THE MOUTUIHI INCIDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 36

THE MOUTUIHI INCIDENT.

FINDING OF COURT-MARTIAL. AUCKLAND, February 21. The sentence of the court-martial on Lieu-tenant-colonel Charles Harcourt Turner baa been promulgated. The accused was charged with : (1) Without reasonable excuse allowing to escape persons committed to iiis charge, in that he at Motuihi island, on or about December 13, 1917, while Commandant of the said island, and hav,rig the care, charge, and custody upon the said island of certain prisoners of war and interned alien enemies, to wit, one Lieutenant-commander Count von Luckner, Lieutenant Kirscheiss, Wireless Operator Grun, Wireless Engineer Frcund, Naval Oadeta von Zalorski, Paulsen, Schmidt, Mellert, Klohn, Seaman Erdniann, and one von Egidy, a Sainoan Government official, allowed the said Count von Luckner and others mentioned, being prisoners of war or interned alien enemies, to - obtain possession of a launch and to make other preparations for their escape without taking reasonable means to prevent it, and thus permitted the escape of the said Lieutenant-commander Count von Luckner and other persons mentioned. . (2) Without reasonable excuse allowing to escape persons whom it was his duty to keep in, having done the acts alleged in the particulars to the first charge. >(3) Without reasonable excuse allowing to escape persons whom it was his duty to guard, in having done the acts alleged in the particulars to the first charge. The court found Colonel Turner guilty on the first charge and not guilty on the second and third. He was sentenced to be dismissed from the Defence Forces, under section 23 of " The Defence Act Amendment Act, 1912." The sentence has been confirmed by General Robin. FINDING -OF COURT OF INQUIRY. WELLINGTON, February 22. The Defence Minister stated that he has received the finding of the second Court of Inquiry set up to investigate certain questions regarding Colonel Paterson and Major Osburne-Lilly in connection with the escape of the German prisoners from Motuihi. Sir James Allen says there will not bo court-martial proceedings as a result of the inquiry. RESULT OF LATEST INQUIRY. (Fbom 'Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 25. The Defence authorities are not yet ready to make public the finding of the latest Motuihi Court of Inquiry, which investigated the questions whether Colonel Paterson (commanding' the Auckland district) and Major Osburne-Lilly (director of personal services on the Adjutant-general's staff) were in any degree to blame for what occurred. It is known, however, that the court, as did also the previous court of inquiry, has absolved Colonel Paterson from all blame. This finding is in direct conflict with the evidence of the, general officer commanding ■ —General Robin, who has maintained that the officer commanding the district was responsible for the control of the island of Motuihi. As to Major Lilly, the court has found that he misconceived his duty to some extent, but it is understood that his conduct is not severely reprobated by the court. This means that such blame as may be attached to anyone besides Colonel Turner must be borne by general headquarters. The evidence has been very indefinite and inconclusive on the subject of the chain of responsibility. There was conflict of opinion as to what the chain was as affecting Motuihi, and it"\vill be for the Cabinet to say, if the affair is considered worth while, who was responsible for the incompleteness of the organisation which permitted such indefiniteness to exist.