Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-13
NEWPORT NEWS TRAGEDY.
One Soldier Killed, Another wound
ed-UaII tcouittcd.


NEWPORT NEWS, VA, December II.
(Special)-The killing of Private Henry
Reffett OF Company l. Of the First Ken
lucky, and the wounding Of Private Hen
~ c. Brehme, Of Company y. of the same
regiment, last Saturday night. Is stiil
shrouded in mystery. The name OF the
man who committed the deed. also SOL
der OF the First Kentucky, IS not known
here, as he left with his regiment the
same night, and is now probably under
arrest in Louisville. where the First Ken
lucky arrived this morning.
The first story i'm connection with the
mystery stated that Remett and Brehme
left the transport Berlin early in the day
and returned al night without passes, and
endeavored 20 get aboard the ship. Ac-
cording to this story. the sentinel on duty
at the gangway blocked their path and
tod them that they could go aboard only
under arrest Then the trouble cnsued.
and. II is said, Reffett was struck over
the head with the fiat side of a sword
bayonet i'm the hands Of the sentinel, and
Brehme was struck down by the sentineTs
gun.
To-day another story develops. and it
comes from what IS asserted 10 be anthem
tic sources. According to this version, Ref
felt was the sentinel on duty. and an un-
known private soldier. the man who Is
under arrest in Louisville, attempted 20
pass him and go aboard the ship after the
entire regiment had debarked and made
preparations TO march 10 the train. Ref
fett it is said. attempted 10 stop the sol
der, who raised his sword bayOnet and
struck the other on the head. Telling him
10 the ground. Then Brehme interfered
and received a blow on the head. which
split his skull. The assailant Immediately
gave himself up for arrest The resi-
mental surgeon sewed the wounds Of the
unfortunate men and left them lying on
the pier. while he sent message TO the
Josiah Simpson General Hospital. at Fort
Monroe. When the surgeons from the fort
arrived they found one soldier dead on
the pier, and the other about frozen stiff,
and I'm an unconscious state. The wound
ed man was taken TO the hospital i'm the
ambulance, and yesterday afternoon the
Coroner started To- hold an inquest upon
the remains of the dead soldier. In the
absence of important witnesses. how
ever. the inquest was continued until next
Monday. The guilty party will be tried
by court-martial, as the affair occurred
while the men We're under military dis
cipl!ne. and IL is very probable that 1t
will take place at Fort Monroe. the near
est military station 10 the scene Of the
tragedy.
The jury IN the case OF Sam Hall the
BloOdfeld saloon-keeper charged, with the
murder of Alonzo Andrews. a private i'm
Company l. lG)th Indiana, in August last,
returned a verdict Of not guilty at a late
hour last Saturday night.
The United States transport OLDHAM ar
rived at Old Point Comfort yesterday al
rfT
and convalescent soldiers from Santiago
and Ponce. and 4 number Of civilians,
among the latter Miss Packard. daughter
Of Ex-Governor Packard. OF Iowa. who
has been serving as a Red Cross nurse.
The cOnvalesccnts were put ashore last
night and transferred 90 the Josiah Simp-
son Hospital. II is reported that the
War Department will be asked ~ make
an investigation into the cause for send
ing the sick men from the hospitals at
Santiago and Ponce with summer cloth
ing The soldiers suffered from the cold
on the voyage TO port and are complain
ing bitterly
There was a light fall Of snow here this
afternoon. Appearances indicate that
more snow is coming.
Postmaster Fred. Read has been nOti-
fed By the Weather Bureau that this
post-omce has been listed TO receive the
emergency warnings" Of the bureau by
telegraph AZ the governments expense.
These warnings are issued when the con-
ditons are favorable for tropical hurri-
canes or storms and cold waves of un-
usual severity.
Work on the new city jail was started
to-day. The jail-yard walls are being torn
down, and the excavation will be COM
menccd tomorrow.
Mrs. Mary Blackwell died here yester-
day afternoon Of old age. The remains
were forwarded TO Waynesboro' this az
ternoon for intCrmcnt. Mrs. Blackwell
was the mothcr-in-law Of Mr.. Hanger, at
whose residence she died.