The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-21
BRONZE CANNON STOLEN.
-FOUR OF THEM MISSING FROM FORT
CLIHTOR AT WEST POLNE

EVOAt VT AAhAh1 NAohlN0 FANOm SVhl
CLLRTOR AT WEST POINT.
--
Col. Ernst Says re NEE Traced Thens 70 New
York. where They Were Sold for Ola Bras,
He says re Knows who the Thier IL and
Expects TO Soon Have Hin In Custody.
wRsT POINT, May 2O.-Wben four bronze
cannon arc missing from Fort Clinton. West
Point, there 10 good reason TO believe that they
have been stolen for their value as old brass,
and that the thief was thoroughly familiar with
tho surroundings.
This was the theorem of the proposition which
Col. Ernst, Superintendent OF the United States
Military Academy, set ont to demonstrate when
IL was reported to him on Wednesday morning
that four of the old cannon that had boon lying
for years in Fort Clinton had disappeared. Col.
Ernst is strong in mathematical, and so rapidly
did he work on q solution of the problem that,
when the sunset gun sounded at the point last
night, about all Of the mystery surrounding the
missing OF the cannon vanished.
Fort Clinton Is an earthwork overlooking the
river from a bluff at the eastern edge Of the
parade ground, about 400 yards east of the row
of brick houses occupied by the officers Of the
post and the faculty Of the academy. Inside the
enclosure Of the old fort are many cannon, some
OF bronze and moro Of iron, captured by our
armies on the battlefelds OF the Mexican and
's &eSoS sut' tNu tAooO VII AhophI
Point form a part of the West Point museum.
TIL guns that were captured during the
Mexican war are particularly valued by
tho War Department as military relics.
The guns have been there for nobody knows
Just how long, and 1t never occurred to anybody
stolen some day. SO no guard was ever placed
over them.
guns was reported to Col. Ernst on Wednesday
morning, he began an investigation. The first
s e1,ns M Nc ,en missiny was r that four o% tS Of the bronze
which had been captured On Southern battlefoids
smaller gun, weighing perhaps 200 pounds, and
carrying a four pound ball, which had boon cap.
This gun was perhaps the most highly priced OF
any OF the relic guns in possession of the
War Department Further Investigation brought
February, another in March. another in April IT,
and the last during the past week. Just when
the Monterey gun was taken has not as yet been
found out.
that whoever had taken tho guns had got them
away from the post in a boat, A cannon weigh
Ing Ing 500 0oupn pounds T. or or one Weighing not more than
of. Therefore Col. Ernst e o that Il HS ths
must have left traces along some Of the paths
leading to the river. Not, a trace was
wagon. So concluding. Col. Ernst had ali Of the
men ins tr who t have e6 stood 20 guard ,hs b,s along the ,oI road I'D lead.
toned.
was directed to q man who has had occasion to
carry supplies, Of one kind and another, to the
B BSss iSF ap his '' supplies Rfiss'' by T nsso m"n and Slw cSl'
Ernst learned that on two or three occasions
h he s sSS,,, left and the p . post, after dark in
ing, challenged by the sentry. He gave a
plausible excuse for being late in getting away
ter for the teamster to thus cart away from the
post two or three guns like those that have dis.
course, they were covered up with blankets or
Just what he did after learning these facts
Col. Ernst will not state at present. His reason
for being uncommunicative is that it might
make it Impossible 70 apprehend the thief. Ali
Of the cannon from NV Vest ct Poi Point atH to News eveE Yo ok?
that t,d they hey were disposed Of to a man here
them received the market, price pei. pound for
Ss1s 0f 1Sat II He al fn Soss w Msl, The e. thi ts,1 + S s9S
BE- true. Col. Ernst will then DO willing
to give out the whole story. The Colonel says
some Of the guns may have already been melted
up. He is hoping. though. that the theft and
been pt discovered i in t faa' to mst save St'P tbs M OF aaeS
gun.
both officers and cadets ut West Point. The
cadets had . particularly tough time, for all the
girls of their acquaintance in the vicinity of the
post pos s came up to dress parade last evening.
n mem A Hnmersi ruff 0v over 'ht ihss af Eset 'h s6 ySun g
place where the nations defenders are turned
out, and which Is supposed to be a defence itself,
could be SO easily robbed Of such valuable posses.
sions. some of the old citizens Of Highland
Falls, friends of the post officers and
members OF the faculty, happened up to the
Point at various times during the afternoon
to offer their sympathy to the officers and 10
assure them that If they feared that any more
or II the officers were afraid that they them.
selves would BIO stolen, the Falls people
would be very glad to send up their
constabulary to act as guards at the
gq'SEipg IN good part, and Col. Ernst says that it
when he has the thief behind bars. An extra
guard has been placed over tho guns at Fort
Clinton and on Trophy Point.
W~AsnINgroN May 2o.1nNothing official has
reported theft OF Mexican war cannon from
West Point. Some OF the officers say the story
is Incredible on account of the size of'the guns,
but others declare that the pieces could have
been rolled from their position to the river and
taken away In boats.