The Humour and Pathos of Anglo-Indian Life: Extracts from his brother's note-book, made by Dr. TicklemoreMayer, J. E.
General
The Humour and Pathos of Anglo-Indian Life: Extracts from his brother's note-book, made by Dr. Ticklemore
Mayer, J. E.
British -- India; India -- Social life and customs
undeniable proofs; no suspicions or suspicious circumstances must be
accepted as proofs. Did you, or could you, accept any such as proofs,
you would not do justice, and consequently would not uphold discipline.
If any one count of the charge cannot be distinctly and unequivocally
proved, that count is doubtful, and the law declares that when there is
a doubt the accused is to have the benefit of it. But why do I speak of
law? Your own feelings will tell you most emphatically that you cannot
condemn when you are in doubt. Now to apply these principles. The
prisoner is charged with being drunk on duty--an unpardonable crime in a
military point of view--and you have had it in evidence on oath that
this unfortunate officer was so incapable that, when advancing to give
in his report, he fell on the ground. This has been stated on oath by
Captain O. and Sergeant Maguire, both witnesses of unimpeachable credit,
and both without any adverse bias or leaning. But, Mr. President and
gentlemen, we must not forget that opinions are not proofs. To prove
that the fall and the incapability resulted from drunkenness we must
have more than opinions. First, we must inquire if any liquor or spirit
was drunk at the guard-room. The prisoner admits that he drank while on
guard the quantity that you see is absent out of this small flask. It
was nearly full when he left home, and the Sergeant found it on the
table in the guard-room, with this quantity in it; this he has sworn to.
Thus it is clear that Captain E. did not, out of this flask, while on
guard, drink more than one glass of brandy, and he was there for six
hours. The Sergeant has further deposed that no liquor except that
brought in the flask by the prisoner was brought into the guard-room by
any other person. How, then, is the drunkenness to be accounted for? One
glass of brandy taken in six hours will not make any man drunk. There is
the fall and the incapability, but one glass of brandy in the time
stated will not account for these. If they cannot be attributed to
drunkenness there must be some other cause. The prisoner will, if
cross-examined, confirm what I have now to state. During the day of that
night when Captain E. was to remain on guard, he had suffered more or
less from neuralgia of the left side of the face; he has, I may now
state, ever since he was in Burmah, suffered at times from this
complaint, and on account of this wearing and painful affection he has
been obliged to take morphine and other narcotics to a great extent. He
also admits that he had at times taken alcoholic stimulants in
considerable quantity, and that shortly before going on guard he had
done so. While on guard he further admits that he took several doses of
morphine. To the combined effects of these remedies he attributed the
fall and the incapability; he was overcome by the action of stimulants
and narcotics, but surely this is not drunkenness? Dr. MacD. is also
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