The German military authorities have published an ex- planation of
the special honours paid to the sentry who recently shot a civilian. The sentry, a man named Luck, was, they declare through the Post, proved, after the most careful investigation, to have been hustled by three men, one of whom at last drew a knife and brandished it in the sentry's face. The latter then declared him under arrest, tried to arrest him, and when his assailant fled beyond the limit of his beat, fired at him according to regulations. The assailant was a man named Brandt, wanted by the police for a murderous assault ; and the man, Triiber, who was wounded by the shot after it passed through Brandt, gave evidence that Luck bad acted with the greatest forbearance. All that completely justifies Luck, who simply did his duty under written orders ; but we do not see why it entitled him to any special honour. Luck was not resisting an armed man, for the man was in full flight; and though he may have been legally shot at, the shooting was neither a special act of courage nor a remarkable exhibition of discipline. The previous character of Brandt had nothing to do with the matter, for Luck did not know him. The Emperor perhaps thought that the sentry deserved some compensation for Liberal animadversions.
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