The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-27
DASTARDLY WORK.
Spanish Spies Prowling
About the Key West
Fortifcations.
WAS A MAINE AFFAIR ON FOOT
4 Mysterious Package Plays
Prominent Part IL
the Affair.
ARTILLERY SERGEANT SHOT
Challenge Answered With a
Revolver--Escape of
the Villains.
ARTILLERY SERGEANT SHOT
IBy Gable to The Associated Press.l

TBy Gable to The Associated Press.]
KEY WEST, May 27, 1SsS.-Sergeant
Charles w. Richards, Battery B, First
Artillery, ON duty at a mortar battery
near Fort Taylor, was fired upon early
this morning by three unknown men,
whom he says he knows to be Spantards.
The fire was promptly returned, but the
men escaped.
The affair, which is involved in a good
deal of mystery began yesterday after
noon, when three swarthy men,who looked
like Spaniards even if they were not ma
lives of Spain, made an attempt to en-
ter the ga1e of the reservation, but were
summarily turned off by the sentry.
No further attention. was given to the
Incident until last night, when between
10 and II o'clock the Sergeant of the
artillery guard, near the mortar battery,
dfscerned the figures of three men a few
yards ahead of him. Almost simultane-
ously with the discovery, they opened fire
on him with pistols.
Three bullets whizzed harmlessly past
the sergeant, but a fourth lodged in the
Heshy part of his left arm, just above the
elbow. The sergeant dropped his raised
rife and, as he did so, and before he
and fed out of range. He sent several
shots after them and then went for the
guard
a sharp lookout was kept for the stran-
gers. and soon after midnight sus-
piclous noise was heard outside the gate
near which the mortar battery is located
An investigation resulted in the discov-
cry of a carriage in the street, just out
side the gate. The sergeant gave orders
to fire and a volley was sent at the ve-
hicle A moment later, it appears, three
men were seen running up the street AND
the fire Of the soldiers was directed upon
them. but without effect, the suspects
escaping apparently unharmed.
The sergeant declares that on the oc-
casion of the last visit of the strangers
one the latter carried suspicious look
ing package about three feet long.
Sergeant Richards told The Associated
Press correspondents the story OF the
affair. He said that at ten o'clock yes
like Spaniards. attempted to enter the
gate at the reservation. but were turned
away. On three different occasions later
in the day he saw them lettering about
various entrances, and at one or these
they fingered for nearly two hours.
At a:45 last night, Richards. when
walking over to Fort Taylor, across the
reservation, heard sounds coming from
y y
way. Getting his rifle ready, he crept
stealthily up to the pit, and when close
by heard voices say
The sergeant then entered the pit and
confronted stranger who was coming
out with a three foot package in mis-
man man and ordered Hands up, but without
an instant's hesitation, the stranger
blazed away with a revolver which he
apparently had drawn and r. rsady; hG ane3 nw9
to his knees as a third bullet plowed
through the flesh of his left arm above
After the three shots the mysterious
assailant of the sergeant turned and fed
at top speed towards the road, Richards
firing one shot after the fugitive and
a carriage just outside the gate. in which
were already seated two other men and
the trio drove furiously away.
The suddenness of the, attack caught
Richards unawares and the men were out
of range before he could bring his rifle
to bear. upon them effectively
Shortly after midnight Sergeant Rich
ards, with several artillerymen, returned
to the mortar pit to Sc If all was right
there. As the drew near figure darted
out and sped to the road. Richards
recognized this figure as the man who had
shot at him and ordered Private Gates
to fire. But the suspect was again too
agile. and the one shot fired went wild.
We chased him some distance" said
ftlcn9TuS, s-Dul ne got away. Al the fOau
we found a long Cuban cigarette dropped
by him and stil burning. He was about
six feet tall, had heavy black nous
tache and wore yellow coat | am sat
isfied that all three men were Spaniards
and that the package contained dynamite
with which they intended to destroy the
battery.
Richards. whose wound is Of trif1ing
nature, was emphatic in his assertions
and added
There are other details which am not
permitted to reveal"