Arrest of an Officer.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XVII, Issue 6050, 14 April 1888, Page 3

Arrest of an Officer.

The Chatham correspondent of The Times states that Major J. L. B. Templer. of the 7th Battalion King's Royal Rifles, and second in command of the Aeronautical School at the School of Military Engineering, Chatham, has been placed under arrest upon serious charges by order of the Secretary of State of war. It is understood that Mayor Templer, who was in command of the balloon party during the Egyptian and Soudan campaigns, is accused of divulging scientific secrets in connection with his department. Another correspondent writes:—The facts, so far as have been ascertained, appear to be as follows. The' question of .ballooning has been occupying the attention of , . the military,authorities. for some time. ' ' The great difficulty' experienced in fitting balloons for military service has consisted in the conveyance of gas for inflation , purposes,, Owing to the fact that about four years ago a .Lieutenant Macdohnel or Macdonald. invented and brought to the norice.ofthe.Governm.ent a steel tube by which gas could be conveyed from place to place, the Government determined to attach to each field brigade' a balloon staff. About two years ago Mayor Temoler, who had been up to • 'that time simply attached to the staff,of Royal Engineers for instruction in ballooning, was promoted to second in command, Major Elsdale being chief in the For the purpose of experiments the Government purchased some ground at Lidsing, about four " miles from Chatham, where a staff of men under Major Templer were despatched, and almost daily experiments have been .carried out under Major Templer's personal supervision. With the determination to develop the scheme tenders were issued for balloon gear, the ,; : items required being mentioned in a schedule. Among other contractors , who answered the circular was a ;•'. Birmingham firm, who,' in addition to ':•'■ tne scheduled articles, sent a photograph : and rather elaborate specifications, of a 'tube, with which they where prepared .. to supply We Government at a very low price, Upon this being brought to the , of Major Elsdale he was at once struck with the similarity of the tube with that already adopted by the Government, and which was believed to be a secret. Having communicated his :; suspicions to the Instructor-General of Fortifications, Major Elsdale was in- .. stated to proceed to Birmingham, ■ ostensibly with a view to making a contract with the. firm in question, but in ieality.to make inquiries, The result was that he satisfied himself that the tube tendered was merely a copy of the ...Government pattern. Returning to London, lje was instructed to pursue bis -• inquiries further, with the result jkji Major Templer was immediately placed under arrest,