The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-28
Attn BOYS TRY THEIR GUNS
soHCB FRonrIsoUoUS SHooTTxG AVID
NUCH ExGTElrENE.

|
"A Guard Sees Three objects, Probably
Ghosts-abots and Drums wake Up
Nearly 1909 ATen-The Lads who Raised
the Rumpus Are Observation-Disclosures
John Valentine Accidentally Shot and
Private sohn Wounded By a spaniard.
FoRIy-sEyENTH Rpo1ArENr. N J. ". CAMP.1
Two MILES NoRTHEAsL OF PoNcE,.
PoRTo RICO. Oct. 10.
This has been . dav OF much excitement and
shooting. Intentional and accidental. for the
men OF the Forty-seventh REGIMENT. New York
Volunteers. OF Brooklyn. It was their second
day in camp since e%mbarking on the transport
Manitoba at Fort Adams. Newport. on Mon
day OF last week. The Manitoba dropped an
Choir in the port Of Ponce on Saturday evening
at 9 o'clock after q voyage OF 1.7o3 miles In 8
days and 2 hours. For some unexplained rea-
son the men were kept sweltering on board
ship for two days after arrival. with ratlons so
meaRre that they we're actually hungry.
An soon az fonts were up yesterday Afternoon
o picket Of thirty-two men was thrown around
the camp and strict instructions were given
TO Allow nc natives within the lines nor soldiers
to pass without. 1t was known that bands OF
guerrillas were camped in the countless hills
throughout the island and that from time to
time they had made thieving depredatlons IN
~ oOAhhAAbEeA1 okOAOo Va UNIV "
toned here. hence It was not without some
nervousness that the younger men Of the reEi-
ment went on guard after niRhtfal.
Until after midniRht the moon shone bright
", ountless stars were visible and all went
well. The trouble began at 4 A. NJ AL was
lnky black at tina hour when q rife shot and
cries Of Haiti Haiti" were heard from post
IL, which extended from q stretch Of cornfleld
to q cactus-grown ravine. q distance OF less
than 200 feet. Moro cries OF Haiti q fuaillade
OF ride and pistol shots and then the long roll
Of the drum brought the men tumbline from
their tents, guns in hand and in all stages Of
excitement. most Of them eager for the fray.
Then was heard the long roll in the camps
Of the First Kentucky and Third Wisconsin
Volunteers nearby. and so on throughout every
regiment from here to the sea. six miles away.
awaking nearly 1000 men al hour ahead Of
time. n all for WHAT? Well. the man who
fired the first shot. q youth Of twenty summers,
Private G. A. Smith OF Company Z, who lives
when at home at S79 Broadway. Brooklyn.
says he saw three dusky looking men dressed
in white trying to get into camp by way OF the
oorn1eld. When he CHALLENGED them they
cid back and hid. and he called the CORPORAL
Of the guard. Stanley OF Company +. With
Stanley came the officer OF the guard. First
Lieut.. Joseph L. Gilman OF Company @. As
Stanley and Gilman came running up the
three men showed their heads again and
Smith fred. Then Lieut.. Gilman began
emptying his revolver and Corporal Stanley
was Q good second with his rife. Cornstalks
were ruthlessly shot down and the firing be-
came general all along the line. Some Of the
boys thought It a good chance to learn how
hard their gums would kick. while others fred
hardly knowing what they did.
When som semblance Of order was finally
restored Capt. Edward J.. Olden OF Company
b. who was oflcer of the day. ordered all
hands who had fred q shot placed under ar
rest and they we're summartly Invested Of their
guns and cartridge belts. They lined up as
follows:
Corporal Stanley OF Company F. Privates G.
A. Smith OF F. Gebhard Mayer. Wallace and
Hoffman OF H.'Cruger Of B. CavanaRh Of A.
and DENIM and Donohue OIL.
Drummer Kern and Bugler Neubert were
hauled over the GOALS for sounding the long
roll without orders from a commissioned OH
Ger. and Sergeant of the Guard Anthony G.
szkalla Of Company NJ was scolded for hav-
ing permitted Thorn to do 50. Sergt- Szkalla
explained that he was kept busy preventing
the balance OF the guard from using up their
cartridges. After an Investigation by Col.
John G. Eddy. those placed under arrest were
returned to their quarters and admonished to
sin no more.
The accidental" shooting occurred later In
the day. just after dinner. and must be
added to that long list OF fatalities where an
''unloaded" weapon is ~playfully pointed at the
victim. The victim In this case is Private
John Valentine Of Company A, whose home Is
In Park avenue. near Throop avenue. Brook
Ign. He was shot through the neck and shoul-
der. and now lies In hospital fighting for his
life. 1t IL feared paralysis has set in. The
man who did the shooting was First Lieut..
Arthur Meyer Of Company A. The Lieuten-
ant:says he didn't mean 1t.
Still another case OF shooting occurred. In
which Private Harry Sohn Of Company II.
whose home is at 107 Graham avenue. Brook
lyn. lost q piece out of the rim Of his campaign
hat and a chunk Of scalp. This happened
away from camp. in the city Of Ponce. about
z O'Clock last night. Sohn thinks he was shot
at from q window In the fashionable section
OF the city. whore tho wealthy Spaniards who
remain are very bitter against the American
soldiers. 6ohn was carried unconscious to
the hospital Of the First Kentucky Volunteers.
and a squad Of soldiers secured the section in
which he was found in quest of his assailant.
but without avail. To-day Sohn is able to be
about again. with his head swathed in ban
dages.
Altogether. things seem to be picking up .
bit for the boys Of the Forty-seventh after
their quiet rendezvous at Camp Black and
summer vacation with the swell folk Of New