises known on board ship as "at quarters" were in progress, the doctor of the ship considered it absolutely necessary, in virtue of his prerogative, and of his duty as medical officer of the vessel, as well as for the possible safety of the ship, to place the captain on the sick list, with a view of having him removed to hospital. Ib was expected that the ship would sail the next morning on a cruise. The captain refused to "go pick," and, it is stated, immediately placed the doctor under close arrest. He was so kept for three hours, when he was released by order of Captain Castle, the senior naval officer in port, who had just returned from exercising outside in H.M.s. Tauranga. The doctor was, however, kept under " open " arrest. Captain Castle telegraphed a reporb of the circumstances to Rear-Admiral Bridge, and the Admiral ordered an inquiry to be held. This was done on Thursday, and at its conclusion the doctor was released from all arrest, and was returned to duty on H.M.s. Dart. When Dr. Lea was first placed under arrest, the medical officers on other ships in the squadron were signalled, but they could hold no communication with him.